One of the reasons for the mass exodus of Albanian youth could be related to the fact they have the lowest level of disposable income in Europe, according to new data published by Eurostat. Data published by the European data agency looked at European citizens’ purchasing power standard (PPS), gauged by the median equivalised disposable
Governments of the Western Balkans, particularly Albania, must expedite reforms, including those in clean energy and renewables, to reap environmental benefits but also improve living standards, European Investment Bank (EIB) Vice President Lilyana Pavlova told Exit in an interview. Earlier in 2022, the EIB launched a new branch, EIB Global, which focuses on activities outside
On Remembrance Sunday 2022, a group of British and Albanian citizens stood solemnly in front of a war memorial in central Tirana as the haunting sound of The Last Post was played by a lone trumpeter. The purpose of the ceremony was to commemorate the lives of the British soldiers that fought in Albania against
Former prime minister and president Sali Berisha said the regret of his life in politics was the handling of the Albanian pyramid schemes, which eventually collapsed in 1997, bankrupting half of the country and taking it to the brink of civil war. In an exclusive interview with Exit, Berisha was asked about his vision when
The political events of 2022 indicate that perhaps 2023 will be the year when Serbia’s already difficult European path is blocked. When Aleksandar Vučić came to power ten years ago, he presented himself to the country and especially to the region and the West, as a politician who had experienced a catharsis, i.e., a conversion,
Washington is categorically against the idea, floated by Belgrade, to allow Serbian troops to return to the troubled north of Kosovo, Gabriel Escobar, special US envoy for the Western Balkans, said on Tuesday. “We are categorically against that, we categorically reject this, we don’t support it at all. I also want to say that Kosovo
The International Monetary Fund has called on Albanian authorities to improve judicial and anti-corruption reforms while stressing the importance of an expedited exit from the FATF grey list, something that will be critical in EU accession discussions. In a recent report, as the Executive Board concluded its 2022 Article IV consultation with Albania, the IMF
At the EU-Western Balkan Summit in Tirana, Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani confirmed plans to apply for EU membership before the end of the year, and in an exclusive interview with Exit, she said positive progress is being made with the five member states that currently do not recognise her country’s independence. Cyprus, Greece, Spain, Romania,
It would be impossible to write on the topic of Albanian art without mentioning socialist realism. Developed in the Soviet Union, the socialist realist movement played out across a range of disciplines. Essentially it comprised the various ways in which the doctrines of the state were reinforced in public life. Socialist realist artwork in particular
Western Balkan leaders on Tuesday (6 December) welcomed the EU’s new mindset to strengthen ties with the region, a drive reinvigorated by Russia’s war in Ukraine and a series of agreements that include reduced roaming charges and integration in the bloc’s higher education systems. “Things are changing,” Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama and host of