Albania PM Promises Free and Fair Elections
Tirana | 16 January 2009In an address to the nation on Friday, Albania’s Prime Minister Sali Berisha promised solemnly that he would guarantee the fairness of the upcoming general election on June 28, a crucial test of democratisation that will be watched closely by the European Union.
Council of Europe Pans Albania Lustration Law
Tirana | 16 January 2009The Council of Europe on Friday criticized Albania's newly enacted “clean hands” lustration law targeting former officials of the communist regime, which critics say could be used for political revenge attacks by the government.
Albania Enacts Divisive Judicial, Lustration Laws
Tirana | 15 January 2009Albanian President Bamir Topi signed into law on Thursday a controversial bill regulating the work of public prosecutors, while an equally divisive lustration law was enacted automatically earlier this week after Topi refused to give his opinion by decree.
Concerns Grow for Media Freedom in Albania
| 12 January 2009 | By Gjergj Erebara in Tirana
Police in front of "Tema"
Newspaper eviction seen as sign of growing political pressure from Berisha government on critical voices.
West Balkans Braces for Economic Ice Age
| 06 January 2009 | By Srecko Latal in Sarajevo
Belgrade
Southeast Europe faces return to instability as inconsistent governments and fragile economies wrestle with imminent economic and social hardship caused by global crisis.
Albanians Rediscover Joy of Holidays in Balkans
| 22 December 2008 | By Ben Andoni in Tirana
Dubrovnik
Holidaymakers who once rushed Westwards or to North Africa with their swimsuits and towels are now taking vacations closer to home, lured by the deals on offer in the neighbourhood.
New NATO States but no Visa-free Travel
| 17 December 2008 | By Gjeraqina Tuhina in Brussels
NATO photo
Gazing into her crystal ball, our Brussels correspondent gives Balkan Insight readers some tips concerning key developments in the region in 2009.
Albania Sigurimi Files ‘Will Never Be Opened’
By Besar Likmeta in Tirana03 September 2008 The prominent former political dissident, Maks Velo – jailed in 1978 for eight years for ‘modernist tendencies’ in his artwork – tells Besar Likmeta that communist police files will never be opened while the current elite is in power.
Reflections on the Struggle for Albanian Independence
By John L. Withers II in Tirana28 November 2008 An American look at the courage that inspired the birth of a nation, and at the unlikely alliance between an Albanian independence leader and an aristocratic president.
The Hidden Truth of Albania’s Deadly Environment
By Xhemal Mato in Tirana15 January 2009 Politicians are concealing the real costs of industrial projects that are irreparably degrading the country’s environment.