Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, who is also the Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, has been suspended from her position by a decision of the Special Anti-Corruption Court. The decision was made today by the SAC, and she has also been banned from leaving the country, according to journalist Klodiana Lala. This is the first case in Albania in which such a high-ranking government official, in this case the second in the executive branch, has been suspended from office

Here is the English translation: Prime Minister Edi Rama has outlined the categories that will benefit from salary increases starting next year. He said that salary increases, according to categories, will affect teachers, the public administration, police officers, doctors, and nurses. “The average salary is 850 euros. For the first time, we will introduce salary indexation every two years in the administration, to support the rise in living standards and to assist employees

Details emerge from the court session for former Deputy Prime Minister Arben Ahmetaj, who is accused of abuse of office, while SPAK has opened a new investigation into the fugitive former official. Prosecutor Elvin Gokaj requested that 14 people be questioned as witnesses, including former minister Shkëlqim Cani. The SPAK prosecutor emphasized that it has come to attention that a large sum of money, specifically 3 million euros, was transferred from Albania to an EU country,

Prime Minister Edi Rama announced today an important project in the energy sector, stating that the government will begin installing smart electricity meters for all consumers in the country within the next year. This ambitious project is expected to be completed within the current government term. Purpose and Benefits of Smart Meters The new smart metering system aims to bring significant changes in how electricity is managed and billed across the grid. Reducing Losses Rama

Prime Minister Edi Rama attended a meeting with socialists, where he explained the 2026 budget for the Municipality of Tirana. Rama spoke about pensions, mentioning that 1.7 billion euros will be allocated for pensioners over the next four years. He added that the year-end bonus will be distributed at the beginning of December. He also emphasized that pension increases will continue every January until 2030. “It is essential that everyone does what is required within their ca

The Special Prosecution has taken to trial the mayor of Roskovec, Majlinda Bufi. According to the charges raised by SPAK, she is accused of the criminal offense of “Using public office for political activity.” SPAC accuses Bufi under Article 328/a/3 of the Criminal Code, “Using public office for political activity,” an offense related to exploiting local government authority for political, rather than institutional, interests, reports Timoni.al. Today, the case file was offic

Former Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Arben Ahmetaj has filed a lawsuit against the Albanian government at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, accusing it of violating parliamentary immunity and the right to privacy during investigations conducted against him by SPAC. According to official documents, the complaint was filed together with his partner, Erjola Hoxha, and submitted on May 8, 2024. The case was officially communicated to the Albani

No surprises emerged from the partial local elections held in five municipalities across the country. The Socialist Party (PS) emerged as the undisputed winner in Vlora, Berat, Cërrik, Mat, and Tepelena. The Democratic Party (PD) of Sali Berisha, which in these elections chose to hide behind independent candidates, suffered yet another defeat. Its candidates received very low results, and compared to the May 11 elections, DP has significantly shrunk in these five municipaliti

Former LSI chairwoman Monika Kryemadhi stated on the show “Kjo Javë” on News24 that she will never visit Ilir Meta in prison. She said that although she might see Meta at family celebrations, such as their children’s weddings, she is still not ready to forget what his friends and Meta himself did to her. “I wouldn’t visit Ilir Meta, and I’ve said clearly that I’ll only meet him when we marry off our children or become grandparents. I’m not ready to meet Ilir Meta, emotionally

The Special Court of Appeal has set November 11 as the date to review former president Ilir Meta’s request to change his security measure from “arrest in prison.” On the same date, Meta will also face his preliminary hearing. The leader of the Freedom Party is accused of corruption, concealment of assets, and money laundering charges that also include his former wife, Monika Kryemadhi, and three other individuals. “KORÇA BOOM”

Activist Evi Kokalari has criticized DP leader Sali Berisha over the 1.4 million euros (1.6 million dollars) spent by the Democratic Party to pay for American consultancy services for the May 11 campaign. In a social media post, Kokalari also referenced a $6 million lobbying contract with “Continental Strategy,” signed by Flamur Noka and Carlo Trujillo, president of the American company and former chief of staff for Marco Rubio. Kokalari argues that such sums are not even spe

Prime Minister Edi Rama stated in a video message on social media that, starting from January of this year, pensions will increase every month beyond the annual indexation. Rama announced that the government approved the 2026 draft budget the previous night, emphasizing that this mandate will focus on raising pensions, aiming to bring the full pension to 400,000 old lek by the end of the term. “This is the most challenging part of financial policy for a state, but now that we

Political parties in the country have submitted their income and expenditure reports for the May 11 elections to the Central Election Commission (KQZ). One report that stands out is that of the Democratic Party (PD), which hired Chris LaCivita for consultancy during the May 11 campaign. According to the official figures declared to the KQZ by the Democratic Party today, the campaign manager for PD, Chris LaCivita, was paid 139,111,686 lek for his consultancy services. The off

Former leader of the Freedom Party, Monika Kryemadhi, appeared this Monday at SPAK in compliance with the court’s decision for the precautionary measure of “mandatory appearance.” What caught attention was her new look. Kryemadhi showed up with a new hairstyle, different from the one she had in recent months. After leaving SPAK, she spent a few moments with journalists, exchanging some jokes. When journalists teased her, saying she “looks like she’s adopted Justin Bieber’s ea

The Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) has officially notified the Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Belinda Balluku, of charges for the criminal offense of “Violation of the equality of participants in public tenders or auctions,” in collaboration, under articles 258/2 and 25 of the Penal Code. The investigation is being conducted within the framework of criminal proceeding no. 136 of 2025, merged with proceedings nos. 167 and 181 of 2024.

Democratic Party MP Bledion Nallbati appeared this Monday at SPAK following a summons to be questioned regarding an incident that occurred during the election campaign on May 11. The incident involves a conflict in Bilisht, where Nallbati and his brother are suspected of having used violence against a truck driver. In a statement to the media, the MP said he was called as a person with knowledge of the event, not as a suspect. He described the incident as trivial, adding that

Socialist Party MP Brunilda Mersini has resigned from her mandate in the Parliament of Albania. The news was announced by the Speaker of Parliament, Niko Peleshi, who stated that following Mersini’s resignation, the Central Election Commission (CEC) has been notified to declare the vacancy and proceed with her replacement from the Socialist Party’s deputy list. According to official sources, Brunilda Mersini’s resignation is linked to her decision to run in the partial local

The Council of Ministers held its latest meeting today, approving several important decisions regarding changes in the composition of state institutions. According to the decisions taken, Ms. Arta Dollani, Director General of the National Environmental Agency, was relieved of her duties. In her place, new deputy ministers were appointed in several key sectors. Ms. Herida Duro was appointed Deputy Minister of Education, while Ms. Elda Xhumari became Deputy Minister of Environm

The Albanian government has changed the state budget for the third time this year, further reducing funds for education and healthcare while increasing allocations for infrastructure. Funds for the Ministry of Education were cut by around 851 million lek, about 1% less compared to June. Compared to the original 2025 budget, the Ministry’s allocation decreased by 1 billion lek, roughly 10 million euros, or 1.6%. This reduction comes at a time when the education system faces si

Pëllumb Pelinci says there is a plan for his physical elimination. According to Pelinci, a Ukrainian–Russian cell funded by Soros has been set up to eliminate him. He even claims Russia is launching drones against him. “Dear compatriots! I explain to you the latest sophisticated scheme to eliminate me! In the context of Putin’s visit to Hungary, with the possible and absurd pretext of his transit through Albania, it has been constantly observed a squadron of drones — products