Stories about Albania
Illegal wildlife poisoning depletes Balkan biodiversity, yet only 1% of cases reach court
A recent study shows that the illegal use of poisoning to target "undesirable" animals continues to go unnoticed and unpunished in the Balkans, even though it depletes biodiversity and threatens public health.
The Western Balkans will need unity and cooperation across society to overcome press freedom challenges
Independent media in the Western Balkans face disinformation campaigns, hate speech, physical attacks, threats, low income, poor economic status, divisions, self-censorship and job insecurity.
Community support is vital to women athletes: Kosovo alpinist Uta Ibrahimi
Uta Ibrahimi, an alpinist from Kosovo, talks about her mountaineering adventures and the challenges she faces as an gender equality and environmental activist in this interview for Global Voices.
Austrian player Arnautović sparks racism controversy in Euro 2020 football game against North Macedonia
Twitter users pointed out that the perpetrator behind the anti-Albanian incident has a surname which might indicate ethnic Albanian roots in his family.
Why Macron’s tweet on the Serbian Patriarch's death angered so many people in the Balkans
Why would someone who claimed to defend secular, enlightened values invest France's institutional political capital with a figure who symbolized everything that is backward and racist about Serbian society?
The importance of ‘unlearning’ the past: Interview with Balkans expert Keith Brown
"Critical thinking [...] liberates us from the illusion that figures in the past imagined their own identity in terms of the nationalisms of their future."
This Polish travel blogger wants Poles to ‘fall in love’ with North Macedonia
"I am going to continue to convince Poles that the Balkans is not a powder keg. It is a barrel of wine."
Nationalists in North Macedonia use border closures to sow confusion and mistrust
Local media and politicians have distorted reopening policies in neighbouring countries for political gain.
Life's a beach: How COVID-19 is changing tourism on the Albanian coast
Albania's tourism minister believes the season can be saved, but it will be a very different kind of season.
Out of 20,000 COVID-19 cases in the Balkans, more than a third are in Serbia
In Serbia, the government first ignored COVID-19 and even made fun of it.
A new cross-regional anti-disinformation initiative launches in the Balkans
The network includes members from North Macedonia, Greece, Serbia, Kosovo, and Albania, and will work in cooperation with similar groups from other neighboring countries.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day: Auschwitz in pictures
The online archive Znaci.net digitized several photos of Auschwitz from different museums in the former Yugoslavia. They tell the story, among other things, of the Mandić family of prisoners from Croatia.
Albania slowly going back to normal after devastating quake
While the November 26 quake left 51 dead and thousands homeless, affected cities are fully decorated for New Year celebrations.
Death toll in Albania earthquake reaches 51 as search and rescue operations end
As search and rescue operations end, Albania is taking stock of the effects of the catastrophic earthquake that struck the country on November 26.
Albania hit by powerful earthquake, leaving 21 dead and hundreds injured
Global Voices spoke with Redi Muçi, an engineer who witnessed the aftermath in Durres.
Teenage girls want to help victims of domestic violence in Albania with new app
The app connects survivors of domestic violence to important resources, including shelters, police, and support groups.
Environmentalists raise alarm over hydropower boom in the Balkans
More than 2,700 small hydroelectric plants are either planned or under construction in the region. Critics say governments aren't properly assessing their impacts.
Albanians angry at EU's failure to open accession talks–but for PM sun ‘still shining’
"This is the biggest mistake that the EU has made over these years, Albania is a reforming country who more than ever needed this decision to be positive."
Twitter users from North Macedonia fight disappointment with EU non-decision with humor
The date for the long-anticipated start of negotiations for Albania and North Macedonia's membership in the EU didn't materialize, due in large part to a lack of support by France.
Threatened with demolition, Albania's National Theatre continues to resist despite a police raid
In Tirana, an ongoing protest against the planned demolition of the National Theatre reveals deep social and political divisions that polarize the Albanian society.
For Albania and North Macedonia, are the European Union's doors half-open or half-closed?
Both Western Balkan countries were hopeful for a positive outcome from the EU foreign ministers' meeting on June 18.
