To contribute to the European Commission’s Rule of Law monitoring, OBCT, in partnership with SCiDEV and IJAS, produced two Shadow Reports outlining the challenges and gaps in media freedom in Albania and Serbia. The main findings were presented during a webinar
Lufti Dervishi, a founding member of the Albanian Center for Quality Journalism, emphasises the challenges that Albanian journalism faces today. The media are entangled in corruption, self-censorship, and state-sponsored disinformation. However, not everything is negative, and there is still reason for hope
An Interreg project involved Italy, Albania and Montenegro in the relaunch of cultural spaces intended to host artists and creatives, to promote new forms of tourism and foster cultural industries
Conceived as an alternative to EU cooperation, the Open Balkan initiative, promoted by Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia, aimed to create a regional common market to allow the free movement of goods, services, capital and people. The reasons for its failure
In Albania, when the protection of the Vjosa river and its tributaries seemed almost guaranteed, a project aimed at tourism development has once again called everything into question, threatening an area with a population of over 50 thousand people
Almost non-existent professional ethics, capture of the media by politics and financial unsustainability are just some of the main issues that make the Albanian media landscape particularly alarming. An interview
One year ahead of the next general election, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has embarked on a tour across Europe to make citizens living outside the country “Proud of Albania”. But the issue remains the electoral code, which currently does not allow people to vote from abroad
Despite the inconsistencies and uncertainties around the agreement signed between Rome and Tirana for the reception of migrants on Albanian soil, and while awaiting the judgment of the European Court, work on the two centres has already begun in Gjadër and Shëngjin. We went to see how they were progressing
The recent angry attack by the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama against a journalist has brought the constant pressure and intimidation that the power in Albania exerts on the media and media professionals back under the spotlight
The defence of rivers and water: a highly symbolic struggle which in recent years has successfully mobilised very different layers of the societies of south-eastern Europe, bringing to light both potential and contradictions. An interview
An Interreg cross-border cooperation project to reduce CO2 emissions at all levels, from aircraft engines to plastic consumption on the ground, has produced a practical handbook. We interviewed two of the main managers, Anita Maurodinoia and Vito Antonio Antonacci
Lake Prespa, divided between North Macedonia, Albania, and Greece, is the natural habitat of thousands of species, some of which are unique. Due to the gradual loss of water, it risks losing its biodiversity. Despite the growing efforts to save it, the situation appears extremely complicated
The start-up sector in Albania is relatively young, yet it has big innovation potential, especially in the ICT industry. An interview with Arjan Ymer, director of the business incubator Oficina
RuralAlbania, a project to support small agricultural producers in northern Albania, started in September. It follows up on strong preexisting relationships, and one of the first initiatives was a study visit
Innovation clusters that involve relevant stakeholders, from public authorities to the private sector and academia are key to reducing brain drain and promoting local development. We talked about it with Jolta Kacani, professor at the University of Tirana
One week after the start of the lessons, on 22 September, the Albanian government suddenly closed the 'Mehmet Akif' Turkish women's boarding school in Tirana. A drastic decision with unclear reasons. The interference of the Turkish authorities is in the shadows
Following a cyberattack on its IT system, Albania accused Iran and cut all diplomatic ties. In the background, the conflict over the hosting of anti-ayatollah Iranian movement MEK
On 19 July, after eight years of waiting, Albania finally participated in the first intergovernmental conference as a candidate country for the European Union. Thus the accession negotiation process begins, but unresolved bilateral issues with Greece could already get in the way
On June 13 the Albanian government committed to establishing a National Park dedicated to the Vjosa, the last major European river free from embankments and dams. The decision follows almost ten years of international mobilisation
Scientific research and good practices. These are the two main elements that for some years have brought together researchers and volunteers from Italy, Spain, Greece, Albania, Croatia, and Slovenia in the fight to safeguard the protected natural areas of the Mediterranean from plastics
Digitalisation and technological innovation are key to the development of the European maritime industry. Digital services for communicating data and information are increasingly essential to ensure better connectivity and safer, more sustainable navigation in European waters
"The Adriatic is the final common destination of the waters of the whole region, and therefore must be safeguarded with a common method and as a common good". The CrossWater project looks to the two Adriatic shores and the sustainable management of water services
In the last thirty years in Albania, only the main parties have managed to bring people to the streets to protest, with some notable exceptions. An interview with researcher Klodiana Beshku
On 17 January, Turkish President Erdogan visited Albania. The two countries enjoy a close relationship but the delayed common process toward EU membership and human rights concerns on Gulen’s movement repression cast a shadow on it
In a space suspended between the digital world and real life in the Covid-19 era, a young Albanian woman returns to her homeland to promote agricultural development, traditions, and equal opportunities in the rural sector
A positive assessment emerges from the recent "Progress Report" on Albania. However, the local media - compared to the past - speak little about it: there is a strong disillusionment with the failure to start negotiations
In the recent electoral campaign for the political elections, the staff of the main political parties created their own editorial products, which were then often transmitted and published as they were, without journalistic mediation. Propaganda defeated information
The Albanian Socialist Party allegedly collected and illegally used the data of 910,000 citizens. The "Big Brother" case breaks out in Albania a few days before the political elections. Even the author of this article found herself listed
Doubts, controversies, delays. Vaccination campaigns against Covid-19 in the Western Balkans have only started in Serbia and Albania, while the other countries in the area risk dangerous delays, despite some support initiatives promoted by the European Union
We need a new approach to enlargement policies, lest their complete failure. And it is necessary to start afresh from the abolition of unanimous voting. An interview with Srdjan Cvijić, author together with Adnan Ćerimagić of "Rebuilding Our House Of Cards: With More Glue"
