Dr. Arben Ramkaj is Chairman at the Institute for Cultural and Religious Dialogues in Albania.
He is also Director of the Middle East and Muslim World Department at the Albanian Institute for International Studies (AIIS).
By Dr. Arben Ramkaj Tirana Times, July 3, 2026 – If you sit by the banks of the Nile on a quiet afternoon and allow its serene flow to guide your thoughts,
By Albert Rakipi Tirana Times, June 30, 2026 – For more than two decades, the Western Balkans have lived inside the promise of European integration. In Albania, support for membership in the
A Barthesian Reading By Diana Gëllçi, Ph.D. Tirana Times, June 30, 2026 – A beautiful protest has been unfolding in Tirana for several weeks. What is particularly interesting is that the same description
How legislative moves to protect senior officials are putting Albania’s rule of law and EU path at risk By Zef Preçi When governments begin rewriting the rules to protect themselves from the
By Zef Preçi Tirana Times, 09 February 2026 – The campaign that Albania’s ruling Socialist Party appears to be preparing against the Special Anti Corruption Structure (SPAK) raises serious concerns not only
Energy suppliers in southeastern Europe are heavily politicized and sometimes nefarious. The US can aid democratic stability through energy engagement. By David J. Kostelancik When Congress passed the Western Balkans Democracy and Prosperity Act as
Tirana Times, January 26, 2026 – Albania’s attempted entry into the Peace Board has become a revealing episode, not because of the significance of the initiative itself, but because of the way
When the “Choo Choo” Train Never Came It begins with a scene that now feels almost surreal. In 2022, during a staged media event in Tirana, Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku enthusiastically
By Zef Preçi, Executive Director of ACER As Albania presents itself as closer than ever to the European Union, a troubling contradiction has emerged in its domestic legal and political debate. While
By Genc Pollo Tirana, 02 January 2026 – Today’s decision by the European Union to grant “roaming like at home” to Ukraine and Moldova deserves praise. It is a practical citizen-centered step
6 months ago
2 mins read
Former Director of the National Agency for Information Society (AKSHI), Mirlinda Karçanaj, leaving the Special Prosecution against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK).
Tirana, Tirana Times, 20 December 2025 – The investigation launched by Albania’s Special Anti-Corruption Prosecution has revealed the existence of a structured criminal group operating within the leadership of the National Agency
By Nikola Kedhi On paper, Albania enters 2026 as a “success story”: the government speaks of GDP growth around 4%, low inflation, public debt at roughly 53% of GDP, and presents the
By Genc Pollo On the Commissioner’s satisfaction The statement by Mrs. Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement, that the general elections in Albania this May were free and fair, but we welcome
By Zef Preçi What kind of political system are we living in today? Even though we have a weak state, authoritarian tendencies in governance have become more pronounced, and in a synthesized