Washington suspends visas for Albania
Albania included among weak or failing states despite being a NATO member Tirana, Tirana Times, 14 January 2026 – Washington’s decision to suspend U.S. visa processing for Albania, effective January 21 and for an indefinite period, marks one of the strongest diplomatic signals sent to Tirana in years. Albania has …
NATO Values as Security Infrastructure: Evidence From Student Conversations
In the Western Balkans, “security” is rarely an abstract concept. It is encountered as a lived condition, shaped by memory, geography and a persistent awareness that stability can erode when trust is thin. Security, in this context, is not discussed only in strategic documents or institutional language, but reasoned through …
‘Fiscal Peace’: Albanian Amnesty for Tax-Dodging Businesses Branded Unfair and Opaque
Albania’s government is poised to waive business tax debts more than a decade old, as part of what it says is a reset in relations between the tax authorities and businesses. Critics say it is unfair on those who have played by the rules. Original post Here
Monday Briefing from the Balkans: January 12, 2026
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
How Albanian Organized Crime Conquered Europe’s Cocaine Market
On a locked down November afternoon in 2020, as Europe grappled with Covid 19 restrictions, two Albanian men based in Belgium exchanged a handful of encrypted messages. Deciphered years later from the Sky ECC platform, their words captured a watershed moment in Europe’s cocaine trade. A shipment measured not in …
Port-to-Port: How Albanians Conquered the European Cocaine Market
BIRN reporters trace the rise of Albanian crime gangs to the top of the European cocaine trafficking ladder, from remote parts of Paraguay to European Union ports. Original post Here
Albania in 2026: Battles With Anti-Graft Prosecutors Risk Slowing EU Progress
Political polarisation and government pressure on the judiciary – sparked by investigations of top politicians – could hinder Albania’s rapid progress towards European Union membership. Original post Here
Heavy Rains Cause Evacuations and Discontent in Albania
Dramatic situation reported in several towns, while some locals complain of being abandoned. Original post Here
Albania Under Water: A Return to a Hobbesian State of Nature
TIRANA TIMES, December 6, 2025 – Albania is once again under water. Torrential rains over the past days have triggered massive flooding across almost the entire country, exposing not only the fragility of urban infrastructure but, more fundamentally, the long-term failure of governance. From the northern plains to the southern …
Europe Tightens the Fight Against Corruption, Albania at a Crossroad
By Zef Preçi, Executive Director of ACER As Albania presents itself as closer than ever to the European Union, a troubling contradiction has emerged in its domestic legal and political debate. While the EU is moving decisively toward tougher and more harmonized criminal rules against corruption, Albania is simultaneously discussing …
Croatian’s premier paid a visit to Kyiv alongside other EU leaders, while most Balkan leaders voiced strong support for Ukraine’s self-defence on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s military assault. Original post Here
As Defence Minister talks defence sector collaboration with Israel, President Milanovic reminds government that last year he ordered an end to all cooperation with the Israeli army, citing its ‘unacceptable behaviour’. Original post Here
Albania’s huge agricultural sector is seeking to expand into European markets to flourish – but issues over old-fashioned methods, low productivity, banned pesticides and corruption stand in the way. Original post Here
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
Are you living in a hotspot destination? Struggling with rising rent in a popular neighbourhood or frustrated by the disruption caused by tourists? Tell us your story. Original post Here
Protest against the government on the anniversary of the fall of dictator Enver Hoxha’s statue Tirana Times, February 21, 2026 – The national opposition protest held in Tirana on 20 February 2026 marked a new and more volatile phase in Albania’s political confrontation, as long-standing institutional disputes spilled decisively into …
PM Rama urges Trump to act on The Hague court and Kosovo leaders. Tirana Times, February 20 2026 – Albania has confirmed it will contribute troops and police personnel to the international stabilization mission in Gaza under the newly created Peace Board, an initiative announced by U.S. President Donald Trump …
Balkan and Turkish leaders lauded the Board of Peace at its Washington launch on Thursday – while the participation of an EU Commissioner from Croatia drew criticism from some EU states about her presence. Original post Here
Proposed legal amendments preventing courts from suspending senior officials would be a major blow to progress on tackling corruption – and to Albania’s EU accession process, writes legal expert Gentian Serjani. Original post Here
Digital spaces are the new frontlines for challenging entrenched political and economic interests, but the backlash against civic groups trying to expose corruption and environmental destruction or demand official accountability can be fierce. Original post Here