Albanians head to polls to elect mayors, municipal councils
TIRANA, May 13, 2023 – Albania’s voters will head to polls Sunday to elect mayors and councils for the country’s 61 municipalities in the first competitive administrative elections in eight years. Two groupings have fielded the most mayoral candidates — the ruling Socialist Party of Albania (SPA) and the Together …
Athens Condemns Alleged Vote-Buying Arrest of Greek Politician in Albania
Police arrested Fredi Beleri, a Greek expatriate mayoral candidate in the southern Albanian municipality of Himara, on suspicion of vote-buying, sparking diplomatic protests from Athens. Original post Here
Albania, Greece spar over mayoral candidate’s arrest
TIRANA, May 12, 2023 – Albanian police have arrested the opposition’s candidate for the mayor of Himara on charges of vote buying, leading to a spat between Greek and Albanian authorities over the ethnic Greek party representative’s detention two days before the Albanian municipal elections. The arrested candidate, Fredi Beleri, …
The arrest of Fredi Beleri, the Greek ambassador emergency meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Greek ambassador in Tirana, Kostandina Kamitsi, met this morning with the director of the region at the Albanian Foreign Ministry. The Greek diplomat has expressed to the Albanian side her concern about the arrest of Fredi Beleri, the candidate of the “Bashkë Fitojmë” coalition for the municipality of Himara. …
Fredi Beleri’s arrest, Dendias calls Rama
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias contacted Prime Minister Edi Rama after the arrest of Fredi Beleri for vote buying. The conversation between them comes after the Greek ambassador in Tirana, Konstantina Kamitsi, following Dendia’s instructions, held a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Sources told ABC News that the …
In Local Polls, Albania’s Socialists Face Opposition in Disarray
Campaign policies are in short supply ahead of Albania’s May 14 local elections, in which the ruling Socialists face a Democratic Party split in two. Original post Here
Fredi Beleri, the candidate for Himara Municipality is arrested
Fredi Beleri, the candidate of the “Bashkë Fitojmë” coalition for the municipality of Himara, was arrested. He was escorted shortly after midnight to the premises of the police department of Vlora. Sources told ABC News that Beleri was arrested on the charge of buying and selling votes. He was escorted …
The car of the Russian embassy in Tirana crashes, one person dies, another is injured
The police have provide details of the serious accident that happened yesterday evening in the area of Sauk in Tirana, where the vehicle of the Russian embassy was involved. The car collided with the metal road banner, went off the road and then hit the curb. As a result of …
LGBT Watchdog Chides Balkan, Central Europe Countries for Rights Setbacks
ILGA-Europe, in its latest annual report and rankings, singled out Serbia and Turkey for backsliding in the field of LGBTI rights. Original post Here
Duda: Albania deserves to be part of the EU as soon as possible
The President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda, is in our country this Thursday, where he is conducting an official visit. Duda is the first Polish president after 20 years to visit our country, who in his speech has emphasized that it is important that his visit has already …
The prime minister casts the widening unrest as a “hybrid war,” citing antisemitic narratives, claims about resettling Palestinians and AI-manipulated content. Tirana Times, June 6, 2026 — Prime Minister Edi Rama has accused Iran of standing behind the growing protests in Tirana against the proposed Zvërnec tourism project, shifting the …
TIRANA, June 6 – European Union and Western Balkan leaders meet in Tivat for the Western Balkans–EU summit. They focus on speeding up enlargement and advancing reforms across candidate countries. Meanwhile, European Council President António Costa says enlargement remains merit-based, but he adds that the process must become faster and …
TIRANA, June 6 – The Spring Festival returns to Albania after two decades. It takes place on June 6 and 7 at the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Tirana. The event brings together established and emerging artists. Organisers present the festival as a revival of a major cultural …
Prime Minister Edi Rama said that Sazan Island will remain property of the Albanian state. He stressed that it will not be privatized. Speaking at the Socialist Party’s 35th anniversary event in Vlora, Rama said Sazan is a national asset. Therefore, any development project will be carried out in partnership …
Albania received strong support from European Union leaders at the summit in Tivat, Montenegro. EU officials said the country is moving in the right direction toward membership. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU’s goals are clear. She stated that Montenegro is expected to join the EU …
Prime Minister and Socialist Party leader Edi Rama said that no request for strategic investor status has been submitted for the Zvërnec project. Speaking at the Socialist Party’s 35th anniversary event in Vlora, Rama rejected criticism of strategic investments. He said that when his government took office, Vlora lacked major …
The European Union in Albania has supported 22 journalists and media professionals from across the country. Through short-film projects, they highlighted the stories and challenges faced by some of the most vulnerable groups in Albanian society. The initiative was implemented in cooperation with the organizations Albanian Women in Audiovisual and …
Prime Minister Edi Rama said that the planned tourism resort in Zvërnec will transform Vlora into a destination of global importance. During a meeting with local residents, Rama highlighted the project’s expected economic impact. He said the investment would attract further development and increase interest in real estate, apartments, and …
More than 45 icons from the rich collection of the National Museum of Medieval Art will go on display in France for the first time. The exhibition, “Icons of Albania – Treasures of the National Museum of Medieval Art of Korça,” will open on June 13 at the Musée des …
The European Commission has proposed closing three negotiation chapters with Albania, according to António Costa. Costa announced the news during a press conference following the EU–Western Balkans Summit in Tivat. Furthermore, he praised the progress of Western Balkan countries on their path toward the European Union. He said the enlargement …