Prime Minister of Albania
The Prime Minister of Albania (Albanian: Kryeministri i Shqipërisë), officially styled Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania (Albanian: Kryeministri i Republikës së Shqipërisë), is the head of government of the Republic of Albania and the most powerful and influential person in Albanian politics. The prime minister holds the executive power of the nation and represents the Council of Ministers and chairs its meetings.
Prime Minister of Albania | |
---|---|
Kryeministri i Shqipërisë | |
Incumbent Edi Rama since 13 September 2013 | |
Style | His Excellency (diplomatic) |
Member of | Council of Ministers |
Residence | Kryeministria |
Appointer | President of the Republic of Albania |
Term length | Four years, renewable |
Formation | 29 November 1912 |
First holder | Ismail Qemali |
Salary | 228,730 lek monthly[1] |
Website | kryeministria |
Politics of Albania |
---|
Albania • Politics portal |
The prime minister is appointed by the president of Albania after each general election and must have the confidence of the Parliament of Albania to stay in office. The Council is responsible for carrying out both foreign and domestic policies. It directs and controls the activities of the ministries and other state organs. The prime minister is elected on the basis of universal suffrage, through a secret ballot, for a four-year term. The Constitution of Albania sets no limit as to office terms of the prime minister.
The 33rd and current officeholder is Edi Rama of the Socialist Party who was elected on 23 June 2013 and started his first four-year-term on 13 September 2013.
Powers, duties and responsibilities
The prime minister of the Albania, officially styled Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania, is the most powerful and influential state officeholder in the Albanian system of government.
One important role of the president is to designate a candidate for the office of prime minister who, in the opinion of the president, is best able to command a majority of the members of the Parliament.[2] As head of government, the prime minister is charged with directing the internal policy of the country and leads the public administration. In this regard, the government cooperates with other interested social actors. If the prime minister is temporarily absent or incapable of exercising its executive power, the deputy prime minister takes over his functions, such as chairing the cabinet and the council of ministers.
The Constitution states that the prime minister represents the council of ministers and chairs its meetings,[3] outlines and presents the principal general policies of the state and is responsible for them, assures the implementation of legislation and policies approved by the Council of Ministers, coordinates and supervises the work of the members of the Council of Ministers and other institutions of the central state administration, performs other duties contemplated in the Constitution and laws, resolves disagreements among ministers, and issues orders in the exercise of his powers.[4] The prime minister can also initiate a proceeding of the Constitutional Court of Albania.[5]
Oath
Before assuming duty, the prime minister-elect is required to take an oath of office before the President, swearing loyalty to the Constitution. The text of the oath in its Albanian form is sensitive to gender and all nouns always retain a neutral form. The prime minister-elect takes the following oath of office, specified by the Constitution:[6][7]
Albanian: Betohem se do t’i bindem Kushtetutës dhe ligjeve të vendit, do të respektoj të drejtat dhe liritë e shtetasve, do të mbroj pavarësinë e Republikës së Shqipërisë dhe do t’i shërbej interesit të përgjithshëm dhe përparimit të Popullit Shqiptar. (The President may add:) Zoti më ndihmoftë!
I swear that I will obey to the Constitution and laws of the country, that I will respect the rights and freedoms of citizens, protect the independence of the Republic of Albania, and I will serve the general interest and the progress of the Albanian People. (The President may add:) God help me! (optative)
Office and residence
The Prime Minister's Office (Albanian: Kryeministria) is the official office and residence of the prime minister. It provides secretarial assistance to the prime minister. The prime minister through his office coordinates with all ministers in the central union cabinet, minister of independent charges and governors and ministers of state government. Furthermore informal meetings between the prime minister and other government or foreign officials takes place in the Office. It also consists of the immediate staff of the prime minister of Albania, as well as multiple levels of support staff reporting to the prime minister. Since 1941, the building serves as the office and residence of the prime minister. The building is in the capital city of Tirana at the Dëshmorët e Kombit Boulevard, near the Mother Teresa Square.
The building was planned by the Italian architects Florestano Di Fausto and Gherardo Bosio, and constructed together with the Dëshmorët e Kombit Boulevard, the Mother Teresa Square and all the buildings located on these squares, during the Italian occupation of Albania in 1939 to 1941, in a Rationalist style.
List of prime ministers (1912–present)
No. | Portrait | Name | Term in office | Government | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Albania (1912–1914)[8] | |||||||
1st | Ismail Qemali (1844–1919) |
4 December 1912 | 22 January 1914 | Provisional Government | |||
1 year, 49 days | |||||||
— | International Control Commission | 22 January 1914 | 7 March 1914 | Members | |||
54 days | |||||||
Principality of Albania (1914–1925) | |||||||
2nd | Turhan Pasha Përmeti (1846–1927) |
14 March 1914 | 3 September 1914 | Përmeti Governments (I and II) | |||
173 days | |||||||
3rd | Esad Toptani (1863–1920) |
5 October 1914 | 27 January 1916 | Toptani Government | |||
1 year, 114 days | |||||||
Austro-Hungarian Command (23 January 1916 – 30 October 1918) | |||||||
— | Turhan Pasha Përmeti (1846–1927) |
25 December 1918 | 29 January 1920 | Përmeti III Government | |||
1 year, 35 days | |||||||
4th | Sulejman Delvina (1884–1933) |
30 January 1920 | 14 November 1920 | Delvina Government | |||
289 days | |||||||
5th | Ilias Vrioni (1882–1932) |
15 November 1920 | 16 October 1921 | Vrioni Governments (I and II) | |||
335 days | |||||||
6th | Pandeli Evangjeli (1859–1949) |
16 October 1921 | 6 December 1921 | Evangjeli I Government | |||
51 days | |||||||
7th | Qazim Koculi Acting Prime Minister (1887–1943) |
6 December 1921 | 6 December 1921 | Koculi Government | |||
0 days | |||||||
8th | Hasan Prishtina (1873–1933) |
7 December 1921 | 12 December 1921 | Prishtina Government | |||
5 days | |||||||
9th | Idhomen Kosturi Acting Prime Minister (1873–1943) |
12 December 1921 | 24 December 1921 | Kosturi Government | |||
12 days | |||||||
10th | Xhafer Ypi (1880–1940) |
24 December 1921 | 2 December 1922 | Ypi Government | |||
343 days | |||||||
11th | Ahmet Zogu (1895–1961) |
2 December 1922 | 25 February 1924 | Zogu I Government | |||
1 year, 85 days | |||||||
12th | Shefqet Vërlaci (1877–1946) |
3 March 1924 | 27 May 1924 | Vërlaci Government | |||
85 days | |||||||
— | Ilias Vrioni (1882–1932) |
30 May 1924 | 10 June 1924 | Vrioni III Government | |||
11 days | |||||||
13th | Fan Noli (1882–1965) |
16 June 1924 | 24 December 1924 | Noli Government | |||
191 days | |||||||
— | Ahmet Zogu (1895–1961) |
6 January 1925 | 31 January 1925 | Zogu II Government | |||
260 days | |||||||
During the period of the Republic, the role of the prime minister was exercised by the Minister of Justice.[lower-alpha 1] (1 February 1925 – 1 September 1928) | |||||||
Albanian Kingdom (1928–1939) | |||||||
14th | Kostaq Kotta (1886–1947) |
5 September 1928 | 5 March 1930 | Kotta I Government | |||
1 year, 181 days | |||||||
— | Pandeli Evangjeli (1859–1949) |
6 March 1930 | 16 October 1935 | Evangjeli Governments (II, III and IV) | |||
5 years, 224 days | |||||||
15th | Mehdi Frashëri (1872–1963) |
21 October 1935 | 7 November 1936 | Frashëri Government | |||
1 year, 17 days | |||||||
— | Kostaq Kotta (1886–1947) |
9 November 1936 | 7 April 1939 | Kotta II Government | |||
2 years, 149 days | |||||||
Interim Administrative Committee (8 April 1939 – 12 April 1939) | |||||||
Italian protectorate of Albania (1939–1943) | |||||||
— | Shefqet Vërlaci (1877–1946) |
12 April 1939 | 3 December 1941 | Vërlaci II Government | |||
2 years, 235 days | |||||||
16th | Mustafa Merlika-Kruja (1887–1958) |
3 December 1941 | 4 January 1943 | Merlika-Kruja Government | |||
1 year, 32 days | |||||||
17th | Ekrem Libohova (1882–1948) |
18 January 1943 | 11 February 1943 | Libohova I Government | |||
24 days | |||||||
18th | Maliq Bushati (1880–1946) |
12 February 1943 | 28 April 1943 | Bushati Government | |||
75 days | |||||||
— | Ekrem Libohova (1882–1948) |
11 May 1943 | 12 September 1943 | Libohova II Government | |||
124 days | |||||||
German occupation of Albania (1943–1944) | |||||||
Interim Executive Committee (14 September 1943 – 4 November 1943) | |||||||
19th | Rexhep Mitrovica (1887–1967) |
5 November 1943 | 16 June 1944 | Mitrovica Government | |||
224 days | |||||||
20th | Fiqri Dine (1897–1960) |
18 July 1944 | 28 August 1944[9] | Dine Government | |||
41 days | |||||||
21st | Ibrahim Biçakçiu (1905–1977) |
6 September 1944 | 25 October 1944 | Biçaku Government | |||
49 days | |||||||
People's Socialist Republic of Albania (1944–1991) | |||||||
22nd | Enver Hoxha (1908–1985) |
23 October 1944 | 19 July 1954 | Hoxha Governments (I, II and III) | |||
9 years, 269 days | |||||||
23rd | Mehmet Shehu (1913–1981) |
20 July 1954 | 18 December 1981 | Shehu Governments (I, II, III, IV, V, VI and VII) | |||
27 years, 151 days | |||||||
24th | Adil Çarçani (1922–1997) |
18 December 1981 | 21 February 1991 | Çarçani Governments (I, II and III) | |||
9 years, 65 days | |||||||
Republic of Albania (1991–present) | |||||||
25th | Fatos Nano (born 1952) |
22 February 1991 | 4 June 1991 | Nano Governments (I and II) | |||
102 days | |||||||
26th | Ylli Bufi (born 1948) |
11 June 1991 | 6 December 1991 | Government of Stability | |||
178 days | |||||||
27th | Vilson Ahmeti (born 1951) |
18 December 1991 | 13 April 1992 | Ahmeti Government | |||
117 days | |||||||
28th | Aleksandër Meksi (born 1939) |
13 April 1992 | 1 March 1997 | Meksi Governments (I and II) | |||
4 years, 322 days | |||||||
29th | Bashkim Fino (1962–2021) |
11 March 1997 | 24 July 1997 | Fino Government | |||
135 days | |||||||
— | Fatos Nano (born 1952) |
25 July 1997 | 28 September 1998 | Nano III Government | |||
1 year, 65 days | |||||||
30th | Pandeli Majko (born 1967) |
2 October 1998 | 25 October 1999 | Majko I Government | |||
1 year, 23 days | |||||||
31st | Ilir Meta (born 1969) |
28 October 1999 | 29 January 2002 | Meta Governments (I and II) | |||
2 years, 93 days | |||||||
— | Pandeli Majko (born 1967) |
22 February 2002 | 25 July 2002 | Majko II Government | |||
153 days | |||||||
— | Fatos Nano (born 1952) |
29 July 2002 | 10 September 2005 | Nano IV Government | |||
3 years, 43 days | |||||||
32nd | Sali Berisha (born 1944) |
11 September 2005 | 11 September 2013 | Berisha Governments (I and II) | |||
8 years, 0 days | |||||||
33rd | Edi Rama (born 1964) |
13 September 2013 | Incumbent | Rama Governments (I, II and III) | |||
9 years, 53 days | |||||||
See also
- List of Albanian monarchs
- List of heads of state of Albania
- Deputy Prime Minister of Albania
Notes
- Ministers of Justice during that time were Petro Poga, Milto Tutulani, Josif Kedhi, Petro Poga (again), Ilias Vrioni and Hiqmet Delvina.
References
- Halili, Eduart (23 December 2021). "Govt Salaries Made Public through Data Leak". Albanian Daily News. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- "1998 CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA". osce.org. p. 19.
At the beginning of a legislature, as well as when the position of Prime Minister is vacant, the President of the Republic appoints the Prime Minister on the proposal of the party or coalition of parties that has the majority of seats in the Assembly.
- "1998 CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA". osce.org. p. 20.
represents the Council of Ministers and chairs its meetings;
- Article 102, Section 1-3 of the Constitution of Albania (22 November 1998)
- Article 134, Section 1(b) of the Constitution of Albania (22 November 1998)
- "1998 CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA". osce.org. p. 19.
Before taking office, the Prime Minister, the deputy prime minister, and the ministers take an oath before the President of the Republic.
- "KUSHTETUTA E REPUBLIKËS SË SHQIPËRISË" (PDF). wipo.int (in Albanian).
Betohem se do t'i bindem Kushtetutes dhe ligjeve te vendit, do te respektoj te drejtat dhe lirite e shtetasve, do te mbroj pavaresine e Republikes se Shqiperise dhe do t'i sherbej interesit te pergjithshem dhe perparimit te Popullit Shqiptar". Presidenti mund te shtoje edhe: "zoti me ndihmofte
- Dervishi, Kastriot (2012). Kryeministrat dhe ministrat e shtetit shqiptar në 100 vjet. Tiranë: Shtëpia Botuese "55". p. 273. ISBN 978-9994356225. OCLC 861296248.
- Pearson, Owen (2005). Albania in Occupation and War: From Fascism to Communism, 1940-1945. London: The Centre for Albanian Studies. p. 1982. ISBN 1-84511-014-5.