Publishing soon: Tirana Observatory – Winter 2026: Strategic Perspectives and Migration at Europe’s Periphery

Tirana, February 2026 – The Albanian Institute for International Studies (AIIS) announces the publication of the Winter 2026 issue of Tirana Observatory (Vol. 8, No. 1), with a clear editorial focus on two core pillars of the journal: strategic perspectives on foreign policy and governance, and in-depth analysis of migration at Europe’s periphery.

 

PERSPECTIVE: STRATEGY, SECURITY, AND DEMOCRATIC FRAGILITY

The Perspective section offers high-level analysis on Albania’s strategic positioning, institutional resilience, and international alignments:

  • From Staunch Enemy to Strategic Partner: Albanian–American Relations in Transition, by Albert Rakipi, examines the evolution of bilateral relations amid changing U.S. global priorities and renewed security competition.
  • Albania: Between Reform Dynamics and Democratic Fragility, by Elez Biberaj, provides a critical assessment of governance, institutional reform, and the risks of democratic backsliding.
  • How a Balkan Wind Farm Aids U.S. National Security, by David J. Kostelancik, links energy infrastructure in the Western Balkans to transatlantic security and strategic resilience.
  • Remembering Janusz Bugajski, a tribute recognizing his lasting contribution to the understanding of Eastern Europe, democracy, and geopolitics.

Together, these essays frame Albania not as a marginal case, but as a strategic testing ground for Western policy, democratic credibility, and regional stability.

 

IN-DEPTH: MIGRATION AT EUROPE’S PERIPHERY

The In-Depth section constitutes the analytical core of the Winter 2026 issue, focusing explicitly on migration as a structural, demographic, and geopolitical phenomenon shaping Albania, the Western Balkans, and the European Union.

 

KEY CONTRIBUTIONS INCLUDE

  • Globalization, Deglobalization, and Slowbalization, by Mirela Bogdani and John Loughlin, examines the structural transformation of the global order, tracing the shift from hyper-globalization to fragmented and slower forms of economic, political, and institutional integration, with implications for states, regions, and governance
  • The Third Wave: Albania’s Massive Out-Migration, by Andi Balla, documenting the scale, drivers, and long-term consequences of demographic decline for the Albanian state and economy.
  • Migration from Kosovo: Historical Legacies and Asymmetric Integration into European Labor Markets, by Sylë Ukshini, analyzing unequal patterns of labor absorption and mobility.
  • The Western Balkans, the EU, and Today’s Geopolitical and Migratory Challenges, by Begoña Ochoa de Olza Amat, linking migration governance to EU enlargement fatigue and strategic credibility.

This section treats migration not as a temporary or cyclical trend, but as a systemic process reshaping Europe’s periphery and exposing the limits of existing European and national policy responses.