This is my review of #Indignity by Albanian author @leaypi.bsky.social for @balcanicaucaso.org. I share how I understood the book and highlight the themes that I found most compelling.

“Individuals associated with and acting on behalf of Antifa…” are officially recognized as ‘terrorists’ in the US as of yesterday and may be subject to prosecution and arrest. If you support antifascist action, you are now considered a ‘terrorist’ by the fully-fascist–wannabe MAGA administration.

This is an excerpt from Indignity—a book I enjoyed reading and recommend. 👇🏻

This is an article I have co-authored with @lurapo.bsky.social, analyzing #Serbia’s recent political developments and critically examining both the potential and the limits of grassroots-driven regime change for Berliner Gazette. 👇🏻 berlinergazette.de/a-just-futur...

“…Tirana ist genauso gut geeignet wie jeder andere Ort, um alles zu verstehen, was in der Welt vorgeht. Vielleicht sogar noch ein Stück besser, denn Erfahrungen mit dem Totalitarismus sind entscheidend in einer Gegenwart, in der so viele Menschen fahrlässig mit der Demokratie umgehen.”

“Living through the rise of a dictatorship just means inhabiting a space that is gradually shrinking. There’s no point in resisting, not at first. You just make do with whatever breathing room you still have—until you lose that too.“

Albania, which officially recognizes both the State of #Israel and the State of #Palestine, abstained yesterday at the UN General Assembly on the endorsement of a two-state solution.

Për herë të parë në Shqipëri, një deputet i ri, i dalë nga radhët e një lëvizjeje grassroots, e vetmja forcë e majtë në parlament dhe me një mandat krejtësisht legjitim, ulet në karrigen e deputetit.

Është e sikletshme të shohësh shpurën e PS-së, teksa qëndron pa bëzanë përpara liderit suprem, disa duke u mbytur me pështymën e vet, të tjerë të ekzaltuar vetëm nga prania fizike aq e afërt me Ramën, shumë syresh të tmerruar dhe të gjithë pa asnjë ide se ç’po ndodh përreth, se normalisht…

Citoj mikun tim Gjergj Erebara: “Nuk e kuptoj ku qëndron risia me Diellën. Rama të gjithë ministrat robotë i ka.”

Protesters in Nepal have set fire to the parliament, along with ministers’ luxurious villas. Not that I’m suggesting anything, but a girl’s gotta dream, no? 💅🏻

This coverage from The Guardian is good. 👇🏻

Putin’s testing the ground with the West.

I initially wanted to write something like, ‘I’m glad this story has been turned into a movie,’ but when thinking of it, I’m not sure if ‘glad’ is the right word here.

No, Madame! The question here is: what happened to the European Green Deal?!

Having finished Indignity by @leaypi.bsky.social, I cannot but strongly recommend the book. It reimagines past lives at the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, through the rise of fascism and WWII, tracing the fate of people caught between crumbling worlds—from the vibrancy of Southeastern Europe to…

I started the new novel by @leaypi.bsky.social yesterday and have already gotten through the first 150 pages, unable to put the book down. It draws on the author’s personal memories and family heritage, embedding them within a literary tapestry so culturally rich and narratively…

Indignity: A Life Reimagined by Lea Ypi review – love, war and betrayal

The world’s leading genocide scholars’ association has passed a resolution saying that the legal criteria have been met to establish #Israel is committing genocide in #Gaza, its president said on Monday. www.reuters.com/world/middle...

🗓 Dienstag, 23. September 2025 | 18:00–19:30 📍 Karl-Renner-Institut, Karl-Popper-Straße 8, 1100 Wien 🎟 Anmeldung via renner-institut.at/veranstaltun...

“Und desto klarer zeigt sich, dass eine Bewegung gegen Machtmissbrauch nicht zwangsläufig eine Bewegung gegen Nationalismus sein muss. Goran Samardžiç ist ein Beispiel dafür, aber er ist nicht das einzige.”

Expecting security guarantees from Trump and Putin… What a masquerade!

It’s not a “land swap.” It’s one party loses territory while the other gains, and in this case, the one losing is #Ukraine.

It is not only absurd but also sad to witness how some protesters in #Serbia resort to “šiptari,” the ethnic slur for #Albanians, as an insult against Serbian gendarmerie or Vučić’s hooligans.

I talked to Ilva Tara about the violence in Serbia youtu.be/ffxYUSiFmw8?... @biepag.bsky.social

Someone please inform the supreme leader! 💅🏻

Vucic is ready to start a civil war rather than give up power.

I have written this piece for @euobserver.com about the draft proposal of the Criminal Code in #Albania, which aims to criminalize criticism and so-called “mockery” of the regime, while at the same time easing penalties for corruption.

Article 235, the Desecration of the Republic and its Symbols, criminalises so-called “mockery” or ridicule of high state officials — including the prime minister, president, and ministers — with penalties of up to three years in prison.

Today’s must-read on Albania, from the indomitable @gresahasa.bsky.social via the plucky @euobserver.com

Every life matters. ❤️ So grateful for everyone rescuing also animals amidst disastrous wildfires in #Albania.

Solidarity with all those affected by the wildfires in #Albania, #Greece, #France, #Spain, #Portugal, and across the rest of the #Mediterranean — with those injured or grieving the loss of loved ones, with those losing their pets, their homes, and the savings of a lifetime.

Another challenging night in #Albania as emergency workers battle against the clock to contain wildfires. 💔

Apocalyptic scenes from #Albania last night, as the #Mediterranean continues to burn to the ground. Authorities have identified 37 wildfires nationwide, with 30 still burning. As a result, one person has died and several others have been injured. 💔

Me mbylljen e këtyre mediave, dhjetëra profesionistë, gazetarë, teknikë, punonjës administrativë, sanitarë, roje dhe të tjerë, rrezikojnë të mbeten pa punë.

Sipas vendimit të datës 14 korrik 2025 të Gjykatës së Apelit Administrativ në Tiranë, Shoqëria “Fokus Media News”, në pronësi të së cilës janë News24, BalkanWeb, Panorama dhe Gazeta Shqiptare, detyrohet të lirojë menjëherë mjediset ku zhvillojnë aktivitetin këto media.

Nuk janë bastione të lirisë së fjalës. Kjo prapësëprapë nuk e justifikon dhunën policore dhe shpërfilljen totale të proceseve administrative e ligjore ndaj ndërmarrjeve mediatike në fjalë.

Earlier this morning, police forces in #Tirana — without any prior notice and in complete disregard of legal or administrative procedures—surrounded the offices of News24, BalkanWeb, Panorama, and Gazeta Shqiptare.

The new draft Criminal Code of #Albania, engineered by the Rama regime, represents a deeply troubling shift in the country’s legal landscape.

Recently, Zeit Magazine in #Germany published a lengthy interview with Albania’s Prime Minister, where the journalists appeared more interested in banal and sensational topics—such as Rama’s height and his love for basketball—than in posing critical questions about him and the regime he represents.

This is such a bad and lazy article, full of prejudice and discrimination. It completely fails to grasp the complexities of Albania’s informal economy, which is primarily linked to organized crime and political corruption—not to the simplistic idea that “Albanians just don’t like banks.”

“A good Šiptar is a dead Šiptar” and “Gas chambers for Šiptari” were among the fascist chants heard following the basketball match between North Macedonia and Romania on Saturday.

Joint Statement on the Draft Penal Code and Its Implications for Media Freedom and Freedom of Expression in #Albania.

Under the new proposal to amend #Albania’s Criminal Code—driven by the Rama regime—it is legally stipulated that anyone who mocks or ridicules the country’s leadership, including the Prime Minister, President, and Ministers, could face up to four years in prison.

Do not miss Ermela Teli’s documentary at Dokufest in #Prizren, #Kosovo, on 6 August.

“On Saturday, Turkey's environment ministry said meteorologists had recorded a reading of 50.5C in the south-eastern city of Silopi, surpassing the previous heat record of 49.5C.”

#Albania is burning from north to south in yet another summer of extreme heat—alongside other Balkan/Mediterranean countries. 💔

This is an interview I gave to the Novosti newspaper in #Croatia about my activism and the current political situation in #Albania, the importance of building regional alliances, and our collective efforts to resist authoritarianism and imagine a different world together. 🍃

The #Srebrenica genocide did not happen in an instant. It was well organized and resulted from systematic, institutionalized hatred, the failure of the international community to intervene, and the silence of those who could have acted.

Temperatures in #Spain have reached 47°C, while #Albania has reported 29 wildfires in just the past few days—part of a broader trend of wildfires igniting earlier across the #Mediterranean. This isn’t just an isolated “extreme heatwave.” It’s the new normal, and it has been for a while.