Opinions
The big picture
The Veliaj case and Albania’s justice reform at a crossroads: the need for checks and balances
In the days following the arrest of Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj, there has been a whirlwind of debates, legal arguments, and political accusations. Yet, amid all the noise, one particular...
Justice must be protected from politics, if it does not engage in politics
By Mero Baze In the way politics has treated SPAK and the new justice system in general, two different standards have been established. The standard of Sali Berisha, who openly...
Berisha’s cynical pirouettes on LGBT issues
Sali Berisha’s announcement of a draft law recognizing only two genders—male and female—has caused puzzlement and sparked cynical comments about his true motives. It is worth examining Berisha’s shifting positions...
The long shadow of January 21: a lingering failure for Albania’s new justice system
Fourteen years have passed since January 21, 2011, when four protesters were fatally shot in front of Albania’s Prime Minister’s office. Fourteen years since a shocking display of state violence...
SPAK’s investigation of Mayor of Tirana: an anonymous “accuser” and suspicion of political motives fuel controversy
By Mero Baze The Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj publicly acknowledged today that the latest “accuser” against him is an anonymous individual and SPAK prosecutor Olsi Dado has not even...
Editorial note: The opposition’s protest that wasn’t
The latest civil disobedience protest organized by Albania’s Democratic Party (DP) has come and gone, leaving barely a ripple in its wake. Held under relentless cold rain, the protest seemed...
All Opinions stories
Editorial: Urgent EU and US action required in Kosovo following the Zubin Potok canal attack
Published on December 1, 2024
Friday’s terrorist attack on the water canal in Zubin Potok in northern Kosovo, underscores the fragile state of stability in Kosovo. The Zubin Potok canal...
Editorial note: Opposition’s October 7 protest, a study in self-destruction
Published on October 8, 2024
Economic historian Carlo M. Cipolla famously defined stupidity as causing harm without gaining any benefit. The leaders of the Albanian Democratic Party (DP) would have...
Editorial note: Albanian opposition leader’s attacks on media on eve of protest must be condemned by all
Published on October 5, 2024
The leader of Albania’s opposition Democratic Party, former Prime Minister Sali Berisha, has launched a vicious verbal attack on journalists and analysts, accusing them of...
Why this is important: Berisha’s attacks against the media have become a routine part of his political rhetoric, diminishing its shock value for many. Yet, the fact that he issued these attacks while under house arrest raises serious questions about the inaction of Albania’s judicial system, especially given that his remarks come on the eve of a potentially tumultuous protest.
The Democratic Party must stop digging
Published on September 30, 2024
Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld once said, “When you’re in a hole, stop digging.” One cannot think of better advice for the Democratic...
By Maklen Misha
What the Bektashis are really asking for
Published on September 26, 2024
The only positive thing that came from the public disclosure of Edi Rama’s proposal for the sovereignty of the Bektashi Order, aimed at granting international...
By Mero Baze