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
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
The EU Summit is expected to take a final decision on the opening of accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia, although France seems unwilling to change its position to postpone the decision-making process until the European negotiation format is re-arranged
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
At the end of May, the European Commission published its traditional progress reports on the enlargement process. Even for countries where timid steps forward have been reported, the enlargement progress remains a hostage of some EU members
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
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
‘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
