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Haradinaj: Nobody quizzes Special Court existence

Kosovo Prime Minister, Ramush Haradinaj, said that the special war crimes court set to try alleged crimes of the KLA will not be abolished. Original post Here

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Vucic: Joining the EU only after signing binding document with Kosovo

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic says the EU expects from Serbia “a legally binding document with Pristina, after which we could become a member of the EU.” Original post Here

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Ivanovic’s killing: Kosovo Prosecution asks Serbia’s help to identify the car

Chief Prosecutor of Mitrovica, Njazi Rexha, said on Wednesday that Serbia’s help is needed to track the origin of the car allegedly used by the killers of Kosovo Serb politician Oliver Ivanovic. Original post Here

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Srpska MPs honour fallen KLA martyrs in Kosovo Parliament

Serbian members of Kosovo Parliament joined their Albanian colleagues observing one minute of silence for the fallen heroes of the Kosovo Liberation Army: Zahir Pajaziti, Hakif Zejnullahu, and Edmond Hoxha. Original post Here

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Suspected Balkan drug boss Naser Kelmendi makes closing statement in criminal trial

Naser Kelmendi, the alleged Balkan drug baron, maintained his innocence in his closing statement Wednesday before a Pristina court where he is facing murder and narcotics charges. The verdict on Kelmendi’s case is expected on Friday. Original post Here

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Haradinaj suspends decision on pay rise

Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj has given up on his decision to increase salaries of the government cabinet, following harsh reaction by the citizens and the interpretation of the Anti-Corruption Agency which qualified the decision as illegal. Original post Here

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Pristina citizens protest heavy pollution levels

Environmentalists have staged a protest in Kosovo’s capital Pristina asking the government to fight extremely high pollution. Original post Here

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Delawie: I applaud those opposing revocation of the Special Court

The US Ambassador to Kosovo, Greg Delawie, keeps opposing the initiative of the ruling MPs to abrogate the Law on Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecution Office. Delawie in a Tweet on Wednesday said that also Kosovo’s citizens do not support the initiative to undo the war crimes court. Original post …

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TIME Magazine ranks Kosovo PM Haradinaj among ‘5 Most Wanted Geopolitical Fugitives of 2018’

The Time Magazine has ranked Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj among the five most wanted “geopolitical fugitives of 2018”. Kosovo PM is in the same list with other world well-known fugitives, including Catalan regional president Carles Puigdemont, Turkish Fethullah Gulen, founder of WikiLeaks Julian Assange and former Georgia’s president, Mikheil …

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Prime Minister’s party rewards his cousin who insulted the US ambassador

The Municipality of Decan, run by Ramush Haradinaj’s party – the AAK, has on Tuesday appointed the Deputy Head of the Association of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) Veterans, Nasim Haradinaj, as municipal Director of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development. His appointment came only weeks after his controversial statements calling …

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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 …

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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 …

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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

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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