The meeting, which lasted about four and a half hours, focused on proposals to redraw municipal boundaries and possible mergers, media reported.

Co-chair of the Territorial Reform Commission Arbjan Mazniku, Minister of State for Local Government Ervin Demo, and mayors from across Albania attended the meeting, including those whose municipalities could be affected by the proposed changes.

Mayors whose municipalities are facing possible mergers presented arguments for maintaining the units they currently lead, while the meeting also considered the case for the proposed mergers.

The consultation focused on the potential impact of changes to Albania’s territorial organisation and local government, media reported.

Mayors from Durres, Shkoder, Kukes, Elbasan, Korce, Berat, Vlore, Gjirokaster and several other municipalities took part in the meeting.

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The initiative, led by Health and Social Protection Minister Evis Sala, will see the National Council for Children’s Rights and Protection hold regular meetings in schools across the country. The first session took place at the Petro Nini Luarasi high school in Tirana.

Speaking with students, teachers and council members, Sala said the new agenda would focus on strengthening child protection systems, preventing violence and exploitation, and promoting equal opportunities for all children.

“Children are not merely beneficiaries of our policies. They are citizens with rights, voices and ideas that deserve to be heard,” Sala said.

The strategy will also address emerging challenges, including online safety, social inclusion and support for vulnerable children, while expanding services aimed at supporting families.

During the meeting, students and council members shared proposals on how young people could contribute to the drafting and implementation of the new agenda, including greater engagement with children in the Albanian diaspora.

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Led by the two co-chairs, Arbjan Mazniku and Luçiano Boçi, this session was held with the participation of local representatives, institutions, experts and citizens of Elbasan region.

Boçi said that, “We have insisted that such hearings should be public because the way in which problems are solved cannot be hidden”.

“The hearing is rather important because it has to do with the architecture of the state itself and its relationship with citizens, with the way in which the state is configured in the territory, how it serves the citizen, how the city is involved, how public funds are spent and how local democracy is organized”, Boçi underlined.

Boçi said that, “Territory is not an end in itself because in reality we have variants coming from the SP, but it is the main means for realizing the goal or goals that this reform has set for itself”.

These hearings are part of a series of meetings that aim to involve local actors and the community in drafting a more functional and sustainable reform for local government in the country. /k.s/j.p/p.s./

There were discussions on the draft carrying the objectives, indicators and concrete measures, focusing on cooperation and dialogue for an all-embracing policy-making process.

The contributions of civil society organizations were considered essential elements for strengthening the strategic documents.

The consultation process marks an important step towards building all-embracing policies, based on active listening, partnership and joint commitment, with the aim of guaranteeing real equality and full participation for every citizen. /j.p/p.s./

The participants focused during their discussions on protection of children, family and marriage, as essential elements for a society that aspires to be part of the European Union.

In this context, it was emphasized that the family should be a space of safety and protection and that violence or violation of children’s rights cannot be tolerated.

The participants of the roundtable discussed ways to reflect these principles in the new provisions of the Criminal Code, gathering experiences and best practices in a comprehensive and transparent process, while aiming to harmonize with European human rights standards.

There are planned around 25 public consultation rounds for the draft of the new Criminal Code.

The first draft of the new Criminal Code was presented on July 25, after several years of work by a group of experts chaired by Director of the School of Magistrates, Prof. Arben Rakipi.

The draft was launched for consultation by the Ministry of Justice with justice system actors, international partners, universities, civil society, the media and the government as part of the commitments of membership in the European Union and essential for bolstering the Rule of Law. /gj.m/a.f/p.s./

According to the IMF Executive Board’s assessment, Albania’s economic growth is projected to remain robust at 3.5 percent in 2025 and 3.6 percent in 2026, driven mainly by private consumption and continued support from the tourism sector. The IMF noted that Albania’s economy has already surpassed its pre-pandemic level, reflecting an appropriate mix of fiscal and monetary policies.

Inflation is projected to rise gradually from 2.2% in 2025 toward the 3% target in the second half of 2026, amid a tight labour market and rising wages.

The current account deficit is forecast at 2.8% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2025 and is expected to widen gradually to around 3.5% of GDP over the medium term, as imports increase in response to higher incomes and public capital investment.

The IMF said fiscal discipline has led to a significant reduction in public debt, which is projected to fall below 50% of GDP, while strong foreign exchange reserves have markedly strengthened the country’s external position. In this context, the Albanian government is advancing ambitious reforms aimed at securing European Union membership by 2030.

However, the IMF warned that risks to the economic outlook have shifted to the downside due to a more volatile external environment. Geopolitical tensions, escalating trade measures, commodity price volatility and instability in global financial markets could negatively affect Albania’s main trading partners and external demand. Domestically, a shrinking working-age population could deepen labour shortages and add inflationary pressures.

To preserve macroeconomic stability and close reform gaps with the European Union, the IMF said timely domestic reforms are essential.

Maintaining fiscal buffers remains a priority, through sustained revenue mobilisation, improved tax administration, modernisation of the property tax system, and greater transparency and quality in public spending.

On fiscal policy, the IMF said rising expenditure pressures, if not addressed in a timely manner, could undermine fiscal sustainability, particularly beyond 2030, due to demographic changes, defence-related obligations and climate-related spending. To safeguard fiscal buffers, it recommended growth-friendly revenue measures, improvements in spending quality and enhanced fiscal transparency.

In this context, the IMF also commented on the government’s “Fiscal Peace” initiative.

“The ‘Fiscal Peace’ agreement, which offers debt forgiveness and preferential revaluation of financial statements, risks undermining past progress in tax administration and compliance,” the IMF Executive Board said in its statement.

On monetary policy, the IMF said the current stance of the Bank of Albania is appropriate, but stressed that the central bank should remain ready to respond swiftly to market developments, particularly if second-round effects from wage growth prove stronger than expected. It also recommended greater exchange rate flexibility and increased reliance on interest rates to maintain price stability.

Regarding the financial sector, the IMF underscored the need for close monitoring of risks related to real estate lending, foreign currency exposures and sovereign debt, as well as strengthening the prudential framework and banking supervision.

Over the medium term, the IMF said achieving income convergence with the European Union will require deep structural reforms, particularly in boosting productivity, developing human capital, improving labour market functioning, strengthening governance and combating corruption.

The next Article IV consultation is expected to take place on the standard 12-month cycle.

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President Vjosa Osmani has already invited the leaders of the main parties in the country to a consultative meeting, KosovaPress reported.

As Bekim Kupina, advisor to President Osmani said, the country’s president has proposed that the meeting be held on May 15 at 1:00 PM.

“President Osmani will begin a series of consultations on the issue of the constitution of the Assembly from May 15. Invitations have already been sent for the first meetings and we are awaiting confirmations,” said Bekim Kupina, media advisor to Vjosa Osmani.

Kosovo has not a functional Assembly yet, as MPs have failed in their fourteenth attempt to constitute the new Assembly.

The most recent failure occurred on Sunday, May 11, three months after the Parliamentary elections were held on February 9.

The same like in the sessions of the past few days, on Sunday, Chairman of the constitutive session Avni Dehari requested the setting up of a commission to supervise the secret ballot for election of the Speaker of the Parliament. /KosovaPress/p.s./

This campaign aims to address the impact of social networks such as TikTok and Snapchat on children and young people through awareness of the people about their risks and consequences.

Prime Minister Edi Rama shared in the social media today moments from this wide consultation that is taking place in all cities of the country.

“There is underway a wide consultation with parents in schools in Tirana, Kukës, Mirdita, Dibra, Tropoja, Puka, Fier, Divjaka, Finiqi, Pogradec, Korça, Maliqi, Kolonja, Devoll on the restriction of networks such as TikTok”, wrote Rama.

This cycle of consultations, triggered by the murder of 14-year-old Martin Cani in Tirana by his peer, has brought together parents, representatives of the national and regional parents’ councils, teachers and school headmasters, in a broad exchange of opinions on further strengthening cooperation and creating a common front against all forms of violence, including bullying in the social networks. /m.m/ j.p/p.s./

Manastriliu said that, “We need to intensify this communication so that all the available means should serve our purpose of more prevention measures against violence or bullying at schools and further strengthening the existing measures being helped by technology, considering it as an ally”.

“These platforms actually challenge the authority of teachers, parents and lead to concerns both for the children and young people themselves. They are also causing mental health issues. According to the studies and research conducted, the violent incidences are increasing precisely due to the negative effects produced by platforms such as Tik Tok or Snapchat”, emphasized Manastirliu.

Minister Manastirliu stated that, “Thanks to this communication, we are hearing about the decisions that we need to make regarding the further improvement and strengthening of the instruments for preventing any form of violence or bullying or online violence in the entire strategy that we have. We also have to take together decisions related to the banning of some online platforms such as Tiktok or Snapchat or their limitation”.

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In a statement after today’s meetings, the head of state praised involvement of the political parties and their parliamentary groups, saying he was pleased to note that opinions were mostly guided by the voters’ highest interest rather than driven by narrow political calculations, as it is usually the case when election date nears.

Begaj said that setting the election date was more than a routine task, calling it a chance to promote cooperation and strengthen democracy.

According to him, “the convergence of opinions, despite the differences in political positions, was the most significant outcome of this consultation process.”

“Setting the election date is not just a constitutional obligation nor a formal legal procedure, but it is, first of all, a powerful test of cooperation, understanding and commitment of the entire political and institutional factor on behalf of the voters, as it is a significant occasion to bring back to attention the crucial importance of the elections for the consolidation of parliamentary democracy,” Begaj stated.

The head of state called on political parties to work together to make the 2025 elections a success story and a proud moment for Albania, urging respect for the law and voters during the campaign.

The election date, due in spring 2025, will be officially announced soon.

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