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Luxemburg meeting, Council waiting for the EC assessment on visas for Kosovo

EU General and Foreign Affairs Councils on June adopted on Tuesday in Luxembourg conclusions on Enlargement and Stabilisation and Association Process for the Western Balkan countries. This document will be reviewed after two days by the EU chief during a meeting of the Council of the European Union. In Kosovo’s …

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EU gives green light to start membership talks with Albania and Macedonia

The European Union will start accession negotiations with Macedonia and Albania, pending progress on reforms before the first talks can begin in 2019. Original post Here

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EU gives green light to start membership talks with Albania and Macedonia

The European Union will start accession negotiations with Macedonia and Albania, pending progress on reforms before the first talks can begin in 2019. Original post Here

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“Ivanovic’s killers are not Albanians, still operating in the north of Kosovo”

Five months after the murder of the Citizens’ alliance SDP leader Oliver Ivanovic in Mitrovica North Kosovo authorities have not solved the case. Special Prosecutor dealing with this case, Syle Hoxha, told Gazeta Express that the investigations are ongoing but he is almost certain that the perpetrators of this crime …

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“Ivanovic’s killers are not Albanians, still operating in the north of Kosovo”

Five months after the murder of the Citizens’ alliance SDP leader Oliver Ivanovic in Mitrovica North Kosovo authorities have not solved the case. Special Prosecutor dealing with this case, Syle Hoxha, told Gazeta Express that the investigations are ongoing but he is almost certain that the perpetrators of this crime …

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Thaci speak by phone with Stoltenberg: Kosovo Army in coordination with allies

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci spoke today by phone on Tuesday with the NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on transformation of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into army. Original post Here

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Thaci speak by phone with Stoltenberg: Kosovo Army in coordination with allies

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci spoke today by phone on Tuesday with the NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on transformation of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into army. Original post Here

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Kosovo president Thaci: Eagle gesture is not a symbol that killed people

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci on Monday defended two Swiss footballers of Kosovo Albanian heritage who celebrated World Cup goals against Serbia with a two-headed eagle gesture reflecting their ethnic roots. Original post Here

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Kosovo president Thaci: Eagle gesture is not a symbol that killed people

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci on Monday defended two Swiss footballers of Kosovo Albanian heritage who celebrated World Cup goals against Serbia with a two-headed eagle gesture reflecting their ethnic roots. Original post Here

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US Ambassador: Politics have no place in the Constitution

US Ambassador to Pristina, Greg Delawie, has criticised Kosovo institutions, for as he said, delays in election of the three Constitutional Court judges. Original post Here

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Albania’s Anti-Corruption “Success”: A Manufactured Illusion

By Zef Preçi What kind of political system are we living in today? Even though we have a weak state, authoritarian tendencies in governance have become more pronounced, and in a synthesized way this is reflected in the increasing number of MPs of the ruling party from one mandate to …

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Week in Review: Surprises and Standoffs

As the year draws towards its end, our Balkan Insight Premium stories show that there is no shortage of political surprises, unexpected twists and new standoffs across the region. Original post Here

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How Albanians in America Lobbied for Freedom Back Home

Albanian-American writer Fron Nahzi’s new book explains how the Albanian diaspora used its newfound freedom in the United States to campaign for a range of nationalist causes. Original post Here

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Rebuilt Housing Estate for Albanian Quake Survivors Hosts Just One Family

The earthquake that hit Albania in November 2019 left many families homeless. But a rural housing estate built to accommodate some of them remains almost empty due to problems with infrastructure and insecure terrain. Original post Here

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Albania’s Political Absurdity:Doomsday – The Day Albania “Lost” Its Deputy PM

O tempora, o mores. After Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku faced criminal charges, and after the court suspended her from office and banned her from leaving the country, what one would normally expect is either her immediate resignation or her immediate dismissal by Prime …

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The Limits of Spectacle Diplomacy in the UK–Albania Migration Row

The clash between Edi Rama and Shabana Mahmood over the fate of 700 Albanian families in the UK exposes a deeper truth about modern diplomacy: visibility is not the same as influence. When the Home Secretary singled out Albanian families while announcing sweeping asylum reforms, she was not improvising. She …

News
Albania: Between Reform Dynamics and Democratic Fragility

Elez Biberaj Thirty-five years after Albania’s emergence from one of Europe’s most repressive communist regimes, the country’s democratic trajectory remains emblematic of post-authoritarian transformation, reflecting the promise of political renewal while exposing the challenges of durable consolidation. In this context, the May 2025 parliamentary elections stand out as a test …

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Opposition Rejects EU Commissioner’s “Free and Fair” Assessment of Elections

By Tirana Times Staff TIRANA, Albania , November 22, (Tirana Times).  Albania’s main opposition party sharply criticized European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos for describing the country’s May 11 parliamentary elections as “free and fair,” arguing that her assessment contradicts the findings of international election monitors. In a statement delivered …

News
Week in Review: TikTokcracy, Labyrinths and an Anniversary

New leaders, old challenges, the threat of ‘TikTokracy’ and – not least – a look at the Dayton Peace Accords thirty years later, are all themes that preoccupy our selection of Premium stories this week. Original post Here

News
Albanian PM Condemns Deputy’s Suspension by Court as ‘Brutal Interference’

Edi Rama slated the court decision suspending Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku while she faces a graft probe – and threatened to take the matter to the Constitutional Court. Original post Here

News

Albania’s Anti-Corruption “Success”: A Manufactured Illusion

By Zef Preçi What kind of political system are we living in today? Even though we have a weak state, authoritarian tendencies in governance have become more pronounced, and in a synthesized way this is reflected in the increasing number of MPs of the ruling party from one mandate to …

News

Week in Review: Surprises and Standoffs

As the year draws towards its end, our Balkan Insight Premium stories show that there is no shortage of political surprises, unexpected twists and new standoffs across the region. Original post Here

News

How Albanians in America Lobbied for Freedom Back Home

Albanian-American writer Fron Nahzi’s new book explains how the Albanian diaspora used its newfound freedom in the United States to campaign for a range of nationalist causes. Original post Here

News

Rebuilt Housing Estate for Albanian Quake Survivors Hosts Just One Family

The earthquake that hit Albania in November 2019 left many families homeless. But a rural housing estate built to accommodate some of them remains almost empty due to problems with infrastructure and insecure terrain. Original post Here

News

Albania’s Political Absurdity:Doomsday – The Day Albania “Lost” Its Deputy PM

O tempora, o mores. After Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku faced criminal charges, and after the court suspended her from office and banned her from leaving the country, what one would normally expect is either her immediate resignation or her immediate dismissal by Prime …

News

The Limits of Spectacle Diplomacy in the UK–Albania Migration Row

The clash between Edi Rama and Shabana Mahmood over the fate of 700 Albanian families in the UK exposes a deeper truth about modern diplomacy: visibility is not the same as influence. When the Home Secretary singled out Albanian families while announcing sweeping asylum reforms, she was not improvising. She …

News

Albania: Between Reform Dynamics and Democratic Fragility

Elez Biberaj Thirty-five years after Albania’s emergence from one of Europe’s most repressive communist regimes, the country’s democratic trajectory remains emblematic of post-authoritarian transformation, reflecting the promise of political renewal while exposing the challenges of durable consolidation. In this context, the May 2025 parliamentary elections stand out as a test …

News

Opposition Rejects EU Commissioner’s “Free and Fair” Assessment of Elections

By Tirana Times Staff TIRANA, Albania , November 22, (Tirana Times).  Albania’s main opposition party sharply criticized European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos for describing the country’s May 11 parliamentary elections as “free and fair,” arguing that her assessment contradicts the findings of international election monitors. In a statement delivered …

News

Week in Review: TikTokcracy, Labyrinths and an Anniversary

New leaders, old challenges, the threat of ‘TikTokracy’ and – not least – a look at the Dayton Peace Accords thirty years later, are all themes that preoccupy our selection of Premium stories this week. Original post Here

News

Albanian PM Condemns Deputy’s Suspension by Court as ‘Brutal Interference’

Edi Rama slated the court decision suspending Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku while she faces a graft probe – and threatened to take the matter to the Constitutional Court. Original post Here