Albania

Albania, 1991 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed

Albania, officially the Republic of Albania, is a country in Southeastern Europe. Albania declared independence in 1912, followed by a turbulent 20th century marked by monarchy, foreign occupation during both World Wars, and a communist regime under Enver Hoxha. Since its independence in 1912, Albania has undergone many political changes, transitioning from a monarchy to a communist regime before becoming a sovereign parliamentary constitutional republic. The country is an official candidate for membership in the European Union and has been negotiating accession since 2022.

Seat of power: Tirana

Rulers

Ramiz Alia

President of Albania, 1991–1992

Ramiz Alia was the second and last leader of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania from 1985 to 1991, serving as First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania. He was also the country's head of state from 1982 to 1992. He had been seen as a successor by Enver Hoxha and took power after Hoxha died.

Portrait of Ramiz Alia: Albanian State, Public domain, file

Sali Berisha

President of Albania, 1992–1997

Sali Berisha served as the President of Albania from 1992 to 1997. After the 1992 elections, Berisha was elected president on 9 April 1992, the first non-Communist head of state in 53 years. He later served as the 32nd prime minister of Albania from 2005 to 2013.

Portrait of Sali Berisha: More pictures and videos: [email protected], CC BY 2.0, file

Pjetër Arbnori

President of Albania, 1992–1992

Pjetër Arbnori was an Albanian politician and dissident of the communist regime in Albania. He was dubbed the Mandela of the Balkans by Albanian statesmen because of the length of his 28-year internment.

Kastriot Islami

President of Albania, 1992–1992

Kastriot Islami was Chairman of the Parliament of Albania from April 17, 1991 to April 6, 1992. On April 3, 1992, when the last communist president, Ramiz Alia resigned, Islami served as acting president for three days.

Portrait of Kastriot Islami: European Commission / Ezequiel Scagnetti, CC BY 4.0, file

Rexhep Meidani

President of Albania, 1997–2002

Rexhep Meidani was the president of Albania from 1997 to 2002, and the second to be elected after the first multi-party elections in 1991. He assumed the role of the chair of the Central Election Commission during the inaugural multiparty elections in 1991 and was a member of the Presidential Council in the same year.

Portrait of Rexhep Meidani: president.bg, CC BY 2.5 bg, file

Skënder Gjinushi

President of Albania, 1997–1997

Skënder Gjinushi is an Albanian politician and academic who founded the Social Democratic Party of Albania in 1991. He served as Speaker of Parliament from 1997 to 2001.

Alfred Moisiu

President of Albania, 2002–2007

Alfred Moisiu served as the president of Albania from 2002 to 2007. He is an Albanian military general, diplomat and politician. From 1981 he was Deputy Minister of Defense.

Portrait of Alfred Moisiu: Borusiewicz_and_Moisiu.jpg: PolishSenate derivative work: eagleal, CC BY-SA 3.0, file

Bamir Topi

President of Albania, 2007–2012

Bamir Topi served as President of Albania from 2007 to 2012. Topi was the honorary president of the Albanian football club KF Tirana from 2005 to 2007.

Portrait of Bamir Topi: Lorenza e Vincenzo Iaconianni, CC BY-SA 3.0, file

Bujar Nishani

President of Albania, 2012–2017

Bujar Nishani served as President of Albania from 2012 to 2017. Nishani was the youngest person to have been chosen as president of Albania, taking office at the age of 47. He served as Minister of Internal Affairs from 2007 to 2009, and again between 2011 and 2012, as well as Minister of Justice from 2009 to 2011.

Portrait of Bujar Nishani: Alain Rolland / European Commission, CC BY 4.0, file

Ilir Meta

President of Albania, 2017–2022

Ilir Meta served as President of Albania from 2017 to 2022. Previously Meta served as Prime Minister from 1999 to 2002 and he was Speaker of the Parliament of Albania from 2013 to 2017. He founded the Socialist Movement for Integration in 2004.

Portrait of Ilir Meta: Malton Dibra / European Commission, CC BY 4.0, file

Bajram Begaj

President of Albania, 2022 to today

Bajram Begaj is an Albanian politician and military officer serving as president of Albania since 2022. Prior to his election as president, he served as the 26th Chief of General Staff of the Albanian Armed Forces from July 2020 to June 2022.

Portrait of Bajram Begaj: Quirinale, Attribution, file

Culture

Tirana was founded in 1614 by Ottoman Albanian nobleman Sylejman Pasha Bargjini, centered on the Old Mosque and türbe.
Tirana was fairly unimportant until the 20th century, when the Congress of Lushnjë proclaimed it as Albania's capital.
In the 15th century, Albania became a center of resistance against Ottoman expansion under the leadership of Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg, whose military campaigns repelled Ottoman advances for over two decades.

Picture

Tirana is the capital and largest city of Albania, located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills.

Image: Photo: Chris Walts, CC BY-SA 2.0, file

Sources

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.