Albania
Albanian PM’s presentation of AI ‘minister’ to MPs ends in chaos
Opposition lawmakers disrupted Prime Minister Edi Rama’s presentation of Diella, the world’s first AI-generated government minister.
Albania aims to revive domestic defence industry as it hosts top Nato officials
Albania ended domestic arms production after the collapse of its communist regime but is now working to restart the industry.
Albania names world’s first AI-generated minister as Rama unveils fourth-term cabinet
Albania's long-serving Prime Minister Edi Rama names his new cabinet with a view to securing EU accession.
Kosovo announces €1bn military budget and “Made in Kosovo” drones
Acting PM Albin Kurti outlines an ambitious security and defence agenda, but formation of Kosovo's next government remains on hold.
Serbia records lowest support for EU in Western Balkans, survey shows
Just 33% of respondents in Serbia backed EU membership, compared with 91% in Albania and 69% in North Macedonia.
Future 500 Forum to tackle Europe’s chronic scale-up gap
As Europe lags Asia and the US on competitiveness, a new initiative aims to give Central and Southeast Europe’s most promising companies a shot at becoming global champions, co-founder Stjepan Orešković tells bne IntelliNews.
Albania’s Q2 power imports jump 16.5% as hydro output declines
Hydropower typically supplies nearly all of Albania’s electricity, leaving the Balkan country highly exposed to rainfall fluctuations.
Western Balkans gradually gaining on EU economies, but Ukraine falls further behind
Bruegel study finds all candidates and potential candidates except Ukraine have converged somewhat towards the EU average in GDP per capita terms.
Wildfires strain emergency services in Albania
Wildfires continued to sweep across southern Albania on July 28, prompting the evacuation of several villages and mobilising hundreds of emergency workers as authorities struggled to bring dozens of blazes under control.
Serbia to repatriate entire gold reserve amid global uncertainty
Serbia’s central bank plans to repatriate the country’s entire gold reserves from abroad, becoming the first Eastern European country to hold all of its bullion domestically.
Analyst warns Kosovo risks economic and political isolation as Albania moves closer to EU
Kosovo may face a return to “hard borders” with Albania and Montenegro within the next five to seven years if current political trends continue.
€1bn EU energy crisis aid in Western Balkans largely untraceable, watchdog says
CEE Bankwatch research reveals only €163.1mn of €1bn spent could be clearly linked to advancing the Green Agenda.
Nigel Farage proposes sending UK prisoners to El Salvador following Trump model
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has announced plans to send British prisoners to El Salvador if he becomes prime minister, mirroring a controversial arrangement between US President Donald Trump and his Salvadoran counterpart Nayib Bukele.
Albania steps up emergency measures as wildfires threaten homes and protected areas
Albania adopts emergency measures to combat fires threatening homes and national parks, as heatwave increases fire risk across the country.
Albania eyes AI-run ministry as PM Rama pushes digital governance
The government in Tirana has embraced AI, even using ChatGPT to analyse where Albanian legislation diverges from the EU acquis.
EU risks fuelling democratic decline in Balkans as reform credibility erodes, report warns
The European Union is prioritising short-term stability over genuine democratic reform, says a report from the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group.
Migration pushes EU population to record high, but CEE countries continue to shrink
Immigration outweighed the natural population decline in 2024 in just three of the newer EU member states – Croatia, Czechia and Slovenia.
Furious protesters fight back with Molotov cocktails against Albanian PM’s war on illegal construction
Albania’s growing reputation as a tourist destination is at risk after residents of the northern Theth region hurled hurled Molotov cocktails at police and demolition teams.
Albania emerges as new frontrunner in EU accession process
European Parliament’s rapporteur for Albania confirmed to bne IntelliNews the country is now considered a frontrunner among the EU accession candidates.
European Parliament calls for reforms and action on foreign interference in Western Balkans
MEPs warn that democratic backsliding and geopolitical vulnerabilities could stall progress across the region.