All News on Politics in Albania

Albania, Kosovo Top German 2015 Asylum List

Albanians were the largest single national group seeking asylum in Germany after Syrians last year, according to a German ministry report.

Some 54,762 people from Albania sought asylum in Germany in 2015. Kosovars made up the next largest group, filing 37,095 requests. Citizens of Afghanistan and Iraq came fourth and fifth.

Albania Charges Imam With Recruiting for ISIS

Five months after a video showed him threatening Albanians on behalf of ISIS., Albania's serious crimes prosecution office has passed Almir Daci's file to the courts for trial.

The former imam from Pogradec in eastern Albania, who is now believed to be in territory held by ISIS, will be tried in absentia for advocating terrorism and for recruiting persons to conduct terrorist acts.

Balkan Republican Parties Mull Regional Union

Republican parties in the Balkans are mulling the creation of a Balkan Republican Union that will unite regional representatives of the same political option under one umbrella.

The idea emerged on Monday from a meeting in Tirana between the Albanian Republican Party leader, Fatmir Mediu, his Serbian counterpart, Nikola Sandulovic, and Faton Kurti from Kosovo.

Places where Christmas has been banned

Brunei
Brunei has banned public celebrations of Christmas, violating Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Somalia
There will be no Christmas or New Year celebrations in Somalia for fear that activities could evoke Islamist attacks, according to the Muslim-majority country’s government.

Albania NGO Lists Rama's Broken Promises

Albania's centre-left government has fully met only four of its 27 electoral promises after two-and-a-half years in power, an NGO has claimed.

While presenting what it called it "truth-meter" Mjaft representatives noted - among others - that the government had failed to open 300,000 new workplaces as it had pledged.

Albania Parliament Bans Criminals From Politics

Albania's parliament on Thursday passed a much awaited law banning convicted criminals from public office with strong cross-party sppport.

The law bans people convicted of serious offences, such as murder and rape, from appointment or election to state office.

Hours of debates in the plenary session ended in a compromise that changed the constitution.

Albania Opposition Stages New anti-Rama Protest

Opposition parties in Albania have vowed to continue with their campaign of street demonstrations until the centre-left Prime Minister, Edi Rama, steps down.

The opposition, led by the centre-right Democratic Party, will lead a new protest on Thursday in front of parliament as MPs adopt a budget for 2016.

Albania Aims to Register its Huge Diaspora

Albania in January will start what is being called a "patriotic contract" - the registration of all Albanians who live outside the country.

The initiative is being prepared by the Interior Ministry and being conducted for the first time in 25 years, after countless Albanians emigrated, mostly to Western Europe and the United States.

Dacic: Textbooks treating Kosovo as independent "won't happen"

Serbia respects the rights of the Albanian minority, while schools will not be able to use textbooks stating that "Kosovo is independent", says Ivica Dacic.

Albanian Opposition Rallies Against Government

The opposition is holding an anti-government rally in Tirana on Tuesday, saying it is the first of a series of actions aimed at ousting the government and replacing it with a technical administration that will hold snap elections.

Russia Will Respond to NATO Membership Invitation to Montenegro, Kremlin Says

Russia will have to react to NATO's invitation to Montenegro to join the Alliance, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

NATO Invites Montenegro to Become Member

"We congratulate the government and people for this achievement, this is a very good day for Montenegro, a good day for the Western Balkans and the whole alliance, " NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at the foreign ministers North-Atlantic Council meeting on Wednesday in Brussels.