In Focus
The big picture
                                
                            
                            Erion Veliaj appears in court for first time since arrest, calls dismissal a threat to democracy
Erion Veliaj appeared in public for the first time since his arrest on February 10 — this time in handcuffs. Escorted by heavy police presence, the former Tirana mayor was...
                                
                            
                                
                            
                            Albania-EU Stabilization Committee urges unity as EU talks near final chapter
With accession negotiations entering their final chapter, Albania’s Stabilization and Association Parliamentary Committee closed its two-day session in Tirana by calling for intensified reforms and cross-party cooperation to push forward...
                                
                            
                                
                            
                            Berisha announces protests ater OSCE/ODIHR Report on May 11 elections
Following the publication of the OSCE/ODIHR final report on the May 11 parliamentary elections, former Prime Minister and opposition leader Sali Berisha announced plans for a wave of protests “inside...
                                
                            
                                
                            
                            Edi Rama in London: Albania will never host migrant camps
Prime Minister Edi Rama reaffirmed from London that Albania will not accept any request to host asylum or migrant processing centers, repeating his earlier stance that “never in Albania” will...
                                
                            
                                
                            
                            From controversy to revision: Albania retains binary gender definition in equality bill
A draft law on legal equality submitted to the Albanian Parliament initially proposed redefining gender in a way that would have allowed recognition beyond the traditional male-female binary. The proposal,...
                                
                            
                                
                            
                            Crisis Group: Kosovo’s rift with the West deepens amid Albin Kurti’s power centralization and crackdown on Serbs
A new report by the International Crisis Group (ICG) warns that Kosovo is straining its relations with the EU and the United States, as Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s push to...