Vote against budget report of Pristina mayor shows rift in Vetevendosje
Pristina Mayor, Shpend Ahmeti, who won a second term running as Vetevendosje candidate during last year’s local elections, has been challenged on Wednesday by most of his party Municipal Assembly councillors, who voted against approval of a budget report for 2017. The symbolic vote against Ahmeti by his party members …
Students with prison uniforms protest against isolation
“Kosovo Black Hole of Europe!” “Stop Isolation!” “Vote Demarcation” these were some of the placards unveiled on Wednesday by Kosovo students who protested in front of Parliament asking MPs to ratify the Agreement on border demarcation with Montenegro. Original post Here
Demarcation session is intended to be held on Friday
The fourth Parliament session in a row on ratification of the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro is intended to be held this Friday. Original post Here
Kosovo students to protest against isolation
Kosovo students are expected to protest today in front of Parliament requesting ratification of the Agreement on border demarcation with Montenegro, Gazeta Express reports. Original post Here
Serbian Orthodox Church preparing new provocation for the state of Kosovo
The new official name of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) will be the Serbian Orthodox Church – the Patriarchate of Pec, a reference for the Patriarchate of Peja in Kosovo territory. Original post Here
Merkel’s advisor in Pristina urges ratification of demarcation
Jan Hecker, foreign policy adviser to German Chancellor Angela Merkel is visiting Kosovo when he is meeting institutional leaders. The German senior state official has urged Kosovo MPs to ratify the Agreement on border demarcation with Montenegro. Original post Here
Mitrovica Bridge delayed work resumes
Work to revitalize the main bridge over the Iber river in Mitrovica, which was delayed at the order of Mitrovica North mayor Goran Rakic, has resumed. The news was confirmed on Monday by the US Ambassador to Kosovo, Greg Delawie who visited the bridge. Original post Here
Professor who backed Albanian Orthodox Community in Macedonia, physically assaulted
Macedonian professor, Branko Sinadinovski, who publically supported establishment of the Albanian Orthodox Community has been physically attacked on Monday in Skopje. Original post Here
Spain to grant Kosovo visas in Mediterranean Games
The Spanish Olympic Committee has finally agreed to grant visas for members of the Kosovo delegation who will attend the Mediterranean Games Tarragona, after Spanish authorities initially tried to deny visas for Kosovars. Spain is one of the five EU countries which did not recognise Kosovo’s independence. Original post Here
Pacolli convinced the demarcation will be ratified this week
First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Behgjet Pacolli, is convinced the Draft Law on ratification of the state border between Kosovo and Montenegro will be ratified this week. Pacolli also denied that Serbian MPs are conditioning vote on demarcation. Original post Here
Kosovo, Bulgaria and Turkey have signed the Board of Peace Charter, under Donald Trump’s auspices, but several other Balkan countries are still pondering whether to join the initiative. Original post Here
Balkan countries are continuing to sacrifice their remaining clean river stretches to development and pollution, a new assessment warns. Original post Here
The Bulgarian mystic’s doomy predictions continue to grab headlines in Albania and elsewhere – even though many seem fabricated and sometimes appear to serve Russian geopolitical narratives. Original post Here
Tirana, 21.01.2026 – Research on disability has increasingly moved into the centre of international scientific and policy discussions, reflecting broader debates about inclusion, quality of life and access to public space. Against this wider backdrop, the King Salman Center for Disability Research (KSCDR) has opened nominations for the 4th cycle of …
While Albania’s Edi Rama welcomed an invitation to join Donald Trump’s proposed Board of Peace, Croatia, Slovenia, Romania and Greece merely confirmed that they had received invitations. Original post Here
When the “Choo Choo” Train Never Came It begins with a scene that now feels almost surreal. In 2022, during a staged media event in Tirana, Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku enthusiastically explained to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that the Tirana–Durrës–Rinas railway would be completed by 2024. …
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
The United States has once again issued an unusually clear and public warning about the threat posed by Albanian organized crime groups and their links to Latin American drug cartels, framing the issue not only as a criminal challenge but as a direct risk to Albania’s national security and economic …
As the new year gets off to a cold start in the region, our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories takes a look at the high expectations and sobering realities of what 2026 holds in store. Original post Here
Critics warn of deepening inequality, impunity and potential money-laundering exposure. Tirana Times, January 16,2025 – Albania’s newly adopted “fiscal peace” package framed by the government as a reset of relations between businesses and the tax authorities, has sparked sharp criticism from economists, business associations, the opposition and international observers. Although …