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Macedonian MPs pass law making Albanian official language

Macedonian lawmakers have passed a law making Albanian the country’s second official language in a vote boycotted by main opposition party. Original post Here

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Kosovo PM Haradinaj applies for Albanian passport

Kosovo Prime Minister, Ramush Haradinaj, was granted Albanian citizenship on 24 April 2017, and this week he applied for the Albanian Passport. Original post Here

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Serbia has interviewed 460 witnesses of the Special Court

Council for Kosovo at the Parliament of Serbia has established a Working Group and they have immediately established relations with the Specialist Chambers and started cooperation with the Specialist Prosecutor, David Schwendiman. Original post Here

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LDK assures German, France envoys that they will prevent initiatives against Special Court

The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) during a meeting with the special envoys of Germany and France, have assured the EU diplomats that this opposition party will prevent the initiative to abrogate the Law on Special Court. Germany and France sent a joint delegation to Kosovo on Wednesday in latest …

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Thaci says ambassadors overreacted related to Special Court’s initiative

Kosovo President, Hashim Thaci, says the decision on establishment of the Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecution Office remains into force, despite the initiative of Kosovo MPs to repeal the Law. Original post Here

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Germany, France send emissaries to Kosovo because of the Special Court

Germany and France sent their special envoys to Kosovo on Wednesday as part of the EU and US efforts to halt the initiative of Kosovo authorities aimed at repealing the Law on the international war crimes court, which will deal with alleged crimes committed by the KLA during Kosovo war …

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Albin Kurti the only candidate running for Vetevendosje leader

Former leader of Vetevendosje, Albin Kurti, is likely to be the only candidate running for another mandate as the leader of the biggest opposition party in Kosovo, amidst internal factions of this party which lead to resignation of some of the top activists including MPs. Original post Here

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Man wanted in Serbia assaults Kosovo Police chief of operations in Mitrovica North

On 7 January the Kosovo Police (KP) have reported an incident between two groups which occurred in Mitrovica North. The fight happened in a cafeteria involving 15 men of Serbian nationality. Gazeta Express has learned that among those assaulted in this incident was also the KP chief of operations in …

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KLA veterans insist on repealing Specialist Chambers Law

The Association of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) veterans keep insisting that the Assembly of Kosovo should vote for abrogation of the Law on Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecution Office. The international Hague based court has been established to try alleged crimes of the KLA during Kosovo 1998-1999 war. Original …

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US Army soldier dies at base in Kosovo

The U.S. military says an Army soldier serving in the NATO force in Kosovo has died. It says the death is under investigation. 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