Albania

The prolonged pre-trial detention with no formal charges of Erion Veliaj, Tirana Mayor and potential successor of PM Rama, is raising questions about Albania’s judicial practices diverging from European legal standards

Following Albania’s elections this month, an incendiary opinion piece - "correct and without political interests” - by a political analyst called Helen Bratt went viral; but the author’s identity remains elusive, starting what is becoming a media case

Parliamentary elections held on 11 May 2025 resulted in a 4th consecutive victory for the ruling Socialist Party led by PM Edi Rama, securing more mandates than in any previous election with a promise of attaining EU membership for Albania by 2030

Votes from Albanian diaspora and new parties make the 11 May election more uncertain, even though Socialists and Democrats are still likely to dominate the political landscape

16 out of 41 migrants transferred earlier this year are claimed to have disappeared from the Italian-run Gjader Repatriation and Detention Centre, CPR, in Albania, according to a claim made by an Italian opposition MP after a visit to the camp

Opposition leader Sali Berisha is borrowing MAGA-style rhetoric for his campaign in view of May’s elections - many experts doubt that will work as corruption charges he faces in court and his age (81) weigh against his chances of victory

Over 175.000 military bunkers were built during Albania’s communist-era; though many were blown up, thousands remain: used for agricultural storage, wineries, resource for experimental artists, they are now becoming a tourist attraction

TikTok will be banned in Albania for 12 months; access to the platform will be cut off within a week, following a decision by the Council of Ministers

The country was elected to the Council of the International Shipping Aid Association, underlining its commitment to international cooperation, as stated by the Ministry of Defence

The fight against organised crime in Albania has intensified and the authorities have seized millions of illicit assets, but the management of these properties is proving difficult, raising fears that they could return to criminal control

The country has given preliminary approval to one of Donald Trump's family's two major projects in the country: a luxury resort on Sazan Island; the project can proceed to the next stage, namely the environmental impact assessment

New regulations will allow Albanians living outside the country to cast postal ballots in the May parliamentary elections – a change long sought by most parties as well as called for by the diaspora