February 2019 — Tirana Echo - South East Europe from Tirana

German Ruling CDU/CSU Slams Albania Opposition Decision to Abandon Parliamentary Mandates

February 27, 2019 0

Berlin, Germany | 27 Feb 2019 (Tirana Echo) – Germany’s ruling CDU/CSU right wing coalition has criticized Albania’s opposition decision to quit their parliamentary mandates, asking other candidates on electoral lists to fill empty seats […]

Albania Police Tear Gas Disperse Opposition Protest Parliament

Albania Protest – Ruling socialists push through crucial vote as opposition MPs accuse police of using tear gas on their supporters

February 27, 2019 0

Tirana, Albania | 27 Feb 2019 (Tirana Echo) – Albania’s ruling socialists have pressed ahead with a crucial justice reform vote as they slam opposition representatives accusing the State Police of using disproportional poisonous tear […]

Albania Tear Gas Police Opposition Protests Tirana parliament

Albania Crisis – Fresh clashes as police use tear gas against protesters trying to storm parliament

February 27, 2019 0

Tirana, Albania | 26 Feb 2019 (Tirana Echo) – Fresh violent clashes between opposition supporters and police forces in Albania have ended in tear gas thrown by police as they battled with hundreds of protesters […]

Russia alarmed by Albania plans to unite with Kosovo

February 27, 2019 0

Prishtina, Kosovo | 26 Feb 2019 (Tirana Echo) – Russia has called comments made by Albanian PM Edi Rama that Kosovo is part of Albania as ‘absolutely inadmissible’, adding that Moscow expects the West to […]

EU renews calls on Albania opposition to return to parliament and avoid damaging the start of EU membership talks

February 26, 2019 0

Brussels | 26 Feb 2019 (Tirana Echo) – The European Union has renewed its calls to Albania’s opposition parties to engage in talks with the socialist majority and return to parliament, following their collective decision […]

What’s going on in Albania? and a message for those who don’t get the West – by Ralf Gjoni

February 25, 2019 0

Tirana, Albania | 25 Feb 2019 – It’s almost impossible to be indifferent to such a flamboyant period of Albania’s politics, when in fact, simply lifting the provincial dark glasses would suffice to clearly see […]

Albania Protests – Ex FBI agent points out Russian link

February 23, 2019 0

Tirana, Albania | 22 Feb 2019 (Tirana Echo) – A former FBI agent has pointed out Russia may be behind the latest wave of opposition protests, accusing former PM Berisha of being Putin’s puppet in […]

Albania – Thousands protest in Tirana as opposition MPs officially give up their parliamentary mandates

February 21, 2019 0

Tirana, Albania | 21 Feb 2019 (Tirana Echo) – Thousands have protested against Edi Rama’s socialist government as opposition MPs formally resign their parliamentary mandates en-block, further spiraling the political crisis in the small Balkan […]

Brussels critical of Albanian opposition decision to give up their parliamentary mandates

February 21, 2019 0

Brussels | 21 Feb 2019 (Tirana Echo) – The European Union has criticized a decision by Albania’s opposition parties to resign their parliamentary mandates en-block, and cautioned against any violent acts during a mass protest […]

North Macedonia arrests former Speaker of Parliament and two former Ministers from VMRO-DPMNE party

February 21, 2019 0

Skopje, North Macedonia | 21 Feb 2019 (Tirana Echo) – Police have arrested former speaker of parliament and two former ministers in North Macedonia, on charges of violent acts against parliament in 2017. Prosecutors issuing […]

Turkey restores Ottoman era legacies in the Balkans

South East Europe

February 17, 2017 0

Turkey restored a total of 47 historical buildings including mosques, Mevlevi lodges, dervish lodges, shrines, fountains and baths from the Ottoman era, which are all located in the Balkans, between the years 2008 and 2016. […]

Romania’s Government Backs Off in Face of Massive Protests

Romania

February 4, 2017 0

Bucharest – The Prime Minister of Romania Sorin Grindeanu announced late this Saturday that his Government would withdraw proposed changes to the criminal code, in face of hundreds of thousands of Romanians who have been […]

Russian Overtures – Moscow is regaining sway in the Balkans

Op-Ed

February 25, 2017 0

The Economist says that aid, warplanes and propaganda convince Serbs that Russia is their friend as Moscow is slowly regaining sway in the Balkans “HERE are the Russian missiles!” chortles Viacheslav Vlasenko, co-director of the […]