Gabriel Schwaderer

Troubled Waters: Albania’s Wild River ‘Protected Only on Paper’ A wild river given protection as a ‘national park’ in 2023 still faces serious threats to its biodiversity from pollution – and Albania’s government is doing little to stop it.

Important article in #BalkanInsight about the situation along Vjosa River, 2,5 years after its designation as Wild River National Park.
@euronatur.bsky.social

balkaninsight.com/2025/10/07/t...

IUCN Congress votes in favor of Motion 130: Strengthening restrictions against unsustainable tourism infrastructure Upfront the 2025 IUCN World Conservation Congress, members have overwhelmingly approved Motion 130 with more than 98 % of votes, calling for stronger restrictions on unsustainable tourism infrastructu...

Groundbreaking decision of a vast majority of IUCN Members: protected areas are for nature conservation, not for massive development, including for mass tourism.

@euronatur.bsky.social @birdlifeeurope.bsky.social @tourduvalat.bsky.social @wetlandsint.bsky.social

www.euronatur.org/en/what-we-d...

Protecting the Balkan lynx: a European responsibility ++ Event at the EU Parliament in Brussels draws attention to the Balkan lynx ++ Less than 50 induviduals of this rare cat species roam the forests of the Western Balkans ++ Protection of the Balkan ly...

Protected areas are not the only, but an extremely important cornerstone of any effective strategy to protect the Balkan lynx. @euronatur.bsky.social @thomaswaitz.bsky.social

www.euronatur.org/en/what-we-d...

Despite nature conservation concerns: EU opens negotiations with Albania The EU has officially begun accession negotiations with Albania — at a time when the country is experiencing numerous setbacks in nature conservation.

"Opening negotiations on the environment chapter may set the dangerous precedent that #Albania can dismantle #nature protection and still make progress in the #EUenlargement negotiations", says EuroNatur's @schwadererg.bsky.social. Read more in our press release:
www.euronatur.org/en/about-eur...

YouTube video by DW News How Jared Kushner wants to build a luxury resort in an Albanian nature reserve | DW News

How Jared Kushner wants to build a luxury resort in an Albanian nature reserve

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysvJSo9SViU&ab_channel=DWNews

Albania loses its hidden-gem luster Social media lit a fire under Albania’s tourism surge, leading to a sharp increase in prices.

Insightful piece by @politico.eu about Albania.

"Albania was once “something wild — just camping, youth, fun and nature,” said Jushi, the journalist. “It’s like Monaco now. There’s no space for locals.” "

www.politico.eu/article/alba...

Nature needs your help NOW 🚨

Across Europe, our forests are thinning, our rivers are drying, and our wildlife is vanishing. Now the European Commission wants to weaken the very laws that protect them.

It’s our nature, our home, our right. #HandsOffNature

📢 Speak up now: http://handsoffnature.eu

Informativer Artikel in der @wirtschaftswoche.bsky.social über Tourismuswirtschaft in Albanien. Und über den Ausverkauf der Küste sowie massive Eingriffe in Naturschutzgebiete. @euronatur.bsky.social

Gute Hintergrundgeschichte über die Erholung des Braunbärenbestands in Nordspanien in der @taz.de. @euronatur.bsky.social

taz.de/Er-ist-wiede...

Edi Rama: "Ich wollte ein unabhängiges, freies Leben führen" Edi Rama war Basketballer, Künstler, heute ist er Regierungschef Albaniens. Ein Gespräch über seine ungewöhnliche Karriere, Macht und seine Frau.

Der Preis für das unkritischste Interview mit einem Autokraten geht an @zeit.de: Man plaudert mit Edi Rama über Körpergröße, Kunst, seine Freundschaft zu Meloni. Wörter wie „Wahlunregelmäßigkeiten“ fallen nicht, das Land, das er regiert, scheint auch etwas egal zu sein.

www.zeit.de/zeit-magazin...

EP urges Albania to halt controversial projects damaging the environment The European Parliament's latest resolution on the enlargement process – specifically on the progress of the Western Balkan countries – sent a clear signal regarding environmental and biodiversity pro...

It is obvious and confirmed by the latest resolution of the Euroepan Parliament: Albania needs to step up with regard to aligning with the EU Nature acquis. This means halting the most harmful projects as the Vlora airport.
@euronatur.bsky.social

politiko.al/english/e-tj...

Western Balkans must step up environmental protection The latest resolutions of the European Parliament highlight environmental deficits and the need for comprehensive improvements for all Western Balkan states. Without these, EU accession is a distant p...

If the #WesternBalkans truly want to join the #EU, they must show it by protecting #nature and upholding the rule of law in environmental matters. The EU Parliament’s resolutions show the shortcomings of protecting the region’s rich #biodiversity. Read our analysis:
www.euronatur.org/en/what-we-d...

Environmental organizations EcoAlbania, RiverWatch, and @euronatur.bsky.social say that extractive industries, pollution, and uncontrolled development are damaging the ecological integrity of the Vjosa National Park.

citizens.al/en/2025/07/0...

Sold to the Trump family: one of the last undeveloped islands in the Mediterranean The long read: Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner have spent more than $1bn on an Albanian island that will be a luxury resort – once the unexploded ordnance has been removed

The selling out of nature in Albania accelerates. The island of Sazan - surrounded by the Karaburini-Sazan Marine National Park - sold to the Trump family.

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

EU Document Urges Albania to Address Political Pressure on Judiciary A leaked internal document from the Council of the European Union voices disquiet over 'undue pressure' on justice system and warns that Albania will not be able to close any accession chapters until ...

Balkan Insight on EU accession of AL: “Progress in the Fundamentals cluster will determine the overall pace of negotiations,” the document warns. “As foreseen by the Negotiating Framework, no chapter can be closed before Albania achieves this objective,” it adds.

balkaninsight.com/2025/06/18/e...

A new coordinated round of slander against environmental NGOs all over the German press. With the usual MEPs spinning the debunked story on EC "secretly funding lobby".

CDU & EPP playing dangerous game. They should read history and decide on which side of the end of democracy they want to be.

Der Anschuldigungen und Behauptungen im Welt-Artikel „Geheime Verträge – EU-Kommission bezahlte Aktivisten für Klimalobbyismus“ wurden bereits an anderer Stelle widerlegt und halten einem Faktencheck nicht stand.
@bund.net

How do #beaver activities modify #aquatic invertebrate communities? We published a first comprehensive quantification based on 188 habitat-specific invertebrate samples that yielded more than 82,000 individuals. One of our more important papers. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

UK in talks to send failed asylum seekers abroad Sir Keir Starmer wants to send asylum seekers overseas after their claims have been rejected in the UK.

Na toll: Die zwischen Italien und Albanien vereinbarte Auslagerung von Asylverfahren soll Schule machen: „The UK is in talks with other countries to set up overseas ‚return hubs’ for failed asylum seekers, Keir Starmer has said on his visit to Albania“ www.bbc.com/news/article...

Dear @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu, the #MFF must invest into #nature + climate. To make society resilient against droughts & floods. Please propose a dedicated fund to #RestoreNature + ramp-up #LIFE! cc @cesarluena.bsky.social @teresaribera.ec.europa.eu @arielbrunner.bsky.social @euronatur.bsky.social

Wahlsieg von Rama in Albanien: Machterhalt mit unlauteren Mitteln? Albaniens Premier Rama steht eine vierte Amtszeit bevor. Seine Sozialistische Partei erlangte bei der Parlamentswahl die absolute Mehrheit. Dass die Wahl fair ablief, bezweifelt nicht nur die Oppositi...

OSZE sieht ungleiche Bedingungen bei Wahl in #Albanien: Kritik kommt auch von den Wahlbeobachtern der Organisation für Sicherheit und Zusammenarbeit in Europa, OSZE. Ihnen zufolge waren die Bedingungen nicht für alle Parteien gleich.

www.tagesschau.de/ausland/euro...

Edi Rama steuert mit unmöglichen Versprechen auf vierte Amtszeit als Albaniens Premier zu Nach seinen Vorstellungen wird sein Land schon in fünf Jahren Mitglied der EU sein – dabei ist bisher kein einziges Verhandlungskapitel abgeschlossen

Der Politikanalyst über den albanischen Premier Rama: Tatsächlich ist seine Sprache oft grob, er agiert theatralisch-autoritär wie ein altmodischer Pascha. "In der EU ist man fasziniert von ihm, weil man ihn nicht kennt", meint Beqa.

www.derstandard.at/story/300000...

When nature meets concrete: The high price of Vlora Airport - Citizens.al In Akërni, Vlorë, between the Vjosa estuary and the Narta lagoon, where the sounds of nature intersect with the migratory routes of birds, two planes landed today. For more than two years, the confron...

The case of Vlora airport construction is not only a case of unresponsible destruction of nature, but also a case of violation of #RuleOfLaw. Envi groups are challenging the construction in front of the court since 2,5 years, but still no substantial decision.

citizens.al/en/2025/05/0...

Just a big show: The first aeroplane has landed at #Vlora Airport in #Albania. What’s happening on the ground: a chaotic development built inside a protected area with a myriad of safety concerns and the reckless destruction of natural habitats. Read more: www.euronatur.org/en/what-we-d...

‘Third Parties’: Albanian Election Campaign Marred by Online Scheming Anonymous profiles, a lack of financial transparency, and the unethical use of AI threaten to undermine the integrity of Albania’s May 11 election, BIRN has found.

Anonymous social media accounts, a lack of financial transparency and the unethical use of AI could have an impact on voter opinion ahead of Albania’s May 11 parliamentary election, BIRN has found.

balkaninsight.com/2025/05/08/t...

"No flights to Nartë", protests against Vlora Airport return - Citizens.al Environmental activists and citizens protested today in front of the High Court over the delay in the legal process regarding the Vlora Airport. For more than a year, this court has not issued a decis...

> 1 year, the Albanian Supreme Court has not issued a decision to return the case challenging the construction of Vlora airport to the Appeal Court. According to activists this delay has favored the continuation of works in the protected area.
@thomaswaitz.bsky.social
citizens.al/en/2025/05/0...

🚨 LIVE FROM STRASBOURG-GOOD NEWS!

The European Parliament ends the ‘scandal that wasn’t’!
Today, MEPs made it clear: funding for NGOs under the EU’s LIFE programme is legal, transparent, and essential to a healthy democracy.

Commission's nature credit push faces economic and political hurdles - Euractiv Finance experts say there is currently “no demand” for biodiversity credits.

Thomas Freisinger of @euronatur.bsky.social states regarding biodiversity funding: nature markets might have the function to hide the fact that the future outlook for biodiversity is very negative. #MFF

@sabienleemans.bsky.social

www.euractiv.com/section/agri...

Albanian Ex-Negotiator Says PM’s Pledge of EU Accession in 2030 ‘Delusional’ In an interview with BIRN, Zef Mazi, Albania’s former chief negotiator with the EU, poured cold water on Prime Minister Edi Rama’s election promise of EU accession by 2030.

Clear messages by Zef Mazi:
“EU integration is not a party issue, but a country issue. When a country becomes a member state, the name plate does not read ‘Socialist Party’ or ‘Democratic Party’, but the name of the country. The rest is PR and campaigning.”

balkaninsight.com/2025/05/06/a...

Die Bundesregierung muss gegen die Angriffe des US—Außenministers Marco Rubio auf die Legitimität des Verfassungsschutzes und gegen seine infame Etikettierung der Bundesrepublik als “Tyrannei“ öffentlich Protest einlegen.
Eine Einbestellung des US-Botschafters wäre ein Beginn.