Ramiz Alia
1st President of Albania
In office 30 April 1991 – 9 April 1992
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Sali Berisha
First Secretary of the Party of Labor of Albania
In office 13 April 1985 – 4 May 1991
Preceded by	Enver Hoxha
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Personal details
Born	(1925-10-18)18 October 1925 Shkodër, Albanian Republic (now Albania)
Died	7 October 2011(2011-10-07) (aged 85) Tirana, Albania
Nationality	Albanian
Political party	Party of Labour of Albania (1961–1992) Socialist Party of Albania (1992–2011)
Spouse(s)	Semiramis Alia (1928–1986)

 Ramiz Tafë Alia (help·info) (18 October 1925 – 7 October 2011) was the second and last communist leader of Albania from 1985 to 1991, and the President of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania from 1991 to 1992, and also the first President of the post communist Albania elected in 1991–92. He had been designated as successor by Enver Hoxha and took power after Hoxha died. Alia died on 7 October 2011 in Tirana due to lung disease, aged 85.^[1]

Early life and politics[link]

Alia was born in 1925. In the early part of World War II he was a member of a Fascist youth organization but joined the underground Albanian Communist Youth Organization in 1941.^[2][3] In 1943, he became member of the Albanian Communist Party.^[3] He had risen rapidly under Hoxha's patronage and by 1961 was a full member of the ruling Political Bureau (Politburo of the Party of Labour of Albania).^{[citation needed]}

Hoxha chose Alia for several reasons. First, Alia had long been a militant follower of Marxism-Leninism and supported Hoxha's policy of national self-reliance. Alia also was favored by Hoxha's wife Nexhmije, who had once been his instructor at the Institute of Marxism-Leninism. His political experience was similar to that of Hoxha; and inasmuch as he appeared to share Hoxha's views on most foreign and domestic issues, he accommodated himself to the totalitarian mode of ruling.^{[citation needed]}

Political career[link]

First Secretary of the Albanian Labor Party[link]

After World War II, Alia resumed his duties in the Communist Youth Organization, and at the First Congress of the Albanian Party of Labor in November 1948, he was elected to its Central Committee and was assigned in the department of agitation and propaganda.^[2] When he succeeded Hoxha in 1985, the country was in grave difficulty. Political apathy and cynicism were pervasive, with large segments of the population having rejected the government's values. The economy, which suffered from low productivity and permanent shortages of the most basic foodstuffs, showed no sign of improvement. Social controls and self-discipline had eroded. The intelligentsia was beginning to resist strict party controls and to criticize the government's failure to observe international standards of human rights. Apparently recognizing the depth and extent of the societal malaise, Alia cautiously and slowly began to make changes in the system. His first target was the economic system. In an effort to improve economic efficiency, Alia introduced some economic decentralization and price reform in specific sectors.^{[citation needed]}

Alia did not relax censorship, but he did allow public discussions of Albania's societal problems and encouraged debates among writers and artists on cultural issues. In response to international criticism of Albania's record on human rights, the new leadership loosened some political controls and ceased to apply repression on a mass scale. In 1989, general amnesties brought about the release of many long-term prisoners. He strengthened ties with Greece, Italy, Turkey, and Yugoslavia. A loosening of restrictions on travel and tourism resulted in a more promising outlook for Albania's tourist trade.^{[citation needed]}

Transition to multi-party system and presidency[link]

Despite Alia's efforts to proceed with change on a limited, cautious basis, reform from above threatened to turn into reform from below, largely because of the increasingly vocal demands of Albania's youth. On 9 December 1990, student demonstrators marched from the Enver Hoxha University (now University of Tirana) at Tirana through the streets of the capital shouting slogans and demanding a reforms. By December 11, the number of participants had reached almost 3,000. In an effort to quell the student unrest, which had led to clashes with riot police, Alia met with the students and agreed to take further steps toward democratization. The students informed Alia that they wanted to create an independent political organization of students and youth. Alia's response was that such an organization had to be registered with the Ministry of Justice.^{[citation needed]}

In his traditional New Year's message to the Albanian people, Alia welcomed the changes that had been occurring in the country and claimed that 1991 would be a turning point in terms of the economy. Despite positive signs of change, many Albanians were still trying to leave their country. At the end of 1990, as many as 5,000 Albanians crossed over the mountainous border into Greece. Young people motivated by economic dissatisfaction made up the bulk of the refugees.^{[citation needed]}

Alia was a crucial figure in the peaceful political transition of the early 1990s as many believe that he helped rise to power the anti communist opposition forces thus eliminating a possible bloodshed.

Alia managed to remain a key political figure throughout several political crises. Nonetheless, with Albania in the throes of a grave economic crisis, Alia had to face challenges that he could not surmount. After the collapse of a coalition government in December 1991 and the Democratic Party of Albania's (DPA) landslide victory in the spring 1992 general election, he resigned as president on 3 April 1992.^[2] On 9 April the People's Assembly elected DPA leader Sali Berisha as Albania's new head of state.

Arrest[link]

On 21 May 1994, senior officials from the communist regime, including Ramiz Alia, went to trial. Alia was charged with abuse of power and misappropriation of state funds, as was Adil Carçani, the former prime minister, Manush Myftiu, his deputy, and Rito Marko, a former vice-president.

Alia had been placed under house arrest in August 1992 and his detention was converted into imprisonment in August 1993.^[2] In court he claimed he was the victim of a political show trial and demanded that the trial be broadcast on television, a request denied by the presiding judge. The trial was monitored by a Human Rights Watch/Helsinki representative and proceeded with only minor due process irregularities. The ten defendants were found guilty as charged and sentenced to between three and nine years in prison; Alia received a nine-year sentence.

A court of appeals subsequently reduced some of the sentences, notably Alia's to five years. Alia, Myftiu, Carçani, Stefani and Isai were also ordered to repay various sums to the state. On 30 November, the Court of Cassation reduced Alia's term by an additional three years. On 7 July 1995, Ramiz Alia was freed from jail. However, his freedom was short-lived and in 1996 he was charged with committing crimes against humanity during his term, and was imprisoned anew in March. The trial against him began on 18 February 1997, but he escaped from the prison following the unrest in the country and the desertion of the guards.^[2] Amid the unrest he appeared on State TV in an exclusive interview with Blendi Fevziu. In the late 2000s he was seen traveling seldom to Albania from Dubai by giving interviews or publishing personal books.^[4]

Death[link]

Ramiz Alia died on 7 October 2011 in Tiranë from lung disease, shortly before his 86th birthday, according to a spokesman for President Bamir Topi.^[1]

See also[link]

• List of Presidents of Albania.

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Alia, Ramiz. Jeta ime: Kujtime, Tirana, Toena: 2010

Sources[link]

• Political Parties in Albania 1912-2006, Afrim Krasniqi, Tirana, 2007/a

External links[link]

• Country Studies On-Line at the Library of Congress

v t e Heads of State of Albania Provisional Government of Albania (1912-1914) Qemali · Alizoti Principality of Albania (1914-1925) Prince William · Toptani · none (1916-1918) · Përmeti · Delvina · High Council of Regency · Noli* Albanian Republic (1925-1928), President Zogu Albanian Kingdom (1928-1939), King Zog I Italian Occupation (1939-1943) Victor Emmanuel III German Occupation (1943-1944) Frashëri  · Frashëri Communist Albania (1944-1991) Nishani  · Lleshi  · Alia Republic of Albania (since 1991) Alia · Islami* · Arbnori* · Berisha · Gjinushi* · Meidani · Moisiu · Topi * Acting head of state

Ismail Kadare
Born	(1936-01-28) 28 January 1936 (age 76) Gjirokastër, Albania
Occupation	Novelist, Poet
Nationality	Albanian
Period	1954 – present
Literary movement	Postmodern literature
Notable work(s)	The General of the Dead Army 1963 The Castle 1970 Chronicle in Stone 1971) Broken April 1978 [1][1][2] The Three-Arched Bridge 1978 The Palace of Dreams 1981 The Concert 1988 The File on H 1990 The Pyramid 1992[3]
Notable award(s)	Prix mondial Cino Del Duca 1992 Man Booker International Prize 2005 Prince of Asturias Awards 2009
Influences Franz Kafka, Thomas Mann, Albert Camus, Italo Calvino, Vladimir Nabokov, Nikolai Gogol, Ernest Hemingway

Ismail Kadare (Ismail Kadaré in French) (born 1936) is an Albanian writer. He is known for his novels, although he was first noticed for his poetry collections. He has been a leading literary figure in his own country since the 1960s. In the 1960s he focused on short stories until the publication of his first novel, The General of the Dead Army. In 1996 he became a lifetime member of the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences of France. In 1992, he was awarded the Prix mondial Cino Del Duca; in 2005, he won the inaugural Man Booker International Prize and in 2009 the Prince of Asturias Award of Arts. He has divided his time between Albania and France since 1990. Kadare has been a Nobel Prize in Literature candidate several times. He began writing very young, in the mid 1950s. His works have been published in about thirty languages.

Biography[link]

Ismail Kadare was born on 28 January 1936 in Gjirokastër, Albania in a non-religious family. His father worked in the civil service. He attended primary and secondary schools in Gjirokastër and he studied languages and literature at the Faculty of History and Philology of the University of Tirana. In 1956 Kadare received a teacher's diploma. He also studied at the Maxim Gorky Literature Institute in Moscow.

Kadare served as a member of the Albanian parliament during Enver Hoxha's totalitarian regime from 1970 until 1982 and was permitted to travel and publish abroad.^[4]

After offending the authorities with a politically satirical poem in 1975, he was forbidden to publish for three years. In 1982 Kadare was accused by the president of the League of Albanian Writers and Artists of deliberately evading politics by cloaking much of his fiction in history and folklore

In 1990, Kadare claimed political asylum in France, issuing statements in favour of democratisation. At that time, he stated that "dictatorship and authentic literature are incompatible. The writer is the natural enemy of dictatorship."

Critical opinion is divided as to whether Kadare should be considered to have been a dissident or a conformist during the Communist period.^[1] For his part, Kadare has stated that he had never claimed to be an "Albanian Solzhenitsyn" or a dissident, and that "dissidence was a position no one could occupy [in Enver Hoxha's Albania], even for a few days, without facing the firing squad. On the other hand, my books themselves constitute a very obvious form of resistance."^[5] Referring to The Great Winter (1977), a novel in which he portrayed Enver Hoxha in a flattering light, Kadare said the book was "the price he had to pay for his freedom".^[6]

He is married to Helena Kadare (née Gushi) and has two daughters.

Literary themes[link]

Kadare's novels draw on legends surrounding the historical experience of the Balkan peoples, the representation of classical myths in modern contexts, and the totalitarian regime experiment in Albania. They are obliquely ironic as a result of trying to withstand political scrutiny. Among his best known books are Chronicle in Stone (1977), Broken April (1978),^[1][2] The Palace of Dreams (1980) and The Concert (1988), considered the best novel of the year 1991 by the French literary magazine Lire.^[7]

La Pyramide (1992), written in French, was set in Egypt in the 26th century B.C. and after. In it, Kadare mocked Hoxha's fondness for elaborate statutes, the pyramid form also reflecting any dictators love for hierarchy. The Accident (2010) was a multi-layered novel about two lovers, whose death launches an investigation not only of their relationship, but also of Balkan politics.

Recognition[link]

Kadare's works have been published in over forty countries and translated in over thirty languages. In English, his works have usually appeared as secondary translations from their French editions, often rendered by the scholar David Bellos.^[8]

In 1996 he became a lifetime member of the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences of France, where he replaced the philosopher Karl Popper. In 1992, he was awarded the Prix mondial Cino Del Duca, in 2005 he received the inaugural Man Booker International Prize. In 2009, Kadare was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for Literature.^[9] In the same year he was awarded an Honorary Degree of Science in Social and Institutional Communication by the University of Palermo in Sicily. He has been a candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature several times.

The London newspaper, The Independent, said of Kadare: "He has been compared to Gogol, Kafka and Orwell. But Kadare's is an original voice, universal yet deeply rooted in his own soil."^[10]

Selected works[link]

The following Kadare novels have been translated into English (in chronological order of first publication):

• The General of the Dead Army (1963), (Albanian: Gjenerali i ushtrisë së vdekur)
• The Monster (1965) (Albanian: Përbindëshi); shortly published in 1965 in the literary Nëntori magazine, the novel was soon censored and never appeared on the libraries. It was republished only 30 years later.^[11]
• The Wedding (1968), (Albanian: Dasma)
• The Castle or The Siege (1970), (Albanian: Kështjella)
• Chronicle in Stone (1971), (Albanian: Kronikë në gur)
• The Great Winter (1977) (Albanian: Dimri i madh)
• Broken April (1978), (Albanian: Prilli i thyer)^[1][1][2]
• The Three-Arched Bridge (1978), (Albanian: Ura me tri harqe)
• On the Lay of the Knights (1979)
• Doruntine (1980), (Albanian: Kush e solli Doruntinën)
• The Autobiography of the People in Verses (1980), (Albanian: Autobiografia e popullit në vargje)
• The Palace of Dreams (1981), (Albanian: Nëpunësi i pallatit të ëndrrave)
• The Concert (1988), (Albanian: Koncert në fund të dimrit)
• The File on H (1990) (Albanian: Dosja H: roman)
• Albanian Spring (1991) (Albanian: Nga një dhjetor në tjetrin)
• The Pyramid,^[3] or La Pyramide (1992), (Albanian: Piramida)
• Three Elegies for Kosovo (1998), (Albanian: Tri këngë zie për Kosovën)
• Spring Flowers, Spring Frost (2000), (Albanian: Lulet e ftohta të marsit)
• The Successor (2003), (Albanian: Pasardhësi)
• Agamemnon's Daughter (2003), (Albanian: Vajza e Agamemnonit)
• The Accident (2010), (Albanian: Aksidenti)
• Mosmarrëveshja: Mbi raportet e Shqipërisë me vetveten. (2010)
• The Ghost Rider (2011); an updated translation of Doruntine. It has been revised to include previously omitted text.

Works published in French[link]

The complete works (except for the essays) of Ismail Kadare were published by Fayard, simultaneously in French and Albanian, between 1993 and 2004.^[12] Omitted from the list are the poetry and the short stories.

The dates of publication given here are those of the first publication in Albanian, unless stated otherwise. Kadare has often reworked his writings, and the newer editions may include significant differences from the original text.^{[citation needed]}

• Le Général de l'armée morte (1963), adapted for the cinema in 1983 with Marcello Mastroianni
• La Peau de tambour (1967, under the Albanian title La noce)
• Chronique de la ville de pierre (1970)
• Les Tambours de la pluie (1970, under the Albanian title La citadelle)
• L'Hiver de la grande solitude (1973, also published as Le Grand Hiver), deals with the break with the Soviet Union in 1960
• Novembre d'une capitale (1975)
• Le Palais des rêves (1981)
• Le Crépuscule des dieux de la steppe (1978)
• La Commission des fêtes (1978)
• Le Pont aux trois arches (1978)
• La Niche de la honte (1978)
• Avril brisé (1980)
• Qui a ramené Doruntine? (1980)
• Clair de lune (1985)
• L'Année noire (1985)
• Le cortège de la noce s'est figé dans la glace (1985), set against the background of the repression of the demonstrations in 1981 in Kosovo
• Eschyle ou le grand perdant (1985, essay)
• Concert en fin de saison (1988, also published as the Le concert), edited in 1978-1981 but censored for seven years, deals with Sino-Albanian relations in the 1970s
• Le Dossier H. (1989)
• Le Monstre (1990), a short version had already appeared in 1965, but was soon censored
• Le Firman aveugle (1991), edited in 1984
• Invitation à l'atelier de l'écrivain (1991, essay)
• La Pyramide (1992)
• La Grande Muraille (1993)
• L'Ombre (1994), edited in 1984-86, appeared in French before being published in Albanian
• L'Aigle (1995)
• Spiritus (1996)
• Le Printemps Albanais (1997)
• Trois temps (1997)
• L'albanie, Visage des Balkans (1998)
• Trois chants funèbres pour le Kosovo (1998)
• La Ville sans enseignes (1998), written much earlier and edited in Moscow in 1959
• Mauvaise saison sur l'Olympe (1998, drama)
• L'Envol du migrateur (1999), edited in 1986
• Froides fleurs d'avril (2000)
• Il a fallu ce deuil pour se retrouver (2000), diary of the war of Kosovo
• Le Chevalier au faucon (2001)
• Histoire de l'Union des Écrivains albanais telle que reflétée dans le miroir d'une femme (2001)
• La Fille d'Agamemnon (2003), edited in 1985
• Le Successeur (2003)
• Vie, jeu et mort de Lul Mazrek (2003)
• Dante l'incontournable (2006)
• Hamlet, le prince impossible (2007)
• L'Accident (2008)
• Le Dîner de trop (2009)

See also[link]

• Albanian literature
• Vepra e plote e Kadarese

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Kadare, Helena. Kohë e pamjaftueshme, Tirana: Onufri, 2011. ISBN 9789995687519 (also available in French)

External links[link]

• Biography, from 'Books and Writers', by Petri Liukkonen

v t e Albania topics Index Outline Symbols Flag Coat of arms People Language List of Albanians Albanian diaspora Kosovo refugees Albanian Americans Arbëreshë people Arvanites Writers Enver Hoxha Mother Teresa Ismail Qemali Sali Berisha Skanderbeg Ismail Kadare History Origins Praevalitana Epirus Nova Middle Ages Albania under the Bulgarian Empire Albania under the Serbian Empire Principality of Arbër Kingdom of Albania Albanian Principalities in Middle Ages League of Lezhë Venetian Albania Ottoman Albania Albanian Pashaliks Massacre of the Albanian Beys Albanian National Awakening Revolts of 1833–1839 Revolt of 1843–1844 Revolt of 1847 League of Prizren League of Peja Revolt of 1910 Battle of Deçiq Independence Declaration Independent Albania Provisional Government of Albania Albania during the Balkan Wars Principality of Albania (1914–1925) Italian protectorate over Albania Vlora War Republic of Mirdita Albanian Republic (1925–1928) Albanian Kingdom (1928–1939) Albania under Italy (Invasion Colonization) Albania under Germany Resistance Communist Albania (1946–1992) Post-Communist Albania (since 1992) Timeline Politics Constitution Heads of State Prime Minister Parliament Political parties Elections (2007) Counties Districts Municipalities Foreign relations History of Kosovo Kosovo War Corruption LGBT rights Geography Cities: Tirana Geographical regions: Northern Mountain Range Southern Mountain Range Western Lowlands Central Mountain Range Mountains: Mount Dajti Golem Korab Dinaric Alps Mount Korab Tomorri Mountain Seas: Adriatic Sea Ionian Sea Rivers: Drin River Buna River Vjosë Black Drin Lakes: Lake Skadar Lake Ohrid Lake Prespa Lagoons: Karavasta Narta Plains: Myzeqe Korçë Plain Zadrima Capes: Cape of Gjuhëz Cape of Rodon National Parks: Butrint Lura Llogara Thethi Valbona Valley Shebenik-Jabllanica Fir of Hotova Karaburun-Sazan Economy Agriculture Albanian lek International rankings of Albania Telecommunications Transport Banks Rail Transport Tourism Military Military Air Force Rapid Reaction Brigade Naval Defense Forces Joint Forces Command Support Command Culture Languages Nationalism Literature Art Cinema Costume Cuisine Emigration Music Sports Smoking Holidays Religion Television Radio Mythology Epic Poetry Religion Islam Albanian Orthodox Church Roman Catholicism Protestanism Byzantine Catholicism Categories Archaeological sites Cities Communications Culture Economy Education Geography Government History Military People Politics Politicians Religion Society Sports Transport Albania stubs Buildings and structures Category Portal WikiProject

Sali Berisha
Prime Minister of Albania
Incumbent
Assumed office 11 September 2005
President	Alfred Moisiu Bamir Topi
Deputy	Ilir Rusmali Gazmend Oketa Genc Pollo Ilir Meta Edmond Haxhinasto
Preceded by	Fatos Nano
President of Albania
In office 9 April 1992 – 24 July 1997
Prime Minister	Vilson Ahmeti Aleksandër Meksi Bashkim Fino
Preceded by	Ramiz Alia
Succeeded by	Rexhep Meidani
Personal details
Born	(1944-10-15) 15 October 1944 (age 67) Viçidol, Albania
Political party	Democratic Party
Spouse(s)	Liri Berisha
Children	2
Alma mater	University of Tirana
Religion	Islam[1]
Signature	Sali Berisha's signature

 Sali Ram Berisha (help·info), (Albanian pronunciation: [saˈli bɛˈɾiʃa]; born 15 October 1944) is an Albanian politician and incumbent prime minister since 2005. A cardiologist by profession, Berisha leads the Democratic Party of Albania (PD) and served as President of Albania from 1992 to 1997. To date, he is the longest-serving democratically-elected leader and the only President of the Republic elected to a second term.

A former secretary of the committee of the Party of Labor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Tirana, he abandoned his career as a cardiologist and university professor to become the leader of the Democratic Party in the 1990s. From 1992, after the fall of communism, he served as the President of Albania until his government collapsed in 1997 in the wake of the collapse of pyramid schemes. From 1997 to 2005, Albania was governed by the Socialist Party (PS) for two mandates, while he stayed in opposition.

In 2005, the Democratic Party won the general elections, and he became the Prime Minister after his coalition formed the new government. In 2009, he was re-elected Prime Minister, after the Democrats declared a narrow win of general elections but were forced into a coalition with the Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI) through not winning enough seats on its own for the first time since the start of multi-party democracy in 1991.

Sali Berisha is married to Liri Berisha (née Slobodanka Ramaj, daughter of Rexhep Ramaj and Milica Bulatović), a pediatrician. The couple has two children, a daughter, Argita Malltezi (née Berisha), and a son, Shkëlzen Berisha.^[2]

Early life and career[link]

Berisha was born in Viçidol, Tropojë District, Kukës County, northern Albania, near the border with Kosovo to Ram and Sheqere Berisha. He studied medicine at the University of Tirana, graduating in 1967. He specialized in cardiology and was subsequently appointed as an assistant professor of medicine at the same university and as staff cardiologist at the Tirana General Hospital. At the same time, Berisha became a member of a discussion forum for changes in the Albanian Party of Labor^[3] while having been enrolled as a member a few years earlier. Apart from his native Albanian, he speaks English, Italian and French fluently. During the 1970s, Berisha gained distinction as the leading researcher in the field of cardiology in Albania and became professor of cardiology at the University of Tirana. In 1978 he received a United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural (UNESCO) fellowship for nine months of advanced study and training in Paris. He returned to Albania in 1979 and became the personal physician of the country's ruler, Enver Hoxha, and the head of the Communist Party apparatus at Tirana's main hospital. He also conducted a research program on hemodynamics that attracted considerable attention among his colleagues in Europe. In 1986 he was elected to be a member of the European Committee for Research on Medical Sciences, where he worked for the elaboration of scientific researches strategies for “Health for all”. In an interview for the Albanian Writers League newspaper published also in the international press, Berisha demanded that the remaining barriers to freedom of thought and expression be ended, that Albanians be granted the right to travel freely within the country and abroad, and that Albania abandon its isolationist foreign policy. At an August 1990 meeting of the nation’s intellectuals convened by President Ramiz Alia, Berisha urged the Albanian Party of Labor (APL) to abolish the third article of the communist constitution which sanctioned that the Party of Labor had the hegemony of the Power, to recognize the Human Rights Charter, the drafting of a new democratic constitution, and to remove all monuments of Stalin in the country.

In an article published in the “Bashkimi” newspaper on 17 September 1990, Berisha condemned what he termed the “cosmetic reforms” of the Alia regime, which had only served to aggravate unrest within the nation. Without political pluralism, he argued, there could be no true democracy in Albania.

In December 1990, Berisha joined, on the very first day, a series of student demonstrations that forced the government to approve the establishment of a multi-party system. Berisha emerged as the leader of the Democratic Party of Albania (DP), the first and largest of the new opposition parties. It is interesting to note that all leading members of the party wore white coats during demonstrations, while Berisha was heard thanking Ramiz Alia when meeting with the students and was seen driving around Skanderbeg Square with a government vehicle.^[4][5] He was formally elected DP chairman in February 1991 at the party’s first national congress. He was elected member of Albania parliament in 1991, 1992, 1997, 2001 from the constituency of Kavajë.

President (1992–1997)[link]

After the first free elections of Albania, Berisha was elected President of the Republic on 9 April 1992. Following his election as the second President of the Republic of Albania, Sali Berisha and his government were engaged in a profound course of political, economic, institutional, legislative and multifaceted reforms. Therefore, the complete privatization of land and residencies, as well as of all small and medium state enterprises, was accomplished over the period ’92-’96; prices and exchange rates were fully liberalized, and Albania changed from a country of a three figure inflation rate and economic growth regression of −20% into a country with a one-figure inflation rate and with an average economic growth rate of 9% in ’92 and, in ’93 – ’96, 75% of GDP was generated from the private sector. Albania opened towards the West; it became a member of the Council of Europe in 1995; it signed the Partnership for Peace Agreement in 1993, and it established a close cooperation with European Union countries and the United States.

All laws of the communist dictatorship were replaced with new laws of European standards, and a series of institutions that had not been in place before, like the Constitutional Court and High Council of Justice, were established.

Berisha's Democratic Party won the general election on 26 May 1996, though it was marred by accusations of intimidation, manipulation and violent squelching of a peaceful opposition protests discrediting them. The country plunged into a political crisis, as the Democratic Party refused to annul the elections – they had won four-fifths of the seats in parliament – and the opposition Socialists abandoned the institutions.

The collapse of the Ponzi schemes towards the end of 1996, into which it is alleged that Albanians invested $1 billion worth of life savings from 1994, recapped the crisis. The schemes failed, one by one, from December 1996, and demonstrators took to the streets to accuse the government of having stolen the money. Those demonstrations were then taken over by the opposition.

By March, military depots around the country were looted and for a time it looked like civil war would erupt between the government and rebels. Berisha refused opposition demands to step down, and Multinational Forces of NATO were required to step in and take the situation under control. After their intervention in Albania, early elections were held in June 1997, leading to the victory of a socialist-led coalition of parties. He resigned from the president's tenure one month after the DP lost the 1997 elections to the left coalition. In July 1997, Berisha was replaced by the socialist Rexhep Meidani. Since then he has been the chairman of the DP, which became the biggest opposition party. He eventually returned to power and, since 2005, has been the leader of the Democratic Party.

Opposition leader (1997–2005)[link]

This section requires expansion.

Sali Berisha led the coalition of the center-right parties in the general elections held in five rounds in June–August 2001. Although Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe/ODIHR International Election Observation Mission declared these elections as being manipulated. The coalition won 37% of the votes. Berisha led continuous peaceful demonstrations demanding fresh elections.

Prime Minister (2005-ongoing)[link]

Sali Berisha and George W. Bush in Tirana

On 3 July 2005 Sali Berisha was able to lead a coalition of five right center parties into the 2005 parliamentary elections, which eventually won a majority of 74 MPs from a total of 140. He was appointed Prime Minister of Albania on 8 September 2005.

On 10 June 2007, Sali Berisha met with U.S. President George W. Bush in Tirana. Bush became the first U.S. president to visit Albania and repeated his staunch support for the independence of neighbouring Kosovo from Serbia: "At some point in time, sooner rather than later, you've got to say, enough is enough. Kosovo is independent."^[6]

On 15 March 2008, Berisha faced the toughest challenge of his government when an ammunition dump exploded in the village of Gërdec near Tirana, causing the deaths of 26 people and injuring over 100. Defense Minister Fatmir Mediu resigned, and the press reported many irregularities at the blast site, operated by an Albanian company that deactivated the country's aging ammunition and then sold it for scrap.

In June 2009, Berisha's Democrats declared a narrow win in the parliamentary elections. Berisha's alliance won enough seats to form a government, though it fell one seat short of a majority during the elections of 28 June 2009, having to join forces with a splinter socialist party, the Socialist Movement for Integration of Ilir Meta, whom Berisha appointed to the post of Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs, and later Minister of Economy, Trade and Energy. It is the first time since the start of multi-party democracy in 1991 that a ruling party had been forced into a coalition through not winning enough seats on its own.^[7]

The 2009 elections have been called flawed by the socialist opposition, who have asked for a recount of the ballots. Berisha has refused any recount of the votes, on the ground that the Albanian Constitution does not foresee such procedure. For that reason he called the opposition to the parliament to change the constitution, but the Socialist Party refused. The political crisis between government and opposition has worsened over time, with the Socialists abandoning parliamentary debates for months and staging hunger strikes to ask for internal and international support. The EU attempted a conciliation, which failed. The ongoing political crisis was one of the reasons for the EU's refusal to grant Albania official candidate status in late 2010.^[8]

On 21 January 2011, clashes broke out between police and protesters in a anti-government rally in front of the Government building in Tirana. Four people were shot dead from government special forces.^[9] The EU issued a statement to Albanian politicians, warning both sides to refrain from violence,^[10] while Berisha defined the protests and the subsequent charges by judges upon policemen as stages of an attempted coup against him.^[11]

Controversies[link]

• Fall of communism in Albania
• Pyramid schemes in Albania
• 1998 failed coup d'état
• Yellow House Case
• 2008 Gërdec explosions
• 2011 Albanian opposition demonstrations

See also[link]

• History of Albania
• List of Presidents of Albania

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sali Berisha

• Official website
• "Supplier Under Scrutiny on Arms for Afghans", New York Times article
• "Sali Berisha" Query at Google Scholar
• Sali Berisha news (in Albanian)

v t e Heads of State of Albania Provisional Government of Albania (1912-1914) Qemali · Alizoti Principality of Albania (1914-1925) Prince William · Toptani · none (1916-1918) · Përmeti · Delvina · High Council of Regency · Noli* Albanian Republic (1925-1928), President Zogu Albanian Kingdom (1928-1939), King Zog I Italian Occupation (1939-1943) Victor Emmanuel III German Occupation (1943-1944) Frashëri  · Frashëri Communist Albania (1944-1991) Nishani  · Lleshi  · Alia Republic of Albania (since 1991) Alia · Islami* · Arbnori* · Berisha · Gjinushi* · Meidani · Moisiu · Topi * Acting head of state

v t e Prime Ministers of Albania Provisional Government of Albania (1912–1914) Qemali Alizoti Principality of Albania (1914–1925) Përmeti Toptani none Përmeti Delvina Vrioni Evangjeli Koculi Prishtina Kosturi Ypi Zogu Verlaci Vrioni Noli Vrioni Zogu Albanian Republic (1925–1928) Zogu Albanian Kingdom (1928–1939) Kota Evangjeli Frashëri Kota Italian Occupation (1939–1943) Verlaci Merlika-Kruja Libohova Bushati Libohova German Occupation (1943–1944) Frashëri Mitrovica Dine Biçakçiu Communist Albania (1944–1991) Hoxha Shehu Çarçani Republic of Albania (since 1991) Nano Bufi Ahmeti Meksi Fino Nano Majko Meta Majko Nano Berisha