IDM Blog

Media capture: The defamation package violates human rights and the constitution   “We have the natural right to use our pens and tongues at our own risk and sacrifice.” ‘Freedom of press’ in the Philosophical Dictionary (1764) Author: Rovena Sulstarova The proposed package of amendments to the media legislation has …

Rule of law is not a panacea: Resolving post-war inter-ethnic conflicts is central to Western Balkans stability and cooperation *This article was originally published in Finnish in the fall 2019 edition of foreign affairs magazine Ulkopolitiikka.   Author: Alban Dafa The October 2019 ‘non-decision’ of the European Council on opening accession …

A reflection on the rural exodus in Albania *This article was originally published in German in Info Europa Magazine (Institute of the Danube Region and Central Europe) on 26 November 2019. Info Europa is distributed as a supplement of the Austrian newspaper “Die Presse”, reaching a broad audience. The November 2019 thematic issue deals …

European governments: repatriate your citizens from northern Syria *This is an updated version of the blog that was originally published by ResPublica  on 25 October 2019. Author: Leonie Vrugtman On October 6, 2019, the White House announced that it would pull back its troops from Northern Syria in order for Turkey to …

Europeanization blowback: the stampede to join the EU and the Albanian institutional crisis  Author: Alban Dafa Shuttle lobbying June 2019 – The warm Albanian winds of early June seem to have pushed both the Albanian government and the opposition towards the cooling winds of Berlin and The Hague. They have been on …

Not a good start for “good luck” platform Author: Rovena Sulstarova The students’ protests of last December brought significant attention to some of the pressing issues with Albania’s education system, effectively putting concerns over the quality of higher education and employment prospects of recent graduates on the political agenda. The …

Enhancing the security of future EU gas supplies through the Albanian gateway Author: Alban Dafa March 2019 – The Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project is set to bring natural gas supplies from the Caspian Shah Deniz II field to Western Europe in 2020. The project, which is part of the Southern …

Oops… EU did it again Author: Gjergji Vurmo Civil society activists and the general public in the western Balkans (WB) have voiced their discontent regarding the rise of authoritarianism and state capture in the recent years. However, the European Union (EU), which plays an important role in the region, has …

Future challenges of violent extremism in the Western Balkans *This article was originally published by the academic blog ResPublica  on 15 February 2019. Author: Leonie Vrugtman Western Balkan countries face a new security challenge: the deradicalization and reintegration of returnees. By 2017, at least 310 adults had returned to the …

Reconsidering the role of civil society and religious authorities in building community resilience in Albania Author: Romario Shehu 24 December 2018 – The proliferation of terrorist groups has turned violent extremism (VE) into a crucial concern in international politics. In facing this problem, states have advanced their national capacities and …