Why is this important: Dumani’s rebuke comes in the aftermath of similar claims by Berisha and criticism of SPAK’s silence on the issue. The public disclosure of such sensitive information from ongoing investigations has become a source of concern in Albania, with politicians and journalists frequently leaking details from confidential case files. While Dumani’s statement today was interpreted as a veiled threat to Berisha calls have grown for internal investigations within SPAK to identify the sources of these leaks among its officers and prosecutors.

Why is this important: The Electoral Code mandates that candidate lists for parliamentary elections be submitted to the Central Election Commission (CEC) 40 days before the election date. However, international postal service providers have requested more than 40 days to deliver ballot envelopes to voters abroad. To address this, the CEC proposed that political parties submit their candidate lists 60 days prior to the election, allowing sufficient time for ballot printing and distribution to the diaspora.

Why is this important: The Democratic Party has twice come to power, in 1992 and 2005, with similar promises to compensate these two groups, which have historically been among its most loyal supporters. However, disappointment has run deep among these communities over unfulfilled pledges. Although they have been in power for a total of 13 years since 1992 Democrats never kept their promise to these social categories. Former political prisoners who were still alive after 2013 saw 100% of their compensation granted only after the Socialists came to power. The same is trye for the heirs of those no longer living have received most of their dues and continue to be compensated for forced labor during the communist regime. Coming up with the same pledge again, 33 years after the fall of communism when the Democrats led by Berisha assumed power for the first time, risks serving more as the reminder of an unkept promise than an argument for support.

Why is this important: Although diplomatic relations between Albania and Ukraine were established in 1993, Albania had never opened a diplomatic mission in Kyiv until now. In 2015, the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Albania was opened in Kharkiv. The establishment of the embassy underscores Albania’s growing commitment to Ukraine, particularly in light of the intensified ties since the onset of the Russian invasion.