💥🇭🇺🗳️First results of the Hungarian parliamentary elections are in: with 14.72% counted, the opposition leads with mandates nearing a two-thirds majority.

Everything points to Viktor Orbán’s defeat and Péter Magyar becoming Hungary’s next prime minister.

💥Polls closed in Hungary. No exit poll, but 21 Research Institute’s Apr 8–11 exclusive survey for
@telexhu.bsky.social shows the opposition Tisza party leading Orbán's Fidesz 55–38, with the far-right Our Homeland around the 5% threshold.

Tisza is on the verge of a parliamentary supermajority.

Wie ich zur Zielscheibe in Orbáns Medienkrieg wurde Als ich vor fünf Jahren Opfer einer Schmierkampagne in Ungarn wurde, wollte ich den Fall rasch hinter mir lassen. Heute frage ich mich: Was ist damals eigentlich passiert? Und was können wir daraus über Viktor Orbán lernen?

Als ich vor fünf Jahren Opfer einer Schmierkampagne in Ungarn wurde, wollte ich den Fall rasch hinter mir lassen. Heute frage ich mich: Was ist damals eigentlich passiert? Und was können wir daraus über Viktor Orbán lernen?

"Custom law" for Jared Kushner too? - Citizens.al Legal changes for tourist ports reveal how Kushner's project in Sazan is pushing the government to eliminate competition and favor strategic investors.

Is the Albanian Government seriously following the accession path to the EU? At this stage it seems as the direction of actions is going to the opposite.
citizens.al/en/2026/04/0...

Clear vote in the Vlora airport case Standing Committee of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species discusses construction of Vlora airport close to the Vjosa-Narta protected area.

This is very relevant for nature conservation as former Deputy Prime Minister Balluku was - together with Prime Minister Rama - the driver for many environmentally harmful projects, as the Vlora Airport construction in the centre of an important protected area.
www.euronatur.org/en/what-we-d...

Internationals appeal to the government: "Do not create obstacles to integration" - Citizens.al Reactions from the EU and embassies in Tirana after the Parliament's decision not to lift Belinda Balluku's immunity, with warnings about integration and the fight against corruption.

It seems, #Albania is at a crossroad regarding EU accession. EU and embassies request that SPAK can operate without any obstacles. But the parliamentary decision of yesterday prevents this, but protects the former Deputy Prime Minister.

citizens.al/en/2026/03/1...

Socialist Party defends Belinda Balluku: Inviolable immunity - Citizens.al The socialist majority rejected SPAK's request to lift Belinda Balluku's immunity, opening a debate on the relationship between politics and justice in Albania.

Albania is a small country and one could argue, that interal affairs doesn't matter, but according to @ec.europa.eu the country is the second frontrunner regarding EU accession.
Since months Albania is paralised by a scandal of top politicians.
@martakos.ec.europa.eu
citizens.al/en/2026/03/0...

Protest gegen Bau des Resorts „Blue Borgo“ in #Rrjoll im Norden der Küste Albaniens. Anwohner werfen dem Investor vor, ihre Grundstücke mit gefälschten Dokumenten enteignet zu haben. Die Polizei geht mit Gewalt gegen Demonstranten vor. Einige Polizisten tragen Westen mit Aufschrift „Polizei“. (1/x)

Open letter to Edi Rama: Leave Sazan untouched! More than 40 environmental and nature conservation organisations from 28 countries have signed an open letter to Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama and Environment Minister Sofjan Jaupaj calling for an...

Environmental groups from Albania and beyond are protesting against these plans.

@euronatur.bsky.social
@birdlifeeurope.bsky.social

www.euronatur.org/en/what-we-d...

A completely private island: The real dimensions of the project in Sazan - Citizens.al The negotiations for Sazan have been postponed indefinitely and without transparency. What is the Albanian government negotiating and who benefits from the agreement?

It is becoming increasingly clear: the Rama administration in Albania plans a complete privatization of Island Sazan - located in the very centre of a Marine National Park.

@vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu @martakos.ec.europa.eu

Environmental groups are protesting ... -/2

citizens.al/en/2026/03/0...

Albanians Pay Price of Legal Row over Wastewater Treatment Project For decades, sewage from the Albanian capital has been discharged untreated into the waters of the Lana River in Tirana.

Plant to clean the wastewater of Tirana is massively delayed, although funds were available since 2008.

River Lana is one of the most polluted rivers in Europe.

balkaninsight.com/2026/03/02/a...

The EU’s LIFE programme has funded thousands of nature protection and restoration projects for more than 30 years.

But now its existence is under threat.

Join our panel discussion to get to know more about the achievements of LIFE and to get insights into the future of nature financing.

Sign up ⬇️

Timothy Snyder zu den Gründen für den amerikanischen Angriff auf Iran

open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p...

Right now in front of Edi Ramas office.

Albanian Ruling Party Proposes Law Granting Senior Officials Immunity Proposed legal changes, which would protect ministers and other top officials from suspension by the courts, draw condemnation as a move to block anti-corruption investigations.

Fair enough to discuss whether a court should have the mandate to suspend ministers. I am wondering why Prime Minister Rama refused already three times the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Balluku. #Albania

balkaninsight.com/2026/02/16/a...

Exactly right, and therefore important not to give credit for an investigation of an obvious atrocity. Appropriate responses are apologies, resignations, firings, impeachments. The individuals who killed people should be tried before a judge and jury.

US-Regierung: Wie der Widerstand gegen Maga eine Chance hat Der Minneapolis-Moment offenbart die Schwächen der Trumpisten. Und er zeigt, wo der Widerstand gegen den US-Präsidenten in Zukunft erfolgreich ansetzen kann.

The Trumpists will continue to escalate. But in Minneapolis, we can see the limits of MAGA’s assault.

Trump’s authoritarian desires are limitless. But his ability to impose them on America is not.

My new piece for @zeit.de - and some thoughts, since it is in German (gift link):

1/3 💧 Europe's wild #rivers are vanishing

These time-lapses show more than just construction; they show the silencing of some of Europe’s last wild pulses. 2,450km of pristine rivers have been modified, diverted, or drowned since 2012.

© Video: Joshua D. Lim; Music: Tom Fox Music

#conservation

The urbanisation plans are clearly in contraditction to the EU closing benchmarks for the Environmental chapter of EU accession negociations. @martakos.ec.europa.eu
You may find the open letter to the Albanian authorities here: www.euronatur.org/fileadmin/do...

Open letter to Edi Rama: Leave Sazan untouched! More than 40 environmental and nature conservation organisations from 28 countries have signed an open letter to Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama and Environment Minister Sofjan Jaupaj calling for an...

Albania: while Prime Minister Rama hosted Ivanka Trump to discuss urbanisation plans for the Island of Sazan, 41 environmental groups request to maintain the natural treasure untouched. @euronatur.bsky.social @birdlifeeurope.bsky.social @martakos.ec.europa.eu

www.euronatur.org/en/what-we-d...

Open letter to Edi Rama: Leave Sazan untouched! More than 40 environmental and nature conservation organisations from 28 countries have signed an open letter to Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama and Environment Minister Sofjan Jaupaj calling for an...

📣 More than 40 environmental and nature #conservation organisations from 28 countries have signed an open letter to Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama and Environment Minister Sofjan Jaupaj calling for an immediate halt to the planned luxury resort on Sazan.

www.euronatur.org/en/what-we-d...

Albania in the EU Fast Lane – Accelerating Without Democratising? Tirana’s EU accession process is running in top gear – but worryingly, there’s no sign this is being matched with a democratic deepening at home.

Relevant analysis by @blerjanabino.bsky.social:
"If 2025 was the year when Albania demonstrated its capacity to accelerate, 2026 and the years ahead will test whether acceleration can sustain reform and deliver democratisation in practice."

balkaninsight.com/2026/01/02/a...

So the US administration considers hate speech and disinformation “American viewpoints“? 🙄
HateAid is an organization that also helps climate scientists to defend themselves against online abuse and threats.
Its founder was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 🇩🇪 this year.

Western Balkans summit: All together now? – DW – 12/17/2025 Should all the countries of the Western Balkans join the EU at the same time, as Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has suggested? What are the pros and cons? And how do the countries in question feel...

I talked to DW about EU enlargement and Vučićs proposal for a WB6 big bang www.dw.com/en/eu-enlarg...

Vlora Airport/ Courts block lawsuits for contract invalidity and environmental impact! Vlora AirportFor more than three years, the Albanian courts, led by the Supreme Court, have held hostage the judicial investigation process regarding the construction of the Vlora airport

For > 3 years, Albanian courts, led by the Supreme Court, are playing "procedural ping-pong", without yet considering the merits of the case. There is a valid concern that #RuleOfLaw is not guaranteed in #Albania

@martakos.ec.europa.eu
@vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu

www.voxnews.al/english/aktu...

Albanian Prosecution Urges Parliament to Allow Deputy PM’s Arrest Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organised Crime asks parliament to lift the immunity from arrest of Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku.

After an undignified drama in #Albania, the main questions remain: why is the Deputy Prime Minister not stepping back? And if not, why the Prime Minister doesn't dismiss her?

@martakos.ec.europa.eu
@ec.europa.eu

balkaninsight.com/2025/12/16/a...

It is welcome that this controversial project comes to an end. The #Kushner project in #Albania on island #Sazan is also very controversial not respecting nature legislation.

The bridge over the Buna is taken by the river/ The government cancels the project launched with great fanfare by Rama and Abazovic In February 2023, Prime Minister Edi Rama and his then Montenegrin counterpart, Dritan Abazovic, announced from Podgorica the project to build a bridge, which would connect Velipoja with Ulcinj

For nature this is good news as the planne bridge and the required access roads would have fragmented the fragile Buna-Bojana delta in the transboundary area of #Albania and #Montenego. #EuropeanGreenBelt

www.kapitali.al/english/lajm...

This is so outrageous that there are hardly any words to describe the disgrace.
The EU marks a low moment for citizens' health, for science, for democracy, for biodiversity, and for farmers.
Congratulations for those who've just shown us who's the real boss in this puppet theatre.

This is a ray of hope also for the Albanian island Sazan. Kushner agreed with Rama to transform this natural island to a luxury tourist destination. But also in Albania lots of people and civil society organsiations are opposing this deal.