Albanian Institute for Globalization Studies

15/06/2026

04/06/2026

For over a decade in , there has been one main pillar of support for the political establishment to move forward, legitimize, and anchor to power, namely the Reform. The major constitutional changes occurred in 2016, and the consequent establishment of several parallel structures of the “New Justice” has paved the way for dismantling the culture of impunity and demanding accountability from public officials. To date, the justice authorities have taken measures against influential individuals previously considered untouchable, creating political chaos that has deepened the internal divide within the opposition and thrown the ruling party into a circle of suspicion. Justice has stirred some elements of the establishment, and their affliction is impacting the country’s political life. Hailed by some and vilified by others, the new justice authorities are under political and public scrutiny.

The Justice Reform has been touted for years by the Albanian Prime Minister as a creation of his party and his governance. Edi Rama praised it as a byproduct of his commitment to eradicate corruption, and it was presented internationally as a success story. Until 2026, when the case of the Deputy Prime Minister threw years of advancement into question and all that had been stated and narrated for years took a different shape, the one of doubt and controversy from the very political establishment that created and endorsed it.
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https://china-cee.eu/2026/05/18/albania-monthly-briefing-the-justice-reform-at-a-crossroads-and-a-standstill/
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Marsela Musabelliu

20/05/2026

, as a small country with a clearly defined and predetermined foreign policy orientation, is currently in the midst of a strong vortex of high geopolitical winds. It has long been said that Europe is “shaking” from East to West, and recent developments seem to confirm this reality. The approach and stance of the Albanian political class throughout this period, when global relations and conflicts are taking new forms, sometimes more revolutionary, but also more controversial, is overwhelmingly united.

In late 2025, Donald announced that a Board of Peace would be created, initially for the situation in , and later for all conflicts. In January 2026, almost all countries worldwide were invited to join; by February 2026, only a couple of dozen had accepted. Albania was one of these countries. In January and February, media and analysis focused on the Board of Peace. However, the main issue was not the Board itself but the relationship between Albania’s political establishment and the , specifically the Trump administration.
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https://china-cee.eu/2026/04/29/albania-monthly-briefing-the-board-of-peace-and-albanias-presence-in-washington/
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Marsela Musabelliu

04/05/2026

The Socialist Party of , after winning last year’s general elections with a large majority over the opposition, formed the new government in September 2025. This government was not entirely new because, in their fourth term starting in 2013, Edi Rama, as the party leader, rewarded loyalists, removed and sidelined former key figures of the party, often called the “old guard,” and promoted those close to him. After 12 years in power and expected to serve until 2029, Rama formed a new cabinet, promising capable, competent ministers. However, this cabinet did not even last five months. By the end of February 2026, the Prime Minister replaced the heads of seven ministries. This move was expected due to the serious corruption allegations and the indictment of top officials. However, the changes happened suddenly, involving some unexpected names. It is believed that political circumstances, legal entrenchments, and the international community somehow forced this reshuffle.
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https://china-cee.eu/2026/04/20/albania-monthly-briefing-almost-half-of-the-government-changes-only-a-few-months-after-its-formation/
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Marsela Musabelliu

20/04/2026

2026 has started quite agitated on the international stage. There have been plenty of shocks in just a few weeks, from Venezuela to Greenland, from the reality check of Davos to the uncertainties highlighted in the Munich Security Conference. A new wave of chaos is visible in international affairs. While alliances are being questioned and shifted, small nations, and even some medium powers, are waiting and buying time on the sidelines. is not on this list. For months, there has been a vocal conviction that the architect of the country’s foreign policy, Prime Minister Edi Rama, and the country’s leadership were not in good standing with the Trump administration. Indeed, there have been no official visits to Washington, nor have high American officials met him in Tirana. Until Donald Trump’s daughter’s visit to Albania took everyone by surprise. Although Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, were not in Albania in an official capacity, their visit was touted as a sign of rapprochement between the governments. Economic interests were the highlight of this trip; however, when a Trump visits, geopolitics cannot be left aside.
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https://china-cee.eu/2026/03/31/albania-monthly-briefing-ivanka-trump-in-albania-and-the-albania-us-leadership-radar/

✎ Marsela Musabelliu

27/03/2026

politics is returning to tactics of the past, from offices and buildings to the streets. The opposition has once again chosen the street, the boulevard, and the protest as instruments of political pressure. Sali Berisha, the leader of the largest opposition party, has warned of a scenario that goes beyond a symbolic rally, including a prolonged sit-in and encampment on the boulevard, as well as continued civil pressure on the government. According to him, this initiative is not presented as a personal idea, but as a reflection of civic demands. In this context, the opposition aims to build a new form of mobilization for the year ahead, testing the return of previous models of resistance to the public space (the last major one occurred in 2017). Such an entrenchment on the boulevard would mark another phase of political confrontation, with consequences for the institutional climate and the relationship between protest and political dialogue. This is, by all considerations, a political déjà vu, with the difference that in 2026, neither Albania nor the world is the same as before. Much has changed, and priorities have immensely shifted.
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https://china-cee.eu/2026/03/13/albania-monthly-briefing-the-albanian-protest-season-and-the-opposition-action-plan/

✎ Author: Marsela Musabelliu

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