Balgarianovinite.com In September 2025, Albania became the first country in the world to appoint a minister created by artificial intelligence – a virtual minister named Diella (from the Albanian word ‘diell’, meaning “sun”), responsible for public procurement.
The news about the virtual minister made headlines in Balkan and international media and may be what the world will remember Albania for in the past year. Diella had her own Facebook page (which is currently inactive) and even gave a speech to Albanian parliament members to introduce herself.
However, the innovative minister sparked controversial reactions. The opposition in the country accused the ruling Socialist Party (SP/PS) of Albania of making Diella unconstitutional, and a humorous post circulated online claiming that Diella had been arrested for corruption, accompanied by a “photo” showing law enforcement carrying a monitor displaying her image.
Albanian Prime Minister and SP leader Edi Rama said at the end of October that Diella was “pregnant and was expected to give birth soon to 83 children” to assist each of the ruling party’s parliament members, which once again drew media attention.
But besides the emergence of Diella, who became a globally recognized “personality” and part of the Rama 4 cabinet following the Socialists’ convincing victory in the regular parliamentary elections on May 11, 2025, a number of other events also took place in Albania.
European integration
The country has made progress in its European integration, opening the final cluster of EU membership negotiations at the seventh Albania–EU intergovernmental conference in Brussels on November 17, 2025. The Albanian government aims to complete accession negotiations by the end of 2027, with the country joining the EU by 2030.
During her visit to Tirana in October, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that from 2026, roaming charges between Albania and the EU will be scrapped completely.
Albania was also integrated into the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) on October 7, 2025.
Temporary ban on TikTok and electric scooters
On March 13, 2025, Albania temporarily blocked access to the TikTok platform for one year after a teenager fatally stabbed another youth during a fight allegedly sparked on TikTok.
The Balkan country’s Minister of Education, Ogerta Manastirliu, said that the ministry is in contact with the social media platform regarding the installation of parental control filters and the inclusion of the Albanian language in the app. Authorities held 1,300 meetings with around 65,000 parents, who recommended and supported the suspension or restriction of the platform, the Minister said.
A significant increase in registered incidents involving electric scooters also led to their temporary ban in mid-October.
Albanian Interior Minister Albana Kociu then said that the decision is a temporary measure aimed at ensuring public safety and road security. She explained that a set of regulations for the use of electric scooters will be prepared, after which they will be allowed solely for personal use and not for commercial purposes, such as rentals, as had been the case until now.
Allegations, Arrests and Protests
Political tensions in Albania escalated in the final months of 2025 following allegations of corruption against Albanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku.
She, along with several officials and companies, has been accused of using state funds to favor certain companies in large infrastructure projects. During a parliamentary hearing last month, Balluku described the allegations as insinuations and defamation, and said that she is cooperating with the judicial authorities.
Currently, Albania’s Specialized Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime Structure (SPAK) is seeking to lift Balluku’s immunity and have her arrested, but it is unclear when the country’s parliament, where Prime Minister Edi Rama’s ruling party holds a majority, will back the request.
Sali Berisha, leader of Albania’s largest opposition party, the Democratic Party (PD), has called on citizens to become more active in January and to intensify demonstrations against Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government, which currently governs the country.
These were not the only high-level corruption cases this year. Former Albanian President Ilir Meta, currently in custody, was officially charged with corruption and money laundering. Meanwhile, former president and prime minister Sali Berisha, who remains free on his own recognizance, also faces a corruption trial.
The year began with the arrest of a high-ranking official. Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj, a member of Albania’s ruling Socialist Party (SP/PS), was arrested on February 10 at the municipal building in Tirana on charges of corruption and money laundering, and was placed in pre-trial detention. He faces nine counts of passive corruption, as well as charges of money laundering, undeclared assets, abuse of power, and bringing illegal items into prison.
Veliaj was removed from office by government decree and later reinstated as mayor of Tirana by the Constitutional Court of Albania, but he remains in custody awaiting trial. Yesterday, Prime Minister Edi Rama called on judicial institutions to allow Veliaj to return to work, saying that the Albanian capital has been without a mayor for nearly a year and unable to hold early local elections following the Constitutional Court’s decision.
Tirana
Tirana was in the spotlight not only regarding the arrest of Veliaj. The city also became one of the locations where protests were held in support of the leaders of the disbanded Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) – Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi — who are on trial in The Hague.
Public dissatisfaction over the prolonged detention of the four former KLA commanders at the Special Court for Kosovo in The Hague led to protests, with peaceful demonstrations in their support and calling for their release taking place in Pristina, The Hague, Tirana, Strasbourg, and Skopje.
Albanian officials have repeatedly expressed support for Thaci, Veseli, Selimi, and Krasniqi, calling for a fair trial.
The four former KLA commanders were arrested in The Hague on November 4 and 5, 2020, following the confirmation of the indictment against them for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Kosovo War in 1998–1999. Thaci, Veseli, Selimi, and Krasniqi have pleaded not guilty and denied all charges. Their trial at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague began on April 3, 2023, and was scheduled to conclude in December 2025.
Tirana also hosted several important meetings, including the summit related to the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, the Brdo-Brijuni Initiative summit, the Sixth Summit of the European Political Community (EPC), and others.
One of the main actions by the Albanian government this year, which extended beyond Tirana to the entire country, was the clearing of public spaces for citizens. From July to the end of October, more than 11,000 illegal structures were removed as part of this campaign.
The initiative, named Renaissance 2.0, was announced by Albanian authorities in July in response to a scandal involving illegal construction in the tourist village of Theth in northern Albania, which angered Prime Minister Edi Rama. Following the incident, the Prime Minister called for the dismissal of all 340 local administrative governors in the country due to poor local governance.
Foreign policy
In the field of foreign policy, among other developments, Albania and Italy held their first intergovernmental meeting in Rome. At the meeting, the two governments signed 15 agreements aimed at strengthening their strategic partnership.
The country also improved its relations with its neighbor Greece, after tensions between Athens and Tirana since 2023. The tension arose from the arrest of the representative of the Greek minority in Albania, Fredi Beleri, on corruption charges. Beleri had been elected as a Member of the European Parliament in June 2024.
Defence
Among key events in defence, Kosovo, Albania, and Croatia signed a declaration in Tirana on March 18, committing the three countries to strengthen cooperation in defence and security. The three states pledged to enhance operational interoperability between their armed forces through education, training, and joint exercises, as well as to engage in combating hybrid threats and coordinate their Euro-Atlantic integration policies.
The government’s strategy for the next four years envisages Albania becoming a regional hub for the defence industry, with local production set to begin next year.
Additionally, in April 2025, the Albanian arms production and trade company Kayo and the Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri signed a cooperation agreement, marking the start of joint activities in the naval industry. According to information from Shqiptarja.com, the agreement includes the production of ships in Albania both for the Albanian fleet and for potential future export.
Notable deaths and election of a new head of the Albanian Orthodox Church
2025 saw the deaths of former Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano and the Archbishop of Tirana, Durres, and all Albania Anastasios. The Albanian archbishop passed away at the end of January in Athens at the age of 95 after a long illness and was succeeded by Archbishop Joan (Joan Pelushi), who was enthroned in March.
Prospects
Against the backdrop of these and other events in the country, Albania continues to be a tourist destination experiencing growing interest. In this context, and as part of its commitments to NATO and aspirations for EU accession, the country is also continuing the construction of key infrastructure projects, including railway lines, naval bases, and airports. Albania in 2025: Virtual Minister, Open Negotiation Clusters, TikTok Ban, and Corruption Allegations at Highest Power Echelons 2025 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2025-12-31 21:14:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
