Week in Review: Trials, Tricksters and Controversial Legacies
Amid the summer heat, political developments in the region are also simmering, as our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories this week shows. Original post Here
Economist Slams Albanian PM’s ‘Liberation’ of City Pavements as Counter-Productive
In an interview with BIRN, economist Arben Malaj said the Albanian government’s high-profile crackdown on unregulated small businesses will backfire on the Albanian economy. Original post Here
Albania’s Penal Code Draft Sparks Outcry
Tirana, August 5, 2025 — The Albanian government’s draft for a new Penal Code, presented in late July 2025, has ignited fierce debate across the political spectrum, the legal community, civil society, and international observers. Critics argue that the draft contains authoritarian-style restrictions on free speech while inexplicably reducing sentences …
Government Accused of Influencing OSCE Election Findings
Tirana , August 5, 2025– Allegations that Albania’s ruling Socialist Party is attempting to influence the final report of the OSCE’s election observation mission have sparked controversy in the wake of the country’s most disputed parliamentary elections in over a decade. The May 11th vote handed Prime Minister Edi Rama’s …
Anger in Albanian Mountain Village After Holiday Cabins Demolished
Albanian authorities have bulldozed dozens of illegally built holiday cabins in the picturesque mountain village of Theth, but critics say the state shares the blame for unlawful construction in protected areas. Original post Here
Monday Briefing from the Balkans: August 4, 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
Week in Review: Schemes and Interventions
Flashbacks from old habits, past failures, challenges and interventions are what link our selection of Premium stories together this week. Original post Here
Personal Data Misuse Tops Albanian Cybercrime List: Police
Head of cybercrime directorate says computer fraud and related offences – often for the purpose of financial gain – are the main cybercrimes committed in Albania. Original post Here
‘Tragicomic’: Ex-Political Prisoners in Albania Still Awaiting Compensation
More than three decades since communism fell in Albania, only six per cent of former political prisoners or their family members have received the full compensation they are entitled to. Original post Here
EU Keeps IPARD III Frozen Over Corruption and Abuse
Albania, July 29,2025, While Albania’s government continues to project an image of rapid progress toward European Union membership—pledging to have negotiated all accession chapters by 2027—the reality on the ground tells a very different story. A recent reaffirmation by the European Commission that €112 million in IPARD III agricultural development …
Amid the summer heat, political developments in the region are also simmering, as our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories this week shows. Original post Here
In an interview with BIRN, economist Arben Malaj said the Albanian government’s high-profile crackdown on unregulated small businesses will backfire on the Albanian economy. Original post Here
Tirana, August 5, 2025 — The Albanian government’s draft for a new Penal Code, presented in late July 2025, has ignited fierce debate across the political spectrum, the legal community, civil society, and international observers. Critics argue that the draft contains authoritarian-style restrictions on free speech while inexplicably reducing sentences …
Tirana , August 5, 2025– Allegations that Albania’s ruling Socialist Party is attempting to influence the final report of the OSCE’s election observation mission have sparked controversy in the wake of the country’s most disputed parliamentary elections in over a decade. The May 11th vote handed Prime Minister Edi Rama’s …
Albanian authorities have bulldozed dozens of illegally built holiday cabins in the picturesque mountain village of Theth, but critics say the state shares the blame for unlawful construction in protected areas. 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
Flashbacks from old habits, past failures, challenges and interventions are what link our selection of Premium stories together this week. Original post Here
Head of cybercrime directorate says computer fraud and related offences – often for the purpose of financial gain – are the main cybercrimes committed in Albania. Original post Here
More than three decades since communism fell in Albania, only six per cent of former political prisoners or their family members have received the full compensation they are entitled to. Original post Here
Albania, July 29,2025, While Albania’s government continues to project an image of rapid progress toward European Union membership—pledging to have negotiated all accession chapters by 2027—the reality on the ground tells a very different story. A recent reaffirmation by the European Commission that €112 million in IPARD III agricultural development …