Monday Briefing from the Balkans: March 31, 2025
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
Money Laundering Causes Poverty, Income Disparity in Balkans, Says BIRN Film
A new BIRN documentary shows how money laundering has been increasing poverty, prices and income inequality in Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro. Original post Here
Diaspora Vote Might Shake Up Albanian Politics, But Big Parties Likely to Prevail
For the first time, Albanians abroad will be able to vote by post in the country’s May parliamentary election; some hope the change will help end the domination of the two big parties, but experts are not so sure. Original post Here
Jailed Albanian Mayor Hires US Law Firm That Worked for Trump
While behind bars and under investigation for graft and money laundering, Tirana mayor Erion Veliaj and his businessman brother have engaged hard-hitting New York law firm Kasowitz Benson Torres to assist his case. Original post Here
Albanian Rights Organisations Take TikTok Ban to Court
BIRN Albania, along with a civil rights group and a journalists’ association, have urged the country’s top court to declare a controversial law banning TikTok in Albania for a year unconstitutional. Original post Here
Italy to Albania, and Back: A Migrant’s Journey Through Italy’s Asylum Experiment
Italy’s right-wing government called it a magic wand for the migrants arriving on its shores, but a deal with Albania to outsource and accelerate asylum processing has run afoul of Italian courts. Critics say it flies in the face of international humanitarian law. Original post Here
Albanian Orthodox Church Gets First Ethnic Albanian Leader in Generations
The new Primate will need to be savvy, navigating between conflicting pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian currents in the small but opinionated Albanian Orthodox Church. Original post Here
Monday Briefing from the Balkans: March 23, 2025
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
Albania’s Controversial TikTok Ban Still Not Fully Working
A government order to ban TikTok to protect children from violent material came into force more than a week ago, but the mobile phone app for the video-sharing platform is still partially working in Albania. Original post Here
Albania, Croatia, and Kosovo Sign Defense Agreement: A New Military Alliance in the Balkans?
By Tirana Times TIRANA, Albania, March 19th— Albania, Croatia, and Kosovo have signed a joint declaration aimed at strengthening defense and security cooperation, marking a significant geopolitical development in the Western Balkans. The agreement, announced this week in Tirana, signals an increased level of military collaboration but stops short of …
The Democratic League of Kosovo has filed 17 lawsuits in a fresh legal challenge against the outgoing prime minister, Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti, and his ministers. Original post Here
Anonymous social media accounts, a lack of financial transparency and the unethical use of AI could have an impact on voter opinion ahead of Albania’s May 11 parliamentary election, BIRN has found. Original post Here
In an interview with BIRN, Zef Mazi, Albania’s former chief negotiator with the EU, poured cold water on Prime Minister Edi Rama’s election promise of EU accession by 2030. Original post Here
TIRANA, Albania , May 6th (Tirana Times ) — On May 11, Albanians will head to the polls for parliamentary elections marked by a crowded field of contenders: 53 political parties and over 2,000 candidates will vie for 140 seats in the national legislature. While this diversity may signal political …
President Begaj welcomes His Majesty Abdullah II bin Al Hussein, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, with a solemn ceremony. May 2, 2025 | TIRANA, Albania Tirana Times In a visit marked more by symbolism than substance, Jordan’s King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein arrived in Tirana on Friday for …
Tirana Times | May 2nd | Prishtina, Kosovo — A unique cultural bridge between Kosovo and Saudi Arabia was inaugurated on Thursday with the opening of the “Urat” exhibition in central Prishtina, showcasing the Kingdom’s rich Islamic and cultural heritage. Organized in partnership between the Islamic Community of Kosovo and …
The involvement of individuals with criminal backgrounds or ties to the underworld among Albania’s so-called strategic investors must be examined in a broader context. Politically, this phenomenon represents one of the clearest signs of the symbiosis between crime and politics — and of the state being effectively captured by organized …
Press freedom has continued a downward slide in most Balkan countries according to the latest report by Reporters Without Borders – although Albania, Montenegro and Serbia have bucked the trend. Original post Here
Genc Pollo – President of the Paneuropa Albania MovementFormer Minister and MP April 2025 “Whatever the European Court decides—if it says it can’t be done, we won’t do it; if it says it can, we will.” This was, roughly speaking, Prime Minister Edi Rama’s stance in March 2023, expressed at …
An in-depth investigation into the EU-backed trans-Balkan transport project that remains stalled decades after its launch. Over two decades ago, European planners and Balkan leaders laid out the idea off Corridor VIII, a transport route that would traverse and link the difficult-to-navigate terrains of Albania, North Macedonia, and Bulgaria. Its …