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"
Cautious optimism and a new package of economic incentives for the Western Balkans: with the "2020 enlargement package", the EU tries to relaunch the integration of the region, but the prospects remain of slow, never predictable progress
"This is my place, there is no other place I could be". Shahin, like his father and his grandfather before him, takes care of the woods. We met him in Borockë, southern Albania
Albania's Order of Psychologists has decided to ban so-called "conversion therapy", i.e. the attempt to change a person's sexual orientation. However, much remains to be done in Albania on LGBT issues
COVID-19 has exposed the weaknesses of Albania’s public information. The monopolisation of communication on coronavirus has raised concerns over the government’s accountability on pandemic management as well as media freedom
In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, under fierce lockdown measures, Albania’s socialist government performed the last act of the power play on the demolition of the National Theatre. At the expense of democracy
Are the histories of the former Yugoslavia and Albania finally entering Europe’s space of memory? A constantly increasing number of Italian school trips to the region gives us reason to hope so
After the first two cases confirmed on March 8th, the Albanian authorities have implemented an escalation of restrictive measures to contain the spread of an infection that risks causing the national health system to collapse. After last November's violent earthquake, the country cannot afford another crisis
Albania played a leading role in the history of the Serenissima Republic. Suffice it to say that the Albanian School was the first school of "foresti" (foreigners) opened in Venice, way back in 1448. Professor Lucia Nadin talks about these relationships
A new wave of protests is expected to mark the beginning of 2020 in Albania. With a fragmented opposition and a non-representative Parliament, civic protests may serve as a catalyst for further democratisation and freedom of speech
The 20-month long protests against the demolition of the National Theatre reflect not only the need to protect the country's common historical and cultural heritage, but also citizens’ demands for further democratisation of Albania
According to the World Health Organisation, the seven INSPIRE strategies are the most effective in reducing violence against children. ChildPact and its members surveyed 296 child focused organisations and institutions across South-Eastern Europe and the Caucasus to find out who's working on the INSPIRE package
FAO is negotiating a series of new measures to reduce the devastating impact of trawling and make fishing in the Adriatic Sea sustainable. The institution of the Mediterranean's largest protected reserve was part of the package, but the Italian government has blocked it
After years of discussions, the EU has not opened negotiations to enlarge to Albania and North Macedonia yet, chiefly because of French opposition. Will this week's European Council finally mark a breakthrough for the accession process?
With the new season just around the corner, Albanian television schedules change, but the media landscape remains unchanged, with increasing hints of pressure and censorship cases
Concerns persist over the approval of the new package of amendments aimed at modifying two important laws on the Albanian media, the so-called "anti-defamation package"
The establishment of "llyrian Guard", a state-owned company offering private security services, can hardly resolve the complexity and challenges of the private security market in Albania. The Achille’s heel lies in licencing and quality control by state institutions
Albania has the potential to successfully develop organic farming, but the sector needs structural and sustainable interventions. We talked about it with Professor Enver Isufi, director of the Institute for Organic Agriculture in Durrës
Gresa Hasa, an Albanian activist of the Lëvizja Për Universitetin movement, explains why she feels European. Europe is, in her opinion, a moral concept rather than a geographical one
In Albania last Saturday a rally organised by opposition coalition degenerated in violent actions. A group of protesters instigated a confrontation with the police cordon around the government building
A rush of vitality for Albania's society and future. An interview with Gresa Hasa, an activist of the student movement that is giving the Albanian government a hard time
In front of the refusal by the Albanian government to abolish the law on higher education, after two weeks of peaceful demonstrations, students have opted for an escalation of their protests
The increase of tuition fees, low quality of teaching, and lack of adequate infrastructures in public universities have led to widespread student protests in Tirana and other university towns in Albania
The slow vetting process of judges and prosecutors in Albania has been stalling the establishment of the new self-governing bodies of the judiciary, affecting the resolution of the country’s longstanding bilateral issues with Greece
Less than a year after his untimely death, Albania celebrates Alessandro Leogrande. The Municipality of Tirana dedicates him a street and his Albanian publisher celebrates his work. Here, we remember him through a conversation he had with his friend Nicola Lagioa
Despite tweets and announcements, no asylum seeker of the Diciotti ship has been transferred from Italy to Albania. Without their consent, the solution proclaimed by the two governments would be illegal. A comment
‘If I were a boy’ is the title of a novel by a male author published in 1936, which explores the inner world of a young girl living in Tirana, and her revolutionary thoughts on women’s emancipation and empowerment in Albania’s patriarchal society
Osman Taka, a young warrior who saves himself from a death sentence conquering the soul of his enemies with the beauty of his dance. A legendary tale from Epirus, on the border between Albania and Greece
