Sometimes a photo just hits you in the face. Like this one. Ettore Sequi, the EU Ambassador to Albania is a man with an attitude. It’s a man that loves to hear himself talk. It’s a man who melts for press conferences. But it’s also a man who loves to dress up in costumes [...]
Already some time ago I found online an example of the 2013 ballot paper to be used during the parliamentary elections of June 23. It was a model issued by the KQZ (Central Election Committee), which currently consists of 4 majority party members and 3 vacant seats with no solution in sight. I think [...]
The last few days, finally on a short holiday in Istria (and my dear are these Croatians afraid to enter the EU on July 1!), I’ve been trying to think what to write about, or at least, where to start on reporting about the current Albanian pre-election situation. A small recap: about two weeks [...]
On Sunday I woke up around 11 am to the sound of the nationalist song “Xhamadani vija vija” (YouTube terror). Somebody was playing it loudly on a car stereo or maybe the wind brought it to my window from Skënderbeg Square where nationalist party Aleanca KuqeZi was holding their “peaceful” rally “against” Berisha. I [...]
To join a climbing gym has definitely been one of the better decisions I took so far this year. Not only is my fear of heights drastically decreasing (at least up to 5 meters), it also teaches me to trust my body, which for an anti-physically oriented person like me can be quite exhilarating. [...]
It has been a while since I posted for the last time about Albania, but now that finally the first rays of real spring sun are shining through the window of my study and the new washing machine has been installed, I feel ready for some political commentary. Two days ago when I was [...]
Thus was the main event of Albania’s 100th independence day. A cake fight. Thousands of people had gathered at the central Skënderbeg square as Mayor Basha of Tirana cut the giant supercake (a world record) with an extended pizza knife and presented the first piece to Kosovar president Jahjaga. After several pieces of cake [...]
As promised an update on the independence day craze that is currently spreading throughout the capital, the country, and neighboring countries such as Kosovë. Let’s start with the fate of the 1000 sheep and 1000 lambs that were supposed to be slaughtered for the 28th. Although announced by the Prime Minister’s office, both Municipality [...]
Finally I have arrived back in Tirana (actually I write this in Prishina, but ok close enough), in the midst of the total 100 years independence craze. Amid the innumerable Albanian flags decorating the streets and houses, the nationalist fever is taking on epic proportions (proportions to which I would like to dedicate a [...]
The continent. team is proud to announce the call for papers for the first continent. conference, to be held June 6-8, 2013, in Tirana, Albania. Scholar, academics, and students worldwide are invited to address the theme ”Pedagogies of Disaster.” Keynote speakers will be French poetry scholar Judith Balso and Italian autonomist theorist and media activist [...]