Blog
News

From staunch enemy to strategic partner: Albanian-American relations in transition

This content is for members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read. The post From staunch enemy to strategic partner: Albanian-American relations in transition appeared first on Tirana Times. Original post Here

Read More
News

Behind the Façade: What’s Fueling Albania’s Real Estate Boom?

In recent years, Albania—particularly its capital, Tirana—has witnessed a real estate boom of unprecedented proportions. Tower cranes dominate the skyline, new developments sprout at every corner, and record-breaking building permits have become the norm. At first glance, this might seem like a sign of economic vitality. But beneath the surface …

Read More
News

A Taste of Friendship: Turkish Diplomat Bridges Two Nations Through the Language of Food

Edibe Sinem Atay’s new cookbook on Turkish and Albanian cuisine is more than a culinary collection — it is a heartfelt celebration of history, identity, and shared heritage. TIRANA, May 24, 2025.When diplomacy meets the warmth of the kitchen, something deeply human and enduring is born. Edibe Sinem Atay, a …

Read More
News

Tirana Pride Highlights Albania’s LGBT+ Progress Amid EU Hopes

TIRANA, May 25, 2025— Hundreds of people marched through the streets of Albania’s capital on Saturday during the annual Pride Parade, demanding equal rights, legal recognition, and dignity for the LGBT+ community under the motto “Side by Side.” The event, marked by colorful banners and strong calls for inclusion, received …

Read More
News

Albania’s Vanishing Electorate: Emigration, Not a Boycott, Powered the Socialist Victory

TIRANA, Albania — Albania’s ruling Socialist Party secured another sweeping victory in the May 11 parliamentary elections, but analysts say the most significant result wasn’t who won—but who wasn’t there to vote. Official data from the Central Election Commission indicate that at least 200,000 fewer people voted in 2025 compared …

Read More
News

Fight to Protect Albania’s ‘Wild River’ Isn’t Over, Say Environmental Prize-Winners

Activists Olsi Nika and Besjana Guri tell BIRN they see their prestigious international prize as fresh motivation to continue their campaign to save one of Europe’s last wild rivers from development. Original post Here

Read More
News

Crime Crackdown Exposes Albania’s Deep State-Organized Crime Links

Joint Italy-Albania Crime Crackdown Exposes Deep Ties Between Organized Crime and State Structures in Albania TIRANA, Albania ,Tirana Times May 21 — A sweeping anti-drug operation conducted jointly by Italian and Albanian authorities has laid bare what critics describe as the entrenched links between organized crime and political power in …

Read More
News

Narco-Politics and the Erosion of Democracy in Albania

In a country where democratic institutions are already fragile, a sprawling Italian anti-mafia investigation has thrown Albania’s political establishment into turmoil. At its heart lies the so-called Troplini Group, a narco-network accused of trafficking heroin and cocaine from Latin America through the Port of Durrës, laundering profits via the country’s …

Read More
News

Italy-Albania Police Operation Nets 40 Suspected Drug Traffickers

Joint police investigation results in arrest of 40 members of three gangs allegedly involved in cocaine and heroin trafficking and money laundering, including one gang based in Durres, Albania. Original post Here

Read More
News

Thwarting Opposition Hopes, Albania’s Socialists Win Big Abroad

Albania’s well-organised ruling party worked hard to mobilise voters abroad for an election that for the first time featured postal ballots. It paid off. Original post Here

Read More
News
Week in Review: Surprises in Store

Our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories this week brings some surprises – some good, some less so – while continuing to look back on 20 years of BIRN. Original post Here

News
Albania’s Anti-Disinformation Strategy Could Target Critical Media, Opponents Fear

The Albanian parliament has adopted a national strategy to combat foreign interference and disinformation – but the opposition claims it could be used against domestic media that expose government failings. Original post Here

News
Veliaj in Legal and Political Limbo: High Court Confirms Detention, Rule-of-Law in Question

Tirana Times, TIRANA July 9, 2025— Albania’s High Court on Tuesday upheld the pretrial detention of Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj, marking a decisive moment in both the judicial handling of the high-profile case and in Veliaj’s political unraveling. The ruling, which confirms the March 13 decision of the Court of …

News
Greece Inaugurates New Consulate in Korça to Boost Bilateral Ties

By Tirana Time staff KORÇA, Albania ,Tirana Times,  July 9 , 2025 — Greece inaugurated a new building for its Consulate General in the southeastern Albanian city of Korça on Sunday, in a ceremony that highlighted the deepening diplomatic ties between the two neighboring countries and renewed Athens’ focus on …

News
Albania’s Youth Exodus: Emigration as a Security Threat

Tirana Times. July 8, 2025. Albania is shrinking—demographically, economically, and institutionally. A once-youthful country on the edge of Europe is now in the grip of a mass exodus that analysts warn is no longer just a social or economic crisis, but a growing threat to national security. In a nation …

News
Vidovdan: A Dangerous Myth Turned Political Weapon

By Syle Ukshini For more than a century, the Serbian state and Church have mythologized the Battle of Kosovo of 1389 as a defining moment of Serbian identity—a narrative culminating each year in the celebration of Vidovdan, Serbia’s national and religious holiday observed on June 28. Originally linked to the …

News
One Man’s Rule: Governance by Ultimatum

by Vilson Blloshmi From the way it was announced to its substance, Prime Minister Edi Rama’s latest ultimatum to “clear public spaces within 2 weeks” is neither a law, nor a public policy, nor a government decision. It is a personal order, a voice over the phone that, in any …

News
“Wherever I travel, Greece wounds me.”

Ὅπου κι ἂν ταξιδέψω, ἡ Ἑλλάδα μὲ πληγώνει. Jerina Zaloshnja This is what Giorgos Seferis wrote — and thus, before I even truly knew who Seferis was, I began to love Greece. That verse — simple, clear, ablaze with love and pain — was, for me, once a gateway to …

News
Digital Rights Review: AI-Driven Violations Go Unchecked in South-East Europe

Across south-east Europe last month, BIRN’s digital rights monitors documented how AI is being used for protest surveillance, election manipulation, enabling digital sexual abuse and committing fraud, sparking calls for urgent action. Original post Here

News
Forum of Alumni from Saudi Universities in the Balkans

Saudi Ambassador  Faisal Ghazi  Ismail Hifzi, Highlights Kingdom’s Commitment to Global Educational Ties through Balkan Alumni Gathering Tirana Times Sunday, July 6, 2025,  The Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the Republic of Albania Faisal Ghazi  Ismail Hifzi, announced that on Monday, July 7, Tirana will …

News

Week in Review: Surprises in Store

Our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories this week brings some surprises – some good, some less so – while continuing to look back on 20 years of BIRN. Original post Here

News

Albania’s Anti-Disinformation Strategy Could Target Critical Media, Opponents Fear

The Albanian parliament has adopted a national strategy to combat foreign interference and disinformation – but the opposition claims it could be used against domestic media that expose government failings. Original post Here

News

Veliaj in Legal and Political Limbo: High Court Confirms Detention, Rule-of-Law in Question

Tirana Times, TIRANA July 9, 2025— Albania’s High Court on Tuesday upheld the pretrial detention of Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj, marking a decisive moment in both the judicial handling of the high-profile case and in Veliaj’s political unraveling. The ruling, which confirms the March 13 decision of the Court of …

News

Greece Inaugurates New Consulate in Korça to Boost Bilateral Ties

By Tirana Time staff KORÇA, Albania ,Tirana Times,  July 9 , 2025 — Greece inaugurated a new building for its Consulate General in the southeastern Albanian city of Korça on Sunday, in a ceremony that highlighted the deepening diplomatic ties between the two neighboring countries and renewed Athens’ focus on …

News

Albania’s Youth Exodus: Emigration as a Security Threat

Tirana Times. July 8, 2025. Albania is shrinking—demographically, economically, and institutionally. A once-youthful country on the edge of Europe is now in the grip of a mass exodus that analysts warn is no longer just a social or economic crisis, but a growing threat to national security. In a nation …

News

Vidovdan: A Dangerous Myth Turned Political Weapon

By Syle Ukshini For more than a century, the Serbian state and Church have mythologized the Battle of Kosovo of 1389 as a defining moment of Serbian identity—a narrative culminating each year in the celebration of Vidovdan, Serbia’s national and religious holiday observed on June 28. Originally linked to the …

News

One Man’s Rule: Governance by Ultimatum

by Vilson Blloshmi From the way it was announced to its substance, Prime Minister Edi Rama’s latest ultimatum to “clear public spaces within 2 weeks” is neither a law, nor a public policy, nor a government decision. It is a personal order, a voice over the phone that, in any …

News

“Wherever I travel, Greece wounds me.”

Ὅπου κι ἂν ταξιδέψω, ἡ Ἑλλάδα μὲ πληγώνει. Jerina Zaloshnja This is what Giorgos Seferis wrote — and thus, before I even truly knew who Seferis was, I began to love Greece. That verse — simple, clear, ablaze with love and pain — was, for me, once a gateway to …

News

Digital Rights Review: AI-Driven Violations Go Unchecked in South-East Europe

Across south-east Europe last month, BIRN’s digital rights monitors documented how AI is being used for protest surveillance, election manipulation, enabling digital sexual abuse and committing fraud, sparking calls for urgent action. Original post Here

News

Forum of Alumni from Saudi Universities in the Balkans

Saudi Ambassador  Faisal Ghazi  Ismail Hifzi, Highlights Kingdom’s Commitment to Global Educational Ties through Balkan Alumni Gathering Tirana Times Sunday, July 6, 2025,  The Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the Republic of Albania Faisal Ghazi  Ismail Hifzi, announced that on Monday, July 7, Tirana will …