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Articles by Fjori Sinoruka
Albanian Prime Minister Announces New Anti-Protest Law
Violent protests in Albania’s capital, Tirana, October 24, 2026. Photo: Xhemali Moku/BIRN. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Sunday announced new legislation intended to tackle violence at street protests after several weeks of clashes between anti-government protesters and police, which continued to flare over the weekend. Rama described the legislation as “a new package against violence and urban anarchy”.
Albania’s Students Demand the Fall of Rama and an End to Corruption
In a meeting with the heads of educational institutions on Tuesday, Prime Minister Edi Rama said that the ongoing student protests that began as an expression of public discontent, had turned into an organised attempt to destabilise the country and hinder the EU integration process. He warned that he will respond to the protests with a new package of penal and administrative sanctions.
Albania’s Capital Rocked by Chaotic Weekend of Street Unrest
Anti-government protest in Tirana on October 18, 2026. Photo: BIRN/Xhemali Moku. The streets were filled with tear gas fumes, flames from Molotov cocktails and blasts from water cannons as thousands of protesters clashed with police yet again in central Tirana over the weekend.
Albania PM Defiant as Protests Spread to Provincial Cities
Prime Minister Edi Rama blamed the opposition and “foreign actors” on Friday for the escalation of violence during student protests in Tirana, describing the continuing unrest as an attempt to hinder Albania’s progress toward the European Union.
Albanian PM Blames Opposition After Another Night of Violent Clashes
Albanian students protesting on October 14, 2026. Photo: LSA. Prime Minister Edi Rama on Thursday accused the opposition of organising student protests that have seen violence erupt on the streets of Tirana for two consecutive days. Visiting the College of Europe, postgraduate institute that was damaged by fire in the violence on Wednesday, Rama said: “Students are always welcome, and we are always ready to sit down with them to talk, discuss and find solutions to matters that require resolution.
Albanian President Urges Calm as Street Protest Clashes Continue
Albanian students protesting on October 14, 2026. Photo: LSA. Clashes in Tirana between anti-government protesters and police officers intensified on Wednesday, as police used tear gas and water cannon against groups of mainly student demonstrators who threw stones, fireworks and Molotov cocktails at officers, damaging public institutions and private businesses. The ground floor of one building was set on fire, while several traffic lights were destroyed.
Tear Gas, Petrol Bombs on Tirana’s Streets as Police and Students Tussle
Clashes continued for several hours into the late evening on Tuesday in Tirana as student protesters throwing stones and Molotov cocktails tussled with police who fired tear gas and deployed water cannon in an attempt to force them off the streets. According to the State Police, 16 protesters were arrested and 49 others are being investigated.
Albanian Student Protesters Clash with Police Outside Ministry of Education
Albanian police at the students’ protest in Tirana on October 13, 2026. Photo: BIRN/Fjori Sinoruka. A student protest outside the Ministry of Education in Tirana erupted into serious clashes with police officers on Tuesday, as protesters threw rocks and eggs at the building and police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse them. The rally was called as part of the ongoing ‘Flamingo Revolution’ anti-government protests.
Albania Parliament Approves Municipal Reform Plan Amid Protests
The Albanian parliament in session. Photo: Photo: Malton Dibra/LSA. After a tense session lasting more than 12 hours, Albania’s parliament voted in the early hours of Friday morning for territorial reform legislation, as people protested against the outside the building and clashed with police. Police said eight protesters were arrested during the clashes. Opposition Democratic Party MPs opposed the reform. One MP, Gazment Bardhi, threw bottles of water at Prime Minister Edi Rama during the vote.
Arjan Dyrmishi vë në pikëpyetje gatishmërinë e Shqipërisë për të nxjerrë mësime nga arrestimi i i Vlora Hysenit
Drejtoresha tashmë e shkarkuar e SHISH-it, Vlora Hyseni, jashtë ambienteve të Prokurorisë së Posaçme (SPAK) në Tiranë. Foto: LSA. Arrestimi i kreut të Shërbimit Informativ Shtetëror të Shqipërisë nxjerr në pah dështime sistemike në procesin e emërimit të saj dhe ngre pyetje të tjera lidhur me reagimin institucional, sipas ekspertit të sigurisë Arjan Dyrmishi, drejtues i Qendrës për Studimin e Demokracisë dhe Qeverisjes në Tiranë.
Security Expert Questions Albania’s Readiness to Learn from Spy Chief’s Arrest
The arrest of Albania’s state intelligence chief points to systemic failings in the process of her appointment and raises additional questions about the institutional response, according to security expert Arjan Dyrmishi, head of the Centre for the Study of Democracy and Governance in Tirana.
Albania’s Intelligence Chief Suspended for Allegedly Aiding Crime Group
The head of Albania’s State Intelligence Service, Vlora Hyseni. Photo: LSA. Anti-corruption prosecutors on Tuesday placed Vlora Hyseni, head of Albania’s State Intelligence Service, SHISH, under house arrest and suspended her for allegedly revealing state secrets and assisting an offender. The Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organised Crime, SPAK, has also questioned the former Chief of Police, Ilir Proda, it announced. Media reported that Hyseni is not currently in Albania.
Albania’s High Court Rules Against Tirana Mayor’s Release
Jailed Tirana mayor Erion Veliaj being accompanied to the Constitutional Court in October 2025. Photo: LSA. Albania’s High Court ruled on Tuesday that Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj, who is accused of corruption, money laundering and concealment of wealth, should remain in jail after his arrest was challenged in several courts. Veliaj’s defence has strongly challenged the enforcement measure that has kept him in detention for about a year-and-a-half.
“I njëjti fat si bregdeti”: Kritikët kundërshtojnë Paketën e Maleve
Fshati i Thethit, ku shpërthyen protestat pas shembjes së bujtinave të pushimit të ndërtuara pa leje, korrik 2025. Foto: BIRN. Besjana Guri është një pjesëmarrëse e rregullt në protestat para zyrës së kryeministrit shqiptar, Edi Rama. Por, ndërsa protestat nisën si reagim ndaj një zhvillimi turistik luksoz në bregdet, shqetësimi i saj personal lidhet me “Paketën e Maleve” të Ramës – një ligj i hartuar për të zhvilluar turizmin edhe në zonat malore të Shqipërisë.
Kafshët e Kopshtit Zoologjik të Tiranës përballen me vapën ekstreme
Një luan në Kopshtin Zoologjik të Tiranës. Foto: BIRN. Një tigër i bardhë ecën ngadalë drejt një pellgu të vogël, duke kërkuar pak lehtësim nga vapa prej 38 gradë Celsius. Hija që ofrojnë pemët është e pakët, por gjithsesi më e mirë se në rrethimin e arinjve, ku pothuajse nuk ka fare hije. Gjatë orëve më të nxehta të ditës, arinjtë tërhiqen në ambiente të mbyllura dhe dalin përsëri vetëm në orët e vona të pasdites.
Animals in Tirana Zoo Struggle in Sweltering Summer Heat
A white tiger plods slowly to a small pool, seeking respite from the 38-degree Celsius heat. The shade provided by trees is spare, but it’s still better than the bear enclosure, where there is almost no shade at all. During the hottest hours, the bears retreat indoors, emerging again only in the later afternoon. Welcome to Tirana Zoo, where captive animals are living with the discomfort of record-high temperatures and stress caused by the incessant noise of nearby building sites.
Presidenti i Malit të Zi thërret Këshillin e Sigurisë për “kërcënimet për destabilizim”
Presidenti malazez Jakov Milatoviç. Foto: Vlada MNE Zyra e Presidentit Jakov Milatoviç tha të premten se ai ka thirrur krerët e sektorit të sigurisë së vendit, Këshillin e Mbrojtjes dhe Sigurisë, pas akuzave të kryeministrit Milojko Spajiç se vendi përballet me “kërcënime hibride” nga dy prej fqinjëve të tij.
Albanian Businessman Arrested in Information Agency Tenders Corruption Case
Albanian businessman Ergys Agasi in front of the SPAK organised crime and corruption prosecution office in Tirana. Photo: LSA. Albanian businessman Ergys Agasi, arrested on Wednesday in Durres, is suspected of being part of a scheme that utilised organised crime to manipulate and extort public procurement procedures valued at approximately 59 million euros.
“Centralizim i pushtetit”? Kritikët vënë në pikëpyetje planin e qeverisë me hartën e bashkive
Kryeministri Edi Rama gjatë një seance parlamentare. Erjon Zylyftari ishte i revoltuar. “Është një padrejtësi dhe një turp i madh,” deklaroi ai në fund të korrikut, kur dha dorëheqjen nga posti i drejtuesit lokal të Partisë Socialiste në qytetin e vogël të Poliçanit, në juglindje të Shqipërisë.
Amnesty i kërkon Italisë dhe Shqipërisë të mbyllin kampin e emigrantëve në Gjadër
Një pjesë e grupit prej 49 emigrantësh të ndaluar në ujërat ndërkombëtare mes Libisë dhe Italisë zbresin nga anija Cassiopea të shoqëruar nga punonjës të policisë italiane dhe shqiptare që mbështesin operacionin. Emigrantët kalojnë procedura verifikimi e informimi në kampin e Shëngjinit dhe më pas dërgohen në qendrën e ndërtuar në Gjadër.
Human Rights Watchdog Urges Italy, Albania to End Offshore Migrant Detention
Italian police officers outside a fenced entrance at Gjader port in Albania, deployed as security for the arrival of migrants transferred by sea. Photo: BIRN/Nensi Bogdani. The human rights organisation Amnesty International on Thursday called on Italy and Albania to end a deal designed to send migrants and asylum seekers to offshore detention in Albania.
‘Centralisating Power’? Critics Question Albanian Plan to Redraw Municipal Map
Erjon Zylyftari was outraged. “It’s an injustice and a great disgrace,” he declared at the end of July, as he resigned as local head of the ruling Socialist Party in a small town called Polican, southeastern Albania. His beef? A government plan to dissolve Polican Municipality and merge it with the larger municipality of Berat, part of a wider territorial reform that is proving highly divisive within the ruling Socialists. Please login to your account below if you are already a Premium Subscriber.
On Albania’s Adriatic Coast, Tourism Ambitions Put at Risk by Pollution
Violeta was unimpressed by the rubbish blighting her summer holiday. “It’s awful, isn’t it?” the 24-year-old said of the litter and construction waste strewn along beachfront at Golem Beach, a sandy stretch of Adriatic coast just south of the Albanian port city of Durres. Golem is one of the most affordable holiday destinations in Albania, just 30 kilometres west of the capital, Tirana, and a relatively quick trip from neighbouring Kosovo.
Protestuesit e quajnë fitore tërheqjen e Ramës nga ligjet për mjedisin
Komisionerja Evropiane për Zgjerimin, Marta Kos, dhe kryeministri shqiptar, Edi Rama. Gjatë një konference të përbashkët me Komisioneren Evropiane për Zgjerimin, Marta Kos, në Bruksel të martën, kryeministri shqiptar Edi Rama premtoi se do të ndryshojë Ligjin për Zonat e Mbrojtura, i cili ka ngjallur polemika, për ta përafruar atë me standardet e Bashkimit Evropian. Kjo deklaratë u përshëndet nga protestuesit në Shqipëri si një “fitore morale”.
Albanian Protesters Celebrate as PM Backtracks on Controversial Environment Laws
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama (R) and EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos at the EU summit in Tirana, November 2025. Photo: EPA/MALTON DIBRA. During a joint conference with European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos in Brussels on Tuesday, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama promised to change the country’s disputed Law on Protected Areas to align with EU standards – a declaration that protesters at home hailed as a “moral victory”.
Eurodeputetja Tineke Strik: Protestuesit në Shqipëri po mbrojnë “vlerat e BE-së”
Eurodeputetja holandeze Tineke Strik iu bashkua protestuesve në rrugët e Tiranës në fund të muajit të kaluar, duke shprehur solidaritet me kauzën e tyre mjedisore dhe duke premtuar se zëri i tyre do të dëgjohet në Bruksel. “Të jem e sinqertë, është shumë e çuditshme të shohësh se jeni ju ata që po mbroni vlerat dhe të drejtat e Bashkimit Evropian, ndërsa qeveria nuk po e bën këtë,” u tha ajo protestuesve.
Albania’s Environmental Protesters are ‘Defending EU Values’, Says Dutch MEP
Strik, from the green-left Progressief Nederland party, which is part of the Green bloc in the European legislature, was leading a European Parliament fact-finding mission on environmental issues to Albania – which hopes to join the bloc by the end of the decade. In an interview with BIRN, Strik warned that failings on the environment could put Albania’s accession process at risk.
‘Cancel It!’: State Cash for Kanye West Show Sparks Outrage in Albania
“Please cancel this concert,” an Albanian pleaded in a comment on a Kanye West’s Instagram post ahead of the US rapper’s show in Tirana on July 11 – which takes place amid mass protests over a very different issue in the country. “Albania is already protesting the controversial Jared Kushner development, and this event will only deepen divisions.
Albanian PM Cheers on Kanye West Concert Despite Antisemitism Row
Kanye West performs at the Coachella Festival in California, April 2019. Photo: EPA/ETIENNE LAURENT. While inspecting final construction work for a stadium being built on the outskirts of Tirana for the July 11 concert by Kanye West, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and Minister of Culture Blendi Gonxhja defended the event amid criticism from human rights activists over the controversial US rapper’s antisemitic comments.
Fytyrat e protestës: Njihuni me shqiptarët që protestojnë në Tiranë
Ilustrimi: Igor Vujcic/BIRN. Fotot: Iriola Kote. Ajo që nisi si një protestë kundër ndërtimit të një resorti luksoz bregdetar në një zonë të mbrojtur – një projekt i lidhur me dhëndrin e presidentit amerikan Donald Trump, Jared Kushner – është shndërruar në grumbullime masive të përnatshme në Tiranë, ku shqiptarë të moshave dhe prejardhjeve të ndryshme mblidhen për të shprehur shqetësimet e tyre dhe për të kërkuar dorëheqjen e kryeministrit Edi Rama.
Faces of Protest: Meet the Albanians Taking to Tirana’s Streets
What started as a protest against the construction of an upscale beach resort in a protected area – a project linked to Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner – has turned into massive nightly gatherings in Tirana at which Albanians of varying ages and backgrounds gather to express their concerns and call for the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Protesters Detained, Police Injured in Clashes Outside Albanian Parliament
Police clash with protesters outside Albania’s parliament. Photo: Isa Myzyraj. At least 18 protesters have been detained and nine police officers injured in clashes on Thursday outside Albania’s parliament in Tirana during the latest in a series of anti-government protests that have continued for over a month. Protesters surrounded the parliament building, seeking to prevent MPs from entering, throwing eggs at their cars and shouting at them: “Give up your mandates” “You don’t represent us”.
Reagimi i Edi Ramës ndaj protestave shkakton pakënaqësi edhe në radhët e Partisë Socialiste
Kryeministri Edi Rama dhe Elisa Spiropali gjatë një tubimi elektoral në Tiranë, 2025. Foto: Facebook/Elisa Spiropali. Në mesin e qershorit, ndërsa protestuesit marshonin kundër qeverisë shqiptare, deputetja më e re e Kuvendit bëri një njoftim. “Prej sot jam deputete e pamvarun,” shkroi në Facebook 26-vjeçarja Marjana Koçeku. “Idealet e vlerat e mia janë ato që i kam pasë e i kam shprehë qysh para se me u asociu me nji parti.
Albanian PM’s Response to Protests Causing Unease Within His Own Party
In mid-June, as protesters marched against the Albanian government, the youngest member of parliament made an announcement. “From today I am an independent MP,” 26-year-old Marjana Koceku wrote on Facebook. “My ideals and values are those that I have had and expressed since before I was associated with a party.
Shpërfillja e mbrojtjes së mjedisit “dëmton shpresat e Shqipërisë për anëtarësim në BE”
Zona e Zvërnecit në jug të Shqipërisë, pranë vendit ku planifikohet ndërtimi i resortit kontrovers të lidhur me Jared Kushner. Foto: BIRN. Në sfondin e protestave të vazhdueshme, kritikat e Parlamentit Evropian këtë muaj ndaj qëndrimit të Shqipërisë për çështjet mjedisore mund të sinjalizojnë vështirësi për ambiciet e Tiranës për integrim në BE.
Albania’s Disregard for Environmental Protection ‘Hurting EU Accession Hopes’
Against a backdrop of protests, the European Parliament’s criticism this month of Albania’s attitude towards the environment may spell trouble for Tirana’s European Union accession hopes. On June 17, MEPs expressed “deep regret” over two laws that critics say put the interests of luxury tourism developers ahead of the wellbeing of protected natural areas.
Pas heqjes së sanksioneve nga SHBA-ja, a është “rikthyer” vërtet Sali Berisha?
Ish-kryeministri Sali Berisha pas daljes nga SPAK. Foto: LSA. Lideri 81-vjeçar i opozitës, një figurë e pandarë e jetës politike shqiptare për më shumë se tre dekada, nuk ishte larguar kurrë. Por tani ai kishte arsye të pretendonte një fillim të ri. Rreth një vit e gjysmë pasi Berisha njoftoi se do t’i drejtohej Donald Trump, Shtetet e Bashkuara këtë muaj hoqën sanksionet e vendosura ndaj tij në vitin 2021 nga paraardhësi i Trump-it, Joe Biden, për akuza korrupsioni.
After US Lifts Graft Sanctions, is Albania’s Berisha Really ‘Back’?
The 81-year-old opposition leader, a fixture of Albanian political life for more than three decades, had never gone away. But he had reason to claim a new lease on life. Almost a year and a half since Berisha announced he would petition Donald Trump, the United States this month lifted sanctions imposed on him in 2021 under Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, for alleged corruption.
US Lifts Albanian Opposition Leader Berisha’s ‘Persona Non Grata’ Status
Sali Berisha addresses a protest at parliament in Tirana, December 2023. Photo: BIRN. Opposition Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha has welcomed the US decision to end his “persona non grata” status, telling Albania’s parliament on Thursday: “I am back.” The US State Department said it had issued “waivers for several 7031(c) [non-grata] designations imposed under the previous administration because granting the waivers serves a compelling national interest”.
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner’s Albanian resort plan sets off days of protests
TIRANA, Albania - Thousands of Albanians are protesting a luxury resort planned for a pristine strip of the Mediterranean coastline and backed by President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner.
Berisha’s One-Man Contest for Albanian Opposition Leadership Risks Dooming Party
Sali Berisha has called the May 23 elections for a new leader of Albania’s main opposition Democratic Party "a democratic and modern process". However, only one candidate is standing – Berisha himself, running for re-election as party chief yet again. Although some potential candidates were preparing to face Berisha in the internal vote, the few who were interested in running were quickly disqualified.
Të kthyer nga kampet e Shtetit Islamik në Siri, shqiptarët përballen me vështirësi në riintegrim
Refugjatë në kampin Al Hawl, tetor 2019. Foto: Wikipedia. Eva Dumani, 21 vjeçe, u kthye më në fund në Shqipëria në shkurt të këtij viti, pas 12 vitesh e nëntë ditësh larg familjes së saj dhe pas përpjekjeve të vazhdueshme të dajës së saj për ta sjellë në shtëpi. Babai i saj i kishte marrë atë dhe vëllain e saj në Siri në janar të vitit 2014, kur ata ishin tetë dhe gjashtë vjeç. Babai i tyre u vra vetëm disa muaj pasi mbërriti dhe iu bashkua të ashtuquajturit Shteti Islamik.
Back from Syria’s Islamic State Camps, Albanians Struggle to Reintegrate
Eva Dumani, 21, finally returned to Albania in February this year, after 12 years and nine days away from her family, and after constant attempts by her uncle to bring her home. Her father took her and her brother to Syria in January 2014, when they were eight and six years old. Her father was killed only a few months after arriving and joining so-called Islamic State. Following its defeat, they ended up in desperate conditions in the Al Hawl camp in the Syrian desert.
Kritika e Elisa Spiropalit ndaj socialistëve në pushtet: Një pikë kthese në Shqipëri?
Elisa Spiropali. Foto: Facebook. Elisa Spiropali ka qenë për një kohë të gjatë e përkushtuar dhe shumë vokale në mbështetje të Partisë Socialiste në pushtet – veçanërisht të liderit të saj, kryeministrit Edi Rama, të cilin ajo dikur e krahasoi me heroin kombëtar të Shqipërisë, Skënderbeun. “Në duam Shqipërinë që ëndërroi ky burri këtu, Skënderbeu. Ka vetëm një njeri që mund ta realizojë këtë, ai është Edi Rama,” tha ajo në një tubim në vitin 2019, duke iu referuar Ramës.
Ex-Minister’s Criticism of Ruling Socialists: A Turning Point in Albania?
Elisa Spiropali was long and vocally dedicated to Albania’s governing Socialist Party – especially its leader, Prime Minister Edi Rama, who she once compared to Albania’s national hero, Skanderbeg. “If we want the Albania that Skanderbeg dreamed about, there is only one man who can make it true,” she told a rally in 2019, referring to Rama. For years, this line has accompanied her, almost becoming part of her political identity.
Edi Rama njofton koncertin e Kanye West, pavarësisht shqetësimeve për antisemitizëm
Kaney West. Foto: Wikipedia.
Albanian PM Announces Kanye West Concert Despite Antisemitism Concerns
Kanye West at the Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles, February 2025. Photo: EPA/ALLISON DINNER.
Zëri i Amerikës u bë një “dritare drejt botës” në Shqipërinë e izoluar komuniste
Afrim Krasniqi. Foto: BIRN. Afrim Krasniqi përshkruan ndikimin frymëzues që pati shërbimi në gjuhën shqipe i Zërit të Amerikës në zhvillimet politike që nisën në vitin 1990 dhe çuan në rrëzimin e regjimit komunist autoritar dhe të izoluar. “Shqipëria dallon nga vendet e tjera ish-komuniste; ndërsa ato e konsiderojnë vitin 1989 si momentin simbolik të ndryshimit, për ne ky është viti 1990”, shprehet ai. “Kjo nuk lidhet vetëm me kohën, por me natyrën krejt të ndryshme të sistemit.
How Voice of America ‘Opened a Window’ in Isolated, Communist Albania
“This is not only about calendar timing but about a completely different system. In Poland, Czechoslovakia, East Germany and other countries there were civil dissident groups, communication channels with the West and other forms of civil or religious organisation; in Albania these were banned by the constitution,” Krasniqi adds.
Albanian Police Arrest Call Centre Fraudsters
Albanian police. Photo illustration: Geri Emiri/BIRN. Albanian Police, in collaboration with Austrian Police and supported by Europol, reported that they uncovered 12 locations where call centre fraud operations were operating. In police raids on the locations on Monday evening and Tuesday morning, the authorities seized 891,735 euros, 443 computers, 238 phones, and six laptops.
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