Albanian Institute for Globalization Studies

28/09/2026

17/09/2026

The entire months of June and July have been rocked by protests in the streets of the capital. It has been an event never witnessed before in terms of consistency, continuity, and demands. It started with an environmental request and became a full-blown political upheaval. It was as unexpected as it was unsurprising. A civic movement that grew day by day into the largest protests Albanians have witnessed in decades. It took the entire political establishment, the government, and the opposition by surprise because Albanians in the streets are demanding that both leaders resign. The two people who have ruled Albania on and off for 36 years, Edi Rama and Sali Berisha, are now at a crossroads and facing the people.

Protests and riots in Albania have always been about the left versus the right, the opposition against the government, and one-party loyalists against the other. Albanians have also always taken to the streets following one leader against another. Leaders who have led large protests in the past have been the norm; however, this time around is different. For weeks, this protest has not had a leader, does not have a leadership, and does not have a political affiliation; it is the people against the system and the political parties as a whole. Against those who claim to be in different political parties and ideological camps, while Albanians see them as all the same.
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https://china-cee.eu/2026/08/19/albania-monthly-breifing-albanias-protests-from-flamingos-to-politics/
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Marsela Musabelliu

31/08/2026

Small countries have been, for centuries, a bargaining chip on the chessboard of great powers. History and memory have shown that independent grassroots upheavals occur very rarely in them. When something of a large scale happens, it is either aided and abetted by larger influences, or pushed and pulled by the interests of great powers. In , this has been the case for decades. It is often said that it is a country ruled by ambassadors, and that foreign, powerful influences are not only present but also showcased, welcomed, and fostered by local elites.

The protests in Albania in June 2026 have raised the same questions. Who is behind the protests? And which country, friend or foe, is fueling the national discontent? Usually, it is the citizens who argue along these lines; in Albania, it is the government. Disbelieving that protests of large scale and scope could happen, they tried to find the ‘enemy’ in the protests.
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https://china-cee.eu/2026/07/30/albania-monthly-briefing-against-all-enemies-foreign-and-domestic-from-discovering-an-island-to-a-political-crisis/
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Marsela Musabelliu

07/07/2026

When it comes to the and ’s path to full integration, 2026 is proving extremely challenging. While the narrative and the facts overlap, and most often they mismatch, beyond the technicalities. What is not being publicly stated is that there are many reasons for doubts and even concerns. By all accounts, the complexity of the process makes it very difficult to understand where Albania truly stands; however, there are some political missteps that almost everyone understands. These are not coming from but from .

Reports on the accession stages for Albania by the European Union are nothing new; the institution requires certain criteria and standards to be met, and after the evaluation stage, reports are released. However, in 2026, some phrases and details in the semantics are not the norm. The difficulties with the process’s technicalities, as well as the vague diplomatic language of the reports, create grey areas that, in Albania, are interpreted in relation to the political standing of the party that explains them. Yet, some realities, whether for better or worse, are undeniable.
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https://china-cee.eu/2026/06/26/albania-monthly-briefing-from-the-eu-integration-path-to-the-accession-crossroads/
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Marsela Musabelliu

23/06/2026

’s full membership process has accompanied the political narrative for decades. There is no politician or party in the country that does not use, or misuse, the path to the at every opportunity. Carrots and sticks, conditionality, aspirations, the European dream, negotiations, the opening and closing of chapters, and much more have become common phrases in the political and public narrative. The highlight of every political establishment is Albania’s irreversible path to EU membership, and there is no “Plan B” other than European integration.

From an EU narrative perspective, meeting the criteria for candidate status is paramount; first, with regard to Albania, the rule of law is paramount. Vague as it may seem, it has a pillar: the Justice Reform. With that comes the fight against corruption at the highest levels of political and decision-making bodies and functionaries. As of 2026, it seemed that the political establishment in Tirana was abiding by this (although for most in the country, this was only on paper). However, with the indictment of the former deputy of Edi Rama, his right-hand and one of his loyalists, for corruption, almost everything changed. The PM is not abandoning her; he is shielding her with immunity and is protecting her from prosecution. Most importantly, for the first time since he became PM (2013), he is publicly and dismissively going against the European Union’s recommendations.
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https://china-cee.eu/2026/05/31/albania-monthly-briefing-albanias-eu-membership-path-and-a-potential-impasse/
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Marsela Musabelliu