What began on May 23 as a local stand against a Jared Kushner-backed luxury resort on the Vjosa-Narta flamingo wetland has grown into Albania's largest sustained protest movement in decades, with tens of thousands demanding PM Edi Rama's resignation in Tirana.
Albania's Special Court SPAK accepted opposition Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha's request in April 2026 to call Prime Minister Edi Rama as a witness in the Partizani privatisation corruption case, creating a constitutionally charged confrontation between Albania's two dominant political figures; Berisha appeared before SPAK on 15 June under a compulsory appearance measure
The EU Council formally approved Albania's Interim Benchmark Assessment Report for Chapters 23 and 24 at the eighth Intergovernmental Conference on 26 May 2026, making Albania only the second candidate country after Montenegro to clear this gate; EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos said Albania has 'officially transitioned into the concluding phase' of accession talks