Albania

Albanian PM says protests pose threat to EU membership, not government

Albanian PM Edi Rama warned that violent protests threaten the country's EU ambitions as demonstrators demanded his resignation for a sixth day.

|ByREUTERS
A protester faces off with a police unit during an anti-government demonstration in central Tirana on October 17, 2026, as protests continued for a fifth consecutive day over university conditions and demands for the resignation of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Protesters stand near a burning car during an anti-government protest by students in Tirana, Albania, October 17, 2026.

Israeli embassy temporarily closed as Albanian protesters clash with police in Tirana

Demonstrations over corruption and a lack of jobs have begun spreading throughout Albania, with protesters smashing windows, setting alight government buildings, and clashing with police.

|ByREUTERS, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
People gather near a fire as plumes of black smoke rise, amid an anti-government protest by students, in Tirana, Albania, October 14, 2026.

Albanian Education Ministry set ablaze during anti-corruption student riot as protests spread

This has been the most violent outburst of anti-corruption protests, which started in May and have posed a growing challenge to Prime Minister Edi Rama's government.

|ByREUTERS
Jared Kushner and his wife Ivanka look on as Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump addresses supporters at his rally, at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., November 6, 2024.

How antisemitic rhetoric seeped into Albania's anti-Kushner protests

Local observers blame Russia, Iran and Turkey for trying to sow unrest in the country, which is seeking membership in the European Union. Others call the antisemitism a false flag.

|ByLARRY LUXNER/JTA

Albania arrests 2 Russians, Ukrainian trying to enter military plant

During communism, the Albanian Gramsh plant was used to produce Russian AK-47 rifles.

AUGUST 21, 2022ByREUTERS
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama speaks during a joint news conference with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, July 13, 2022.

Kosovo-Serbia: The background to the sirens in the Balkans - explainer

The recent gunfire, sirens and border closings between the two Balkan countries have raised alarms. Here is an explainer on the region's complex history.

AUGUST 1, 2022ByAARON REICH
Kosovo police patrol a road in Zupce, Kosovo August 1, 2022.

America-first policies are good for US-Israel ties, the world - Grenell

DIPLOMATIC AFFAIRS: Former US acting director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell promotes a Trump-esque America-first agenda.

JULY 22, 2022ByLAHAV HARKOV
RICHARD GRENELL: I want US-Israel relations to not be dependent upon conflicts of the need for military support.

Coexistence: What the world can learn from Albania - opinion

Albania is a small country, sometimes far from the global political agenda. Nevertheless, it has a lot to teach.

JULY 20, 2022ByROBERT SINGER, VALENTINA LESKAJ
ALBANIA’S PRIME Minister Edi Rama and US President Joe Biden speak at the NATO summit in Madrid, last month.

Coexistence: What the worlds can learn from Albania - opinion

Albania is a small country, sometimes far from the global political agenda. Nevertheless, it has a lot to teach.

JULY 20, 2022ByROBERT SINGER
ALBANIA’S PRIME Minister Edi Rama and US President Joe Biden speak at the NATO summit in Madrid, last month.

Blue-and-white heat up before Iceland visit

Solomon’s second-half brace sparks comeback victory in Albania • Hazan’s Israel tops Nations League group

JUNE 12, 2022ByJOSHUA HALICKMAN
ISRAEL FORWARD Manor Solomon (center) left the host Albanians wondering what went wrong as his pair of second-half goals propelled the blue-and-white to a 2-1 victory over the weekend in UEFA Nations League group action.

Remembering Norbert Jokl: A distinguished Holocaust victim

Jokl left no heir. To date, he has no grave.

MAY 14, 2022ByAGRON ALIBALI
Visitors seen at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial museum in Jerusalem on April 26, 2022, ahead of Israeli Holocaust Remembrance Day.

EU and UN halt funding for Kosovo project honoring Albanian Nazi collaborator

The decision follows protests by the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

FEBRUARY 12, 2022ByCNAAN LIPHSHIZ/JTA
The former home of the late Albanian Nazi collaborator Xhafer Deva in Mitrovica, Kosovo.

Albanian police fire teargas as protesters storm party offices

The protesters were supporters of former Albanian president and prime minister Sali Berisha, who was thrown out of the party last year after being banned from the US due to alleged corruption.

JANUARY 8, 2022ByREUTERS
Police officers stand guard as protesters attack the headquarters of the Democratic Party in Tirana, Albania, January 8, 2022.

Iran, Albania ready to temporarily house Afghan refugees

Iran said on Sunday it has prepared accommodation in three provinces bordering Afghanistan to provide temporary refuge to Afghans fleeing their country as Taliban insurgents enter the capital Kabul.

AUGUST 16, 2021ByREUTERS
Afghan refugees who supported Canada’s mission in Afghanistan are greeted before boarding a bus after arriving in Canada on a Canadian Forces CC-177 Globemaster transport plane at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada August 4, 2021.