All News on Politics in Albania
Decision on jailed ethnic Greek mayor pushed to after polls
In a decision aiming to undermine the candidacy with New Democracy in the European elections of the jailed ethnic Greek mayor of Himare, the Albanian judiciary has transferred the first hearing of Fredi Beleri's appeal to the Court of Appeal to June 7.
Rama theatrics with ethnic Greek properties
In what was seen purely as a public relations stunt, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama visited the ethnic Greek town of Himare on Friday to announce the restitution of some 400 titles to houses in the area to residents who have been suing the Albanian state for more than 30 years.
UK’s Cameron marks progress in joint effort with Albania to stop illegal migration
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron hailed progress in a UK-Albania joint effort to cut illegal migration while visiting Tirana on Wednesday.
Cameron said small boat arrivals from Albania to the UK fell by over 90% in 2023 as the two countries fought people smuggling gangs, and Britain has removed almost 6,000 Albanians, according to a Foreign Office statement .
It’s realpolitik, stupid!
It is a difficult time for realpolitik.
From TikTok to Edi Rama: European elections heat up in Greece
With European elections on the horizon, Greek political leaders are not only hitting the road to campaign across the country, but are also increasingly leaning into social media platforms in their search for voters. While New Democracy will likely maintain its dominant position in Greek politics, attention is turning to SYRIZA and PASOK, and their battle for second place.
A leading power in a difficult neighborhood
We often like to play the role of the victim and the downtrodden. We see it now around us as the mentality of "poor Greece is a punching bag" is being formed, just because Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama spoke at a gathering of ethnic Albanians in Athens last Sunday and the new president of North Macedonia referred to her country only as "Macedonia" rather than by its constitutional name.
North Macedonia: Silianofska may face sanctions from the US for violating the Prespa Agreement
The new president is leading the country into a dangerous deadlock, conflicts with the West, fueling ethnic confrontation with the backdrop of Albania
North Macedonia President refers to country as ‘Macedonia’ during inauguration
Gordana Siljanovska was inaugurated as North Macedonia's president in a parliamentary session, where she referred to the country as "Macedonia," diverging from the official "North Macedonia" designation.
Greek Ambassador Sofia Philippidou left the session in protest, in line with Greece's Foreign Ministry directive.
Albanian PM addresses supporters in Athens
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama addressed a gathering of Albanian migrants, party members and supporters in Athens in the indoor arena of Galatsi under stringent security measures.
Attendees began arriving early Sunday morning. Rama posted on Facebook showcasing the event in Athens.
EU: Bilateral disputes should not delay accession process
The European Commission hopes Northern Macedonia will begin accession talks with the EU the soonest possible and, referring to bilateral disputes between Northern Macedonia and Bulgaria, as well as Albania and Greece, reiterated its position that bilateral disputes should not delay the accession process.
North Macedonia citizens no longer see Greece as threat, survey finds
The citizens of North Macedonia no longer consider Greece as a threat to their country but they remain concerned about Bulgaria and Russia, a survey of five Balkan countries has found.
The opinion poll, conducted by Ipsos on behalf of the US-based International Republican Institute (IRI), also found that Albanians consider Greece a serious threat to their country.
Campaigning for Euro elections resumes after Easter break
After the Easter respite, party leaders resume their pre-election campaigns on Tuesday, as we enter the last stretch before the European Parliament elections.
On the diplomatic front, the government in Athens is preparing for Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' planned visit to Ankara next Monday, where he will be meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Greek MEP decries ‘baseless’ incarceration of Himare mayor-elect
The conviction by the Albanian authorities of Himare mayor-elect Fredi Beleri is "flimsy and baseless," the chairman of the EU-Albania Joint Parliamentary Stabilization and Association Committee and New Democracy MEP Manolis Kefalogiannis reiterated on Monday after visiting the jailed ethnic-Greek politician.
Double standards
New Democracy's decision to nominate Fredi Beleri, the imprisoned mayor of Himare, as a candidate for the European Parliament aims to highlight Albania's violation of the rule of law as a European concern. Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis made this clear on Wednesday, while also condemning attempts to monopolize these "progressive" issues.
Fredi Beleri named ruling ND candidate in European elections
Ruling New Democracy announced Fredi Beleri, an ethnic Greek mayor-elect in Albania recently sentenced to two years in prison for vote-buying, as a candidate for the upcoming European Parliament elections.
He was represented by his brother, Leonardo, at the ballot announcement in downtown Athens, as Beleri is currently in Albanian police custody.