Edi Rama

Edi Rama
Rama in 2026
33rd Prime Minister of Albania
Incumbent
Assumed office 11 September 2013
President	Bujar Nishani Ilir Meta Bajram Begaj
Deputy	See list Niko Peleshi Ledina Mandia Senida Mesi Erion Braçe Arben Ahmetaj Belinda Balluku Albana Koçiu
Preceded by	Sali Berisha
Chairman of the Socialist Party of Albania
Incumbent
Assumed office 10 October 2005
Preceded by	Fatos Nano
Other political offices Chairperson-in-Office of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe In office 1 January 2020 – 1 January 2021 Preceded by Miroslav Lajčák Succeeded by Ann Linde 40th Mayor of Tirana In office 11 October 2000 – 25 July 2011 Preceded by Albert Brojka Succeeded by Lulzim Basha 40th Minister of Foreign Affairs In office 21 January 2019 – 31 December 2020 Serving with Gent Cakaj Prime Minister Himself Preceded by Ditmir Bushati Succeeded by Olta Xhaçka 22nd Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports In office 2 October 1998 – 26 October 2000 Prime Minister Pandeli Majko Ilir Meta Preceded by Arta Dade Succeeded by Esmeralda Uruçi
Personal details
Born	Edvin Kristaq Rama (1964-07-04) 4 July 1964 (age 62) Tirana, Albania
Party	Socialist
Spouses	Matilda Makoçi ​ ​ (m. 1986; div. 1991)​ Linda Basha ​ (m. 2010)​
Children	2
Parents	Kristaq Rama (father) Aneta Rama (mother)
Relatives	Olsi Rama (brother) Zef Kolombi (granduncle) Spiro Koleka (great-granduncle)
Alma mater	Academy of Arts
Signature
Website	ps.al/familja-jone kryeministria
Basketball career
Personal information
Listed height	201 cm (6 ft 7 in)
Career information
High school	Jordan Misja Artistic Lyceum
College	Tirana University of Arts
Career history
0000	Dinamo Tirana
0000	Albania national team

Edvin Kristaq "Edi" Rama^[1] (born 4 July 1964) is an Albanian politician, artist, writer, and former professional basketball player who has served as prime minister of Albania since 2013 and as chairman of the Socialist Party of Albania since 2005. He previously served as Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports from 1998 to 2000 and as Mayor of Tirana from 2000 to 2011.

A coalition of centre-left parties led by Rama in the 2013 parliamentary election defeated the incumbent centre-right coalition led by Sali Berisha of the Democratic Party of Albania. Rama was appointed prime minister for additional terms following parliamentary elections in 2017, 2021, and 2025, becoming the only Albanian prime minister to win four consecutive terms.

Rama's premiership has been marked by Albania's progress in European Union accession, judicial reform, infrastructure projects, digitalisation of public services, tourism growth and public-sector wage increases. His governments have promoted justice reform and the creation of the Special Structure against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK), which has investigated and prosecuted senior political figures from both government and opposition.^[2][3] He was one of the initiators of Open Balkan, an economic zone of the Western Balkan countries intended to guarantee the "Four Freedoms".

At the same time, Rama's long rule has faced sustained criticism over democratic backsliding, corruption, state capture, clientelism, media pressure, public procurement, organised-crime influence and the concentration of political power around the ruling Socialist Party. Various sources have described his governing style as autocratic or increasingly personalistic.^[4][5] Freedom House classifies Albania as a "Partly Free" country in Freedom in the World and as a "Transitional or Hybrid Regime" in Nations in Transit, stating that politics is dominated by clientelist party politics and individual personalities, while elections are frequently affected by vote-buying, manipulation, fraud and gerrymandering.^[6][7]

The OSCE/ODIHR final report on the 2025 Albanian parliamentary election stated that the vote was competitive and professionally managed, but took place in a highly polarised environment and without a level playing field, citing reports of intimidation, misuse of public resources and pressure on public employees.^[8][9] Rama and the Socialist Party have rejected accusations of authoritarianism and criminal protection, arguing that their governments have strengthened state institutions, advanced EU integration and allowed independent prosecutors to investigate high-level corruption.

In 2026, he faced major anti-government demonstrations known as the Flamingo Revolution, sparked by opposition to a Kushner-linked luxury resort project near protected coastal areas and expanding into wider protests over corruption, transparency, governance and public land development.^[10][11]

Early life and career

Edvin Kristaq Rama was born on 4 July 1964 in Tirana, he is the first of two children of Kristaq (1932–1998) and Aneta Rama (née Koleka; 1938–2020). His father was a well-known sculptor from Durrës, who created numerous statues during the communist era in Albania and had close ties to the communist regime; he was a signatory to the 1988 death sentence of opposition poet Havzi Nela.^[4] Rama's great-grandfather, also named Kristaq Rama, was an intellectual who advocated for Albanian independence and schools, and he originated from Berat before later relocating to Durrës.^[12] His grandfather, Vlash Rama, was Zog I’s personal chauffeur. Other ancestors from his paternal side come from the southeastern village of Dardhë, now part of Korçë.^[13] His mother, hailing from the southwestern village of Vuno,^[14] was a graduate of medicine and a great-niece of Spiro Koleka, a member of the Politburo during the communist years. Rama states that the Koleka family, going back some centuries, is of northern Mirditor origin, and that the surname was derived from Kol Leka.^[15][12]

Rama started painting early in his childhood. During his teenage years, his talent was noticed by two influential Albanian painters of the time, Edi Hila and Danish Jukniu.^[16] They encouraged Rama to further develop his painting skills in a professional context.^[16] He attended and graduated from the Jordan Misja Artistic Lyceum, an art school in Tirana.^[17] As a teenager, Rama played professional basketball for Dinamo Tirana and was also part of the Albania national basketball team.^[18][19] and was also an interpreter for Italian club Scavolini Libertas when they played against Partizani Tirana in 1988^[20] In 1982, he enrolled in the Academy of Arts in Tirana. After graduating, Rama started working as an instructor at the Academy of Arts. During this time, he organised several open student meetings, during which the Albanian communist government was publicly criticized. Essays from those meetings were collected in the book Refleksione, which Rama published together with publicist Ardian Klosi in 1992.

Shortly before the fall of communism in Albania, Rama attempted several times to get involved with the incipient fight for democracy. He tried to influence student protests and become part of the newly created Democratic Party of Albania but soon left after a quarrel over ideological matters with Sali Berisha.^[21] In 1994, Rama moved to France, and tried to begin a career as a painter. He and his former student, Anri Sala, exhibited their works in several art galleries.^[22] On 27 November 2002, Rama officially changed his first name to Edi.^[1]

Political career

During one of his trips back to Albania in January 1997, Rama suffered a physical assault. While the perpetrators were never found, there were concerns over the involvement of the State Secret Service (SHIK) given Rama's outspoken criticism towards the Albanian government.^[23]

In 1998, while in Albania for the funeral of his father, Rama was offered a cabinet position by then-Prime Minister of Albania Fatos Nano.^[24] Later that year he was appointed Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports. As a Minister, Rama immediately became known for his extravagance in a variety of ways, including his unique, colourful dressing style. His innovative cultural projects, coupled with his unusual clothing and rebellious political style, helped him attract a great level of support.

Mayor of Tirana (2000–2011)

In October 2000, the Socialist Party of Albania endorsed Rama in the election for Mayor of Tirana. The Democratic Party nominee was Besnik Mustafaj, a writer and diplomat. Rama won 57% of the vote, and was sworn in as mayor. After taking office, he undertook a radical campaign of bulldozing hundreds of illegal constructions and restoring many areas near Tirana's centre and Lanë River into their initial form.^[25]

Rama began an initiative in 2004 to repaint Tirana's degrading Hoxha-era apartment blocks using more vibrant colors.^[26] The repainting helped transform the aesthetics of areas dominated by the Soviet-style buildings. Rama was awarded the inaugural World Mayor Prize in 2004.^[27] The award committee, explained their decision stating that "Edi Rama is the man who changed a whole city. Now there is a new Tirana, colored, happy, with a new and improved infrastructure and cultural life".^[27]

As mayor he compiled the Tirana City Master Plan^[28] including the Skanderbeg Square project. He planted thousands of new trees, making Tirana a much more environment-friendly city. Rama also expanded the existing roads and paved new ones, improving mobility. According to a UNDP report^{[29][failed verification]} Rama played a critical role in the modernization of the local government, empowering municipalities and giving them, for the first time real power to impact the life of their communities.

Rama was reelected Mayor of Tirana by defeating Democratic Party candidates Spartak Ngjela, a former attorney, in 2003, and Sokol Olldashi in 2007. In 2011, Rama decided to run for a fourth term in office. His opponent, Lulzim Basha was a member of Prime Minister Sali Berisha's cabinet. Rama's reelection bid failed in a hotly contested election, after a court ruling decided hundreds of ballots mistakenly cast in the wrong ballot boxes were valid. The initial count saw Rama ahead by 10 votes. With all ballots counted Lulzim Basha won the race by 81 votes. Rama appealed the court's decision at the Electoral College and demanded the reinstatement of the initial tally. Rama's appeals were rejected, and Basha was sworn in as the new Mayor of Tirana. Rama and the Socialist Party criticized the judges involved in the court ruling.

Leader of the opposition (2005–2013)

Having previously run as an independent in 2000, Rama registered as a Socialist in 2003. Later that year he announced a bid for the chairmanship of the Party. He and Rexhep Meidani, former President, ran against the incumbent, Fatos Nano. Rama's bid failed to gain sufficient support from the Assembly delegates. He received 41 votes, Rexhep Meidani received 61, while Fatos Nano was reelected with 456 votes.^[30]

After the center-left coalition lost in the 2005 parliamentary election, Fatos Nano resigned as Chairman of the Socialist Party. In the subsequent election for the chairmanship of the Party, Rama defeated Rexhep Meidani 297-151 and became the Chairman of the Socialist Party.^[30] Capitalising on Rama's popularity as a mayor, the Socialist Party of Albania regained some of its appeal. Rama replaced many of the Party's influential leaders with younger loyalists. In his earlier attempts to regain control in the Parliament, he tried to frame himself as a political outsider. Inspired by the progressive policies of Tony Blair's "New Labour" and Anthony Giddens "Third Way", his political platform called for a "third direction beyond the traditional right and left".^[31]

As the minority leader, Rama threw his support behind a set of constitutional amendments introduced in the Parliament during the summer of 2008. These amendments changed Albania's election law from a majoritarian representation with a proportional adjustment into a party-list proportional representation as well as curtailed Presidential powers. Despite criticism and protests from President Bamir Topi and MPs from the Socialist Movement for Integration and other smaller political parties, the amendments were passed in the Parliament with a super-majority.

Rama's reelection as mayor in 2007 was greatly helped by the Socialist Movement for Integration's endorsement of his candidacy. Seeing the 2008 constitutional amendments voted by Rama's SPA as a serious threat to their existence in Albanian politics, Ilir Meta and the SMI did not join Rama in a pre-electoral coalition for the 2009 parliamentary election. The Socialist Party led by Rama were only able to win 66 seats in the Parliament. Incumbent prime minister Berisha's Democratic Party won 70 seats, while the remaining 4 seats went to Ilir Meta's Socialist Movement for Integration. Demands by Rama and the Socialists for a recount in the district of Fier were rejected by courts amidst criticism about the judge's impartiality. Eventually, all four newly elected SMI members of the parliament voted support for Prime Minister Berisha's Democrats.

The 2009 election's narrow defeat prompted Rama to continue his mandate as chairman of the Socialist Party. The Socialist Party opted for a hardcore dispute of the newly elected government by boycotting parliamentary debates for months and staging a hunger strike to prompt for domestic and foreign attention to the situation. The heated political debate surrounding the 2009 election has been pointed out as one reason for Albania's failed bid at gaining official candidate status in accession talks with the EU.^[32]

In January 2011, a recorded videotape showed Deputy Prime Minister Ilir Meta negotiating informal pay-to-play fees with Dritan Prifti, Minister for the Economy, Commerce and Energy. On 21 January 2011, clashes broke out between police and protesters in an anti-government rally in front of the Government building in Tirana. Four people were shot dead by government special forces.^[33] The EU issued a statement to Albanian politicians, warning both sides to refrain from violence.^[34]

Prime Minister of Albania (2013–present)

In 2013, the Socialist Party of Rama led the coalition of center-left parties (that included his former opponents, the SMI) into a landslide victory in the parliamentary election, defeating the center-right coalition led by Prime Minister Sali Berisha. His platform, nicknamed "Renaissance"^[35] was based on four pillars: European integration, economic revitalisation, restoration of the public order and democratisation of the state institutions. Since September 2013, Rama has been serving as the Prime Minister of Albania.^[36]

Policies as Prime Minister

See also: Rama I Government, Rama II Government, Rama III Government, and Rama IV Government

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Rama during the 2014 Wales NATO summit in Newport, Wales

On 11 September 2013, Rama began serving as the 33rd Prime Minister of Albania. During the electoral campaign, Rama stated that the return of public order was his number one priority. In 2013, the Albanian Police was able to cover actively only 55% of the territory.^[37] The Government invested heavily in modernising, training, and improving the financial benefits of the police force. The police earned international acclaim when, in 2014 undertook a highly successful operation on Lazarat, a remote village in the south of the country, known for the production of narcotics.^[38][39]

Rama has been committed to restructuring Albania's judicial system, which was considered one of the most corrupt and ineffective judicial systems in Europe at that time.^[40] In 2016, the Parliament approved the vetting law.^[41] Based on this law, any judge or prosecutor who cannot explain his source of wealth or former dubious verdicts will be disqualified for life. In November 2016, the European Union stated that a successful implementation of vetting law remains the sole criterion to fulfill before opening accession talks.^[42]

Another key reform was in the energy sector, left on the brink of bankruptcy from a previous failed privatisation effort. His government successfully enforced the payment of billions of unpaid bills and heavily invested in the modernization of the obsolete power distribution network.^[43] The economic growth, from 0.5% in 2013, accelerated to 3.5% in 2016 and exceeded 4% during 2017. Unemployment was reduced steadily, thanks to 183,000 new jobs^[44] created in his first mandate, through a war against informality and opening of new businesses. Furthermore, with 11.5% in 2019, Albania had the 5th lowest unemployment rate in the Balkans.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, and Rama stand at the opening of the Open Balkan, 29 July 2021

Other important reforms include the administrative reform, the social welfare and pension system reform, and the reform in higher education. Internationally, Rama is pursuing a historical reconciliation policy between Albanians and Serbs, and his visit to Belgrade in 2014, was the first visit of an Albanian Prime Minister to Serbia in over 70 years.^[45] In a second visit, during the Economic Forum of Niš, Rama compared the Albanian and Serbian reconciliation process with the historical reconciliation between the French and Germans after World War II.^[46] Rama is also a key supporter of the Berlin Process, an intergovernmental platform of cooperation between the European Union and Western Balkans countries.^[47]

The Socialist Party, led by Rama, participated in the 2017 Albanian parliamentary election, held on 25 June 2017. One day later, partial results suggested that the Socialist Party had won a majority.^[48] The Socialist Party subsequently secured a parliamentary majority.^[49]

Rama and Ramush Haradinaj, then Prime Minister of Kosovo, had a clash in late 2019 due to different views on the Open Balkan initiative. Rama stated that Haradinaj "lies due to ignorance or on purpose."^[50] In 2020, Rama filed a lawsuit for defamation against Haradinaj.^[51][52]

In 2023, the minimum wage was increased to 40,000ALL (€404) per month, an increase from that of 24,000ALL in 2017.^[53] Throughout 2024 and 2025, Rama's government increased wages in the public administration, with the average gross salary in the public administration reaching €1040.^[54]

In 2024, Rama announced plans to establish a new European microstate called the Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order enclaved within Tirana. The new country is planned to serve as the headquarters of the Bektashi Order, a Sufi Islamic order led by Baba Mondi.^[55]

Rama at a 2025 press conference

In 2025, Rama's government appointed an AI-generated character named Diella as the country's minister in charge of overseeing public tenders as part of measures aimed at fighting corruption.^[56][57] Later in 2025, Rama announced that Diella was "pregnant" with 83 AI assistants intended to aid Socialist Party MPs.^[58]

Domestic policy

Rama's domestic policy has combined market-oriented reforms, public-private partnerships, digitalisation of public services, infrastructure investment and a strong emphasis on tourism and urban development. Critics have described the approach as neo-liberal, arguing that it relies heavily on concessions and private investors in sectors including tourism, higher education, health, public works and culture. The International Monetary Fund warned that the government's use of public-private partnerships and concessions could expose Albania to "significant fiscal risks" if not properly monitored. Economic growth rates approached 4 percent in 2017 and 2018, while the unemployment rate fell from 17.5% in 2014 to 11.5% in 2020. Rama has attributed economic improvements to political stability, once saying: "We are a country without a Senate, without unions, without a radical left and without comedians who play politics." Nevertheless, salaries remained low compared with the European Union and emigration accelerated after 2014.^[59]

During Rama’s first term, Albania experienced a major expansion of cannabis cultivation and trafficking, peaking around 2016–2017. According to estimates by Italian customs, 753,000 cannabis plants were destroyed in 2016, compared to 46,000 in 2014. Such destruction would have affected only 10 percent of the cultivated area. The Minister of the Interior, Saimir Tahiri (in office from 2013 to 2017), has himself been accused (and sentenced) for his involvement in drug trafficking. In 2018, Rama adopted a law, welcomed by the European Union, providing for competition between universities and their openness to the market. Increases in tuition fees have caused discontent among students.^[59]

Governance, democratic backsliding and state capture

Rama's premiership has been the subject of growing domestic and international debate over democratic backsliding, state capture, media pressure, corruption and organised-crime influence. Supporters credit his governments with judicial reform, EU accession progress, urban renewal, tourism growth and modernisation of public services. Critics argue that the same period has produced an increasingly centralised and personalised governing system in which the Socialist Party controls parliament, public administration, local government, public procurement and much of the political information environment.

Freedom House classifies Albania as a "Partly Free" country and states that political parties are highly polarised and often organised around leading personalities, while corruption and bribery remain major problems.^[6] In its Nations in Transit report, Freedom House classifies Albania as a "Transitional or Hybrid Regime" and states that national governance is democratic but dominated by clientelist party politics and individual personalities, while elections are competitive but frequently marred by vote-buying, manipulation, fraud and gerrymandering.^[7] The Bertelsmann Transformation Index stated in 2026 that political and patronage networks undermine meritocracy and bureaucratic expertise, and that high-level corruption investigations in Albania had revealed networks through which politicians appointed associates to key posts and diverted state contracts and resources toward family members, connected businesses and even criminal networks.^[60]

The Albanian branch of Transparency International and the Institute for Democracy and Mediation have used the concept of state capture to describe the influence of private interests over public decision-making in Albania. Their 2021 report identified patterns involving tailor-made laws, opaque concessions, public-private partnerships, weak parliamentary scrutiny and business interests close to political power.^[61] Rama's government has rejected the accusation that it has captured the state, arguing that it has advanced justice reform, digitalisation, EU accession and the prosecution of corruption cases through independent institutions.

Concentration of power and executive dominance

Rama's critics have argued that his long tenure has concentrated power around the prime minister's office and the Socialist Party leadership. After the Socialist Party won an outright majority in 2017, Rama governed without a coalition partner. The opposition's boycott of parliament in 2019 and the Democratic Party's internal split after 2021 further weakened parliamentary oversight, leaving the Socialist Party with a dominant institutional position.

Transparency International's National Integrity System assessment stated that the executive's influence over the Assembly is significant and that the executive dominates parliament through its political majority and a weak opposition, leaving the legislature unable to effectively exercise constitutional oversight over the government.^[62] A 2025 analysis by the New Lines Institute similarly argued that parliament had largely become a rubber stamp for the prime minister's office and cited Rama's announcement of Elisa Spiropali as Speaker of Parliament at a party convention as an example of the erosion of parliamentary independence.^[63]

Rama's defenders argue that the concentration of governing authority has produced political stability, enabled difficult reforms and allowed Albania to advance more rapidly in EU accession negotiations. Critics counter that political stability has been achieved at the cost of weakened checks and balances, an increasingly subordinated parliament and a ruling-party network embedded in state institutions.

Elections, patronage and party-state overlap

International election observers have repeatedly stated that Albanian elections under Rama have remained competitive, but have also raised concerns over the ruling party's structural advantages. The OSCE/ODIHR final report on the 2021 Albanian parliamentary election stated that voters had a choice of candidates and that fundamental freedoms were generally respected, but that the ruling party enjoyed a significant advantage from its control of local administrations and the misuse of administrative resources. It also noted widespread allegations of vote-buying.^[64]

The 2021 election was also affected by the Patronageists scandal, in which the outlet Lapsi.al reported that it had obtained a database containing personal data and political-preference information for about 910,000 voters or residents of Tirana County. Transparency International called on Albanian authorities to determine whether the Socialist Party had obtained personal data from government registries and whether state resources had been abused during the campaign.^[65] Rama acknowledged that the Socialist Party used a voter-contact system but defended it as normal party organisation and denied wrongdoing.^[65]

In the 2025 Albanian parliamentary election, Rama won a fourth consecutive term. The OSCE/ODIHR final report stated that the elections were competitive and professionally managed, but that contestants did not enjoy a level playing field. It cited reports of intimidation, misuse of public resources, pressure on public employees and other voters, vote-buying, procedural shortcomings and problems with ballot secrecy.^[8] Reuters reported that an international monitoring mission led by the OSCE found misuse of public resources by the ruling party and reports of pressure on voters and public employees, while the opposition said the vote had been stolen.^[9]

Clientelism, public procurement and patronage networks

Clientelism and patronage have been recurring themes in assessments of Rama's rule. The Bertelsmann Transformation Index stated that patronage networks in Albania undermine meritocracy and bureaucratic expertise, and that high-level corruption investigations have revealed the diversion of state contracts and resources toward family members, connected businesses and even criminal networks.^[60] Transparency International's 2025 Rule of Law brief stated that public procurement lacks transparency, state funds are still misused in campaigns, and rules on conflicts of interest, lobbying and party finance remain incomplete and below EU standards.^[3]

Major public-procurement and concession scandals have occurred during Rama's premiership, including the Albanian incinerators scandal, investigations into the National Agency for Information Society (AKSHI), and the corruption case against Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku.^[2] In the incinerator scandal, former environment minister Lefter Koka was convicted of corruption, abuse of power and money laundering, while former deputy prime minister Arben Ahmetaj was later charged in connection with the case and denied wrongdoing.^[66][67]

In 2026, Reuters described the Balluku case as a corruption investigation at the heart of Rama's government. Prosecutors accused Balluku of interfering in two construction tenders worth more than €200 million, while Balluku denied wrongdoing. Rama defended her and accused prosecutors of overreach, while announcing plans to change the law to prevent courts from suspending ministers while under investigation, a move the opposition said was designed to protect Rama and his allies.^[2] The EU office in Tirana told Reuters that rhetoric undermining public trust in the judiciary and prosecutorial systems was counterproductive.^[2]

Organised crime, drug trafficking and "narco-state" allegations

Albania's relationship with organised crime and drug trafficking has been one of the most politically damaging issues during Rama's premiership. Rama came to power promising restoration of public order and his government received international praise for the 2014 police operation in Lazarat, then known as a major cannabis-production centre. However, during Rama's first terms Albania also faced repeated domestic and international concern over cannabis cultivation, organised-crime influence and links between criminals, police and political actors.

Opposition parties have repeatedly accused Rama's government of links to organised crime and have used slogans such as "No to narco-state". In 2018, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project reported that tens of thousands protested in Tirana accusing the government of links to organised crime and corruption. The report noted that protesters chanted "Rama go" and "No to narco-state", while Rama responded that his opponents were trying to sabotage Albania's EU accession path by creating a sense of crisis.^[68]

The most serious drug-related case involving Rama's cabinet concerned former interior minister Saimir Tahiri, who served from 2013 to 2017. Tahiri was investigated over allegations connected to the Habilaj drug-trafficking network, whose members were his relatives. In 2022, an Albanian appeals court sentenced Tahiri to prison for abuse of office in connection with the network. OCCRP reported that the court found Tahiri had helped the criminal group by failing to act against it as interior minister and by receiving gifts from gang members. Tahiri denied wrongdoing, and the court acquitted him of the more serious drug-trafficking charges.^[69][70]

The 2025 Global Organized Crime Index stated that corruption within Albania's political and law-enforcement institutions continues to facilitate organised crime, and that investigations using encrypted communication platforms have revealed deep ties between high-ranking officials and criminal actors. It also reported that criminal groups use bribery and blackmail to obtain public tenders and government contracts, while police collusion continues to raise concerns.^[71] Rama's government has denied protecting criminal groups and points to SPAK, international police cooperation, asset seizures and prosecutions as evidence of progress against organised crime.

Media capture, censorship and attacks on journalists

Media freedom has been a recurring criticism of Rama's governments. Reporters Without Borders has described Albania's media environment as fragile, stating that media independence is threatened by conflicts of interest between business and politics, a flawed legal framework and partisan regulation.^[72] Freedom House states that Albanian media owners use their platforms to influence government and political parties, while disinformation and weak media literacy remain problems.^[7] Transparency International's 2025 Rule of Law brief also reported persistent concerns regarding high concentration in the media environment, lack of transparency in media ownership and struggles over the independence of public service media.^[3]

Rama has frequently clashed with journalists and media-freedom organisations. In 2019, Reporters Without Borders criticised him for calling media outlets "trash bins" and urged him to respect press freedom.^[73] International press-freedom groups also criticised his government's 2019 "anti-defamation" package, arguing that it risked giving state regulators excessive power over online media. Rama's government defended the proposal as a response to disinformation and defamation.

In 2022, international press-freedom organisations sent an open letter to Rama after he banned journalists Ambrozia Meta and Klevin Muka from press conferences for a period following questions he considered unethical or inappropriate.^[74] In 2024, the Media Freedom Rapid Response reported that Rama's angry reaction to Ambrozia Meta after questions about the Kushner-linked coastal investment reflected broader pressure and intimidation of journalists in Albania. The report also cited other cases in which journalists were excluded from press conferences or subjected to disparaging language after asking questions about corruption, conflict of interest or strategic-investor projects.^[75]

In 2026, Rama again clashed publicly with Reporters Without Borders over Albania's ranking in the World Press Freedom Index. RSF responded that it measures media freedom rather than government communication, stating that Albania's 83rd-place ranking reflected political attacks, abuse of law-enforcement bodies, low media transparency and threats against journalists.^[76] During a 2026 media-freedom mission to Tirana, RSF urged the Albanian parliament and government to move toward genuine decriminalisation of defamation and insult and to restore journalists' trust.^[77]

Relations with SPAK and judicial independence

Rama has presented justice reform as one of his main achievements, arguing that his governments created the legal and institutional basis for SPAK and the vetting of judges and prosecutors. International partners have also praised SPAK's progress in investigating corruption and organised crime. Transparency International's 2025 Rule of Law brief stated that SPAK had achieved tangible progress toward a solid track record, but also warned that political influence continues to undermine judicial independence, particularly through public and institutional pressure on SPAK and other judicial bodies in politically sensitive corruption cases.^[3]

Tensions between Rama and SPAK intensified after investigations involving senior Socialist officials and close allies, including the incinerator cases, the AKSHI procurement investigation and the Balluku case. Reuters reported in February 2026 that Rama opposed SPAK's request to lift Balluku's immunity from pre-trial detention and accused prosecutors of overreach. He also announced plans to change the law to protect ministers from suspension while under criminal investigation, a move the opposition said was aimed at shielding him and his allies.^[2]

Rama and his supporters argue that criticism of pre-trial measures is consistent with due process and that justice institutions remain independent. Critics argue that his statements and proposed legal changes seek to weaken SPAK once investigations reached senior figures within the ruling party.

2019 Albanian earthquake

Rama surveying earthquake damage with the Israel Defense Forces Aid Mission in 2019

On 26 November 2019, an earthquake struck Albania, and subsequently, the country's parliament granted Rama state of emergency powers to deal with the aftermath.^[78] Rama visited the earthquake epicentre to oversee the situation and damage,^[79] whereas political rivalries between him, Meta, and Basha were sidelined as they became involved in relief efforts.^[80][81] On 30 November, Rama ended the search and rescue operation,^[82] and the next day, he attended the first funeral for the deceased.^[82][83][84]

Rama reconfigured the state budget for 2020 to manage the post-earthquake situation^[81] to provide funds for the construction of homes.^[85] Rama called for additional expert assistance and monetary aid geared toward recovery from the international community, stating that Albania lacks the capacity "to do this (reconstruction) alone."^[86][81][87]

In mid-December 2019, Rama faced criticism from several non-governmental organisations, human rights organisations, and parts of the media for misusing the situation to pass controversial legislation after he sought a three-month extension of his state of emergency powers from parliament.^[78] Rama assembled and tasked a group of fundraisers to manage donations from the Albanian diaspora and guarantee oversight of their use.^[85] Rama contacted and held discussions with several influential world leaders and countries, requesting assistance and the creation of an international donors' conference.^{[88][81][89][90][91][92]} On 8 December, Rama personally attended a Turkish donors conference for Albania that was organised and attended by President Erdogan.^[93] In January 2020, Rama publicised preliminary figures of damage caused by the earthquake, which totalled more than €1 billion.^[94]

Cabinet

1st Cabinet

Further information: 1st Rama Cabinet

The 1st Cabinet of Rama was sworn in by President Bujar Nishani on 11 September 2013, becoming the 8th Cabinet of the Albanian Republic, since the collapse of communism in Albania. The Cabinet is composed of 21 members, with fifteen coming from the Socialist Party, six from the Socialist Movement for Integration. The Cabinet is also the first in which the number of female ministers is equal to the number of male ministers, excluding the Prime Minister.^[95]

Rama at a political campaign rally in Vlore, 18 May 2013

Cabinet	Name	Party		Term
Prime Minister	Edi Rama		Socialist Party	(2013–)
Deputy Prime Minister	Niko Peleshi		Socialist Party	(2013–2017)
Minister of Defence	Mimi Kodheli		Socialist Party	(2013–2017)
Minister of the Interior	Saimir Tahiri		Socialist Party	(2013–2017)
Minister of Foreign Affairs	Ditmir Bushati		Socialist Party	(2013–2019)
Minister of Justice	Nasip Naço		Socialist Party	(2013–2017)
Minister of European Integration	Klajda Gjosha		Socialist Movement for Integration	(2013–2017)
Minister of Economic Development	Milva Ekonomi		Socialist Party	(2013–2017)
Minister of Energy and Industry	Damian Gjiknuri		Socialist Party	(2013–2017)
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure	Sokol Dervishaj		Socialist Movement for Integration	(2013–2017)
Minister of Urban Development	Eglantina Gjermeni		Socialist Party	(2013–2017)
Minister of Agriculture	Edmond Panariti		Socialist Movement for Integration	(2013–2017)
Minister of Health	Arben Beqiri		Socialist Party	(2013–2017)
Minister of Education	Lindita Nikolla		Socialist Party	(2013–2017)
Minister of Social Welfare and Youth	Blendi Klosi		Socialist Party	(2015–2017)
Minister of Culture	Mirela Kumbaro		Socialist Party	(2013–2019)
Minister of Environment	Lefter Koka		Socialist Movement for Integration	(2013–2017)
Minister of Innovation and Public Administration	Milena Harito		Socialist Party	(2013–2017)
Minister of Relations with Parliament	Ermonela Felaj		Socialist Party	(2013–2017)
Minister of Local Governance	Eduard Shalsi		Socialist Party	(2013–2017)

2nd Cabinet

Further information: 2nd Rama Cabinet

The 2nd Cabinet of Rama was sworn in by President Ilir Meta in September 2017, becoming the 9th Cabinet of the Albanian Republic, since the collapse of communism in Albania. The Cabinet is composed of 15 members, coming all from the Socialist Party. The Cabinet is also the second in which the number of female ministers is equal to the number of male ministers, excluding the Prime Minister.

Cabinet	Name	Party		Term
Prime Minister	Edi Rama		Socialist Party	(2013–)
Deputy Prime Minister	Senida Mesi		Socialist Party	(2017–2019)
Minister of Defence	Olta Xhaçka		Socialist Party	(2017–2020)
Minister of the Interior	Fatmir Xhafaj Dritan Demiraj Fatmir Xhafaj (acting) Sandër Lleshaj		Socialist Party	(2017) (2017) (2017–2018) (2018–2020)
Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs	Ditmir Bushati Edi Rama		Socialist Party	(2013–2019) (2019–)
Minister of Justice	Etilda Gjonaj		Socialist Party	(2017–2021)
Minister of Culture	Mirela Kumbaro		Socialist Party	(2013–)
Minister of Finance and Economy	Arben Ahmetaj		Socialist Party	(2017–2019)
Minister of Education, Sports and Youth	Lindita Nikolla Besa Shahini		Socialist Party	(2017–2019) (2019–)
Minister of Health and Social Care	Ogerta Manastirliu		Socialist Party	(2017–)
Minister of Infrastructure and Energy	Damian Gjiknuri Belinda Balluku		Socialist Party	(2017–2019) (2019–)
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development	Niko Peleshi Bledar Çuçi		Socialist Party	(2017–2019) (2019–)
Minister of Tourism and Environment	Blendi Klosi		Socialist Party	(2017–2021)
Minister of State for Albanian Diaspora	Pandeli Majko		Socialist Party	(2017–2021)
Minister of State for Entrepreneurs	Sonila Qato		Socialist Party	(2017–)

3rd Cabinet

Further information: 3rd Rama Cabinet

The third Cabinet of Rama was approved by parliament on 17 September 2021 and sworn in on 18 September 2021 after the Socialist Party won the 2021 Albanian parliamentary election. Reuters reported that Albania voted in its first female-dominated cabinet since the beginning of the multi-party system, with 12 women in a 17-member cabinet.^[96][97]

The third cabinet initially included Arben Ahmetaj as deputy prime minister, Olta Xhaçka as Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Bledar Çuçi as Minister of Interior, Ulsi Manja as Minister of Justice, Niko Peleshi as Minister of Defence, Belinda Balluku as Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Delina Ibrahimaj as Minister of Finance and Economy, Ogerta Manastirliu as Minister of Health and Social Protection, Evis Kushi as Minister of Education and Sport, Mirela Kumbaro as Minister of Tourism and Environment, Frida Krifca as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Elisa Spiropali as Minister of State for Relations with Parliament.^[98] The cabinet was reshuffled several times between 2022 and 2025, including the replacement of Ahmetaj by Balluku as deputy prime minister and the creation of new ministries or minister-of-state portfolios connected to EU accession and anti-corruption.

4th Cabinet

Further information: 4th Rama Cabinet

The fourth Cabinet of Rama was approved in September 2025 after the Socialist Party won the 2025 Albanian parliamentary election. Reuters reported that Rama began his fourth term after securing 82 votes in the 140-seat parliament and declared that Albania's membership in the European Union by 2030 would be the central goal of the new mandate.^[99] The new cabinet was sworn in before President Bajram Begaj on 19 September 2025.^[100]

The fourth cabinet included a major reshuffle, with Belinda Balluku continuing initially as deputy prime minister and minister of infrastructure and energy, Elisa Spiropali becoming Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Albana Koçiu becoming Minister of Internal Affairs, Petrit Malaj continuing as Minister of Finance, Blendi Gonxhja taking the tourism, culture and sports portfolio, and Delina Ibrahimaj becoming Minister of Economy and Innovation. Rama also announced the AI-generated virtual figure Diella as a minister responsible for public procurement, describing it as a measure to reduce corruption in tenders; the opposition criticised the move as unconstitutional because Diella was not a human citizen.^[101][102]

In February 2026, Rama carried out a major reshuffle amid the corruption investigation into Balluku. Reuters reported that he dismissed Balluku as deputy prime minister and infrastructure minister after SPAK indicted her over alleged manipulation of public tenders worth more than €200 million; Balluku denied the allegations.^[103] Albanian media reported that Albana Koçiu was appointed deputy prime minister and that former diplomat Ferit Hoxha replaced Spiropali as foreign minister.^[104]

Foreign policy

Further information: List of official trips made by Edi Rama

Rama alongside U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, 15 February 2024

On several occasions, Rama has stated that the European Union needs to accelerate the integration process of the Western Balkans, considering it the only way to subdue the dangerous fractions in the region, preventing a possible eruption of violence, like the one that hammered the region in the 1990s.^[105] Rama has also denounced the rising Russian influence in the region as destabilising.^[106]

Rama views Turkey as an important strategic partner and since 2013, he has developed a good personal relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.^[107][108] In May 2016, Rama attended the wedding of Erdogan's daughter and Erdogan's presidential inauguration in 2018, whereas Erdogan endorsed him in mid-2017 for Albania's parliamentary elections.^[107][108] Rama has strengthened ties with Turkey, namely with the Erdogan government despite possible and growing contradictions with his pro-European enlargement stance.^[108][109] Rama describes Erdoğan as a "friend of Albania and strategic ally". At his request, he had schools linked to the Gülen movement closed, which he went so far as to describe as a 'terrorist organization'.^[110]

Rama and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, 23 March 2023

Rama has had a diverse agenda of high-level meetings. Since 2013, he has frequently met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, US President Barack Obama, French President Francois Hollande, British Prime Minister David Cameron, Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, Pope Francis, and other high-ranking diplomats. Rama, speaking in Israel in 2015, said that Albania was "proud to have been a country where no Jew was released to the Nazis, and where there are incredible stories of Muslim families who protected Jewish families," and he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed a joint declaration of friendship and a medical research cooperation agreement.^[111]

On 10 October 2019, together with Aleksandar Vučić, President of Serbia, and Zoran Zaev, Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Rama signed the so-called Mini Schengen deal on regional economic cooperation, including on the free movement of goods, capital, services, and labour between their three countries, while they await progress on EU enlargement.^[112] A month later, the leaders presented a set of proposals to achieve the "four freedoms" and the first steps towards them, including the possibility to the open border area.^[113] In December, the three leaders also met with Milo Đukanović, President of Montenegro, opening the possibility for the country to join the zone.^[114] In 2024, Rama said that Albania was aiming to join the EU by 2030.^[115] In December 2025, the European Commission stated that Albania had opened the final negotiating cluster, opening negotiations on all 33 chapters within 13 months.^[116] Rama presented the opening of all clusters as a major milestone for his 2030 EU-membership target, while EU officials and civil society continued to stress the need for rule-of-law, anti-corruption and environmental reforms.

Rama at the NATO Air Base Kuçova in Albania, 4 March 2024

In April 2025, Rama visited Israel and expressed support for Israel's war in the Gaza Strip, saying that "Hamas are the Nazis of the new century. And history has shown that with Nazis, there is no peace and there is no compromise."^[117] There was a demonstration in Tirana against his visit to Israel.^[118] In June 2025, he announced his support for Israeli strikes on Iran, "to prevent the theocratic regime in Tehran from ever possessing nuclear weapons."^[119]

Artist and writer

Exhibitions

• City Art Gallery, Corfu, Greece (1990)
• National Art Gallery in Tirana, Albania (1992)
• Jano Gallery in New York City (1993)
• Place de Médiathèque in France (1995)
• Acud in Berlin (1993)
• São Paulo in Brazil (1994)
• Israel (1995)
• Gallery XXI in Albania (1999)
• Venice Biennale (2014)
• Marian Goodman Gallery in New York City (2016)

Rama is an active painter and has had several personal painting exhibitions.^[120]

In 2014 and 2017, Rama held an exhibit in the Venice Biennial. In 2016, a collection of his works were exhibited in the Marian Goodman Gallery in New York City.^[121][122]

Publications

• Rama, Edi; Klosi, Ardian (1991). Refleksione.
• Rama, Edi (1993). Etërit, Seksi dhe Krenaria Kombtare.
• Rama, Edi (2009). Edi Rama. Paintings
• Rama, Edi (2011). Kurban. Tirana: Dudaj.

Rama is also an active writer. In 1992, while a professor at the Academy of Arts of Albania, Rama published a book with various notes together with publicist Ardian Klosi entitled Refleksione (Reflections). In 2009, Rama published a collection of personal notes and paintings in a book entitled Edi Rama. In November 2011, Rama published a reflection book on his years as mayor of Tirana entitled Kurban.^[123]

Rama in 2018

Personal life

Rama was baptized as Catholic and identifies as Catholic.^[124] Regarding his religious beliefs at present, Rama has declared himself an agnostic stating that "I do not practice any faith other than to the self and other people, but I don't believe that the existence or non-existence of God is a matter that can ever be resolved by mortals."^[125]

Rama married actress Matilda Makoçi [sq]. The couple divorced in 1991. Rama has a son from his first marriage, Gregor, who is a cancer survivor.^[126] Rama's daughter-in-law was one of the 51 fatalities in the 2019 Albania earthquake.^[127] Since 2010, Rama has been married to Linda Rama (née Basha), an Albanian economist (Doctor of Economics), researcher, university lecturer, and advocate for women's and children's rights.^[128][129] Together they have a son born in 2014, named Zaho.^[130]

Aside from his native Albanian, Rama is fluent in English, French, and Italian.^{[131][132][133]}

Rama is a supporter of the sports teams FK Partizani and Juventus.^[134] His younger brother, Olsi Rama, is the sporting director of Partizani Tirana.^[135]

Rama leads a podcast called Flasim ('Speaking') which had such guests as Ermonela Jaho and Ogerta Manastirliu.^{[citation needed]}

Controversies

Obama fundraising photograph

A photograph of Rama and Barack Obama at a fundraising event in October 2012 was shared by Rama on Facebook and Twitter ahead of Albania's 2013 parliamentary election, to imply a relationship with Obama.^[136] Rama's ticket to the event was purchased for $80,000 through intermediaries who later pleaded guilty to making foreign contributions in connection with the 2012 United States presidential election.^[137][138]

2017 electoral fraud allegations

In 2019, the German tabloid Bild published a series of audio tapes allegedly concerning the 2017 Albanian parliamentary election. In one of the tapes Rama was recorded in a conversation with Arben Keshi, a local police official, asking whether "the objective had been met". In another recording, cabinet member Damian Gjiknuri was heard offering Keshi to send "a van of problematic guys" who "should not be too exposed" but might be needed "just in case" for the election. In other tapes, former Socialist MPs were recorded giving instructions to Keshi and other local officials on bribing constituents with cash and intimidating them with threats.^[139] In other tapes published by Bild, former mayor of Durrës Vangjush Dako, appointed by the Socialist Party, was heard in conversations with persons connected to drug trafficking and organised crime in relation to the 2017 elections.^[140]

Organised crime, drug trafficking and "narco-state" allegations

The term "narco-state" has been used mainly by Rama's political opponents, protest movements and some commentators rather than by courts or official international institutions. During opposition protests in 2018, demonstrators chanted "No to narco-state" while accusing Rama's government of links to organised crime and cannabis trafficking.^[68]

The allegations intensified after former interior minister Saimir Tahiri was investigated and later imprisoned for abuse of office connected to a drug-trafficking network involving his relatives. Tahiri was acquitted of drug-trafficking charges but convicted of abuse of office.^[69] Rama has rejected the narco-state label and has argued that his government strengthened the police, destroyed cannabis plantations, cooperated with international partners and supported justice institutions. Independent international assessments do not generally use the term "narco-state" as an official classification for Albania, but they continue to identify organised crime, money laundering, drug trafficking, corruption and political-criminal links as major challenges for the country.^[71][3]

International assessments have continued to identify organised crime and money laundering as structural problems in Albania during Rama's premiership. The 2025 Global Organized Crime Index stated that corruption within political and law-enforcement institutions facilitates organised crime, that encrypted communications had revealed deep ties between high-ranking officials and criminal actors, and that criminal groups use bribery and blackmail to obtain public tenders and government contracts.^[71] The same assessment described Albania as a prominent destination for money laundering and said that criminal organisations exploit the real estate, tourism and construction sectors to legitimise illicit profits. It stated that illicit funds heavily infiltrate the construction sector, distorting the market.^[71] Rama's government has denied protecting organised crime and points to SPAK investigations, international police operations and asset seizures as evidence that the state is acting against criminal networks rather than shielding them.

Controversial media law

In December 2019, the government led by Rama proposed changes to two laws regarding communications and information services in Albania, focused on regulating the online media market, forcing online outlets to register and giving institutions controlled by the Parliament authority to fine online media and journalists and block their content.

Also known as the "anti-defamation" law, the package gave the Audiovisual Media Authority in Albania (AMA) power to fine journalists and media outlets, which could have their cases heard in court only after paying the AMA-imposed fine. Critics said the clause could damage independent news outlets, whose limited funding could expire before a court heard the case.^[141]

Media organisations in Albania protested the changes, describing them as censorship of free speech and expressing concern that the draft had not taken into account recommendations made by international actors, including the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights.^[142] The Albanian Ombudsman called on the government not to approve the draft laws, saying they did not meet international standards.^[143]

The Venice Commission concluded that the proposed media law had a number of flaws and issued recommendations for amendments. Rama praised the recommendations on Twitter and said the Assembly should address the issue according to the Venice Commission's suggestions.^[144][13]

Patronageists scandal

Main article: Patronageists scandal

In April 2021, shortly before the 2021 Albanian parliamentary election, the Albanian news outlet Lapsi.al reported that it had obtained a database containing personal data and political-preference information for about 910,000 voters or residents of Tirana County. The database was alleged to be connected to the ruling Socialist Party and to its network of patronazhistë ("patrons"), party activists assigned to monitor or contact specific voters.^[65][145] The leak became known in Albanian politics as the patronageists scandal (Albanian: skandali i patronazhistëve).

Transparency International called on Albanian authorities to determine whether the Socialist Party had obtained voters' personal data from government registries and whether state resources had been abused during the campaign. It said the database reportedly contained personal and private information, including notes made by patrons about citizens' political preferences and interactions with voters.^[65] BIRN reported, after analysing the leaked material, that the database contained 910,061 rows and identified 9,027 persons marked as Socialist Party patronageists, many of whom appeared to be public-sector employees; BIRN also reported that some listed patronageists worked in the police, armed forces or Republican Guard, sectors where active party activity is restricted by law.^[146]

Rama acknowledged that the Socialist Party used a patronage or voter-contact system, but defended it as ordinary party work and denied wrongdoing. According to Transparency International, he said citizens' data had been collected through door-to-door meetings; according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, he also denied that the leaked database belonged to the Socialist Party.^[65][145] The case also raised media-freedom concerns after the Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime ordered Lapsi.al to hand over the database and later approved a request to seize the outlet's electronic devices. CPJ said prosecutors' attempts to force the outlet to surrender confidential information and equipment placed it under undue pressure and could have a chilling effect on investigative reporting.^[145]

The OSCE/ODIHR final report on the 2021 election stated that the ruling party had a significant advantage from control of local administrations and misuse of administrative resources, and recommended that Albania ensure the security of citizens' personal data and thoroughly investigate and prosecute any breach affecting public confidence in the electoral process.^[64]

Lufthansa mask incident

At the beginning of December 2021, on board a Lufthansa plane headed to Detroit from Frankfurt, Rama refused to wear a mask as required by the company's COVID-safety guidelines. After Rama refused, the airplane crew asked the captain to persuade the prime minister to comply with the rules as with all other passengers. Rama again refused and was escorted off by federal police.^[147]

Reporters Without Borders and media-freedom disputes

After Albania fell to a historic low in the Reporters Without Borders annual World Press Freedom Index, Rama criticised the organisation's assessment. Pavol Szalai, the head of RSF's European Union and Balkan desk, noted that the methodology had changed from 2020 to 2022 and that Albania had fallen partly because of this and partly because countries such as Serbia and Montenegro had risen.^{[citation needed]}

Rama accused the organisation on Twitter of making up "lies" and called the accusations "fantasies". He wrote: "Journalists victims of police violence in Albania? What a lie! Journalists critical of the government face political attacks? What a fantasy! Ethical self-regulation in the Albanian media? What a mockery! Only the title is missing: We complain about the lack of freedom because we do not know what to do with freedom!" One day after Rama tweeted his denials, RSF reported that he attacked an Albanian reporter whom he had previously placed under a two-month embargo.^[148][149]

Charles McGonigal

In January 2023, Rama was mentioned in a U.S. federal indictment concerning former senior FBI official Charles McGonigal. According to the indictment, McGonigal had met Rama several times and failed to disclose contacts and financial relationships connected to Albania. The indictment stated that McGonigal received at least $225,000 from a former Albanian intelligence official and concealed the payment from the FBI; it did not charge Rama or the Albanian government.^[150][151]

Rama acknowledged meetings with McGonigal but denied bribery, preferential treatment or wrongdoing. He told parliament that the opposition was politically exploiting a U.S. legal process and said that the indictment contained no charges against him or his government.^[152] In September 2023, McGonigal pleaded guilty in the United States to concealing the payment from the former Albanian official while employed by the FBI.^[153]

Albanian incinerators scandal

Main article: Albanian incinerators scandal

The Albanian incinerators scandal became one of the most prominent corruption cases during Rama's time as prime minister. The scandal concerned concession contracts for waste-incinerator projects in Elbasan, Fier and Tirana. Reuters reported that the three sites, worth hundreds of millions of euros, were at the centre of criminal investigations into alleged fraud and corruption, with prosecutors alleging that contracts were awarded unlawfully, ministers accepted payments and contractors issued fake invoices for work that was not carried out.^[154]

Former environment minister Lefter Koka, who served in the first Rama government, was sentenced by the Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime to six years and eight months in prison on corruption, abuse of power and money-laundering charges related to the Fier incinerator contract. The court said Koka had accepted a €3.7 million bribe connected to the contract. Several other officials and businessmen were also sentenced in the same case.^[66]

Former deputy prime minister Arben Ahmetaj, one of Rama's senior government figures, was later charged in connection with the scandal. Transparency International reported that SPAK sought Ahmetaj's arrest in 2023 on charges of corruption, money laundering and falsification of official documents related to asset declarations; Ahmetaj left Albania and denied wrongdoing.^[67] Reuters described the incinerator affair as a major issue in Albanian politics and a symbol of persistent graft concerns during Rama's fourth-term campaign.^[154]

Bektashi state proposal

In September 2024, Rama announced plans to create the Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order within the capital city of Tirana to serve as the territory of the Bektashi Order.^[55] The plan faced criticism and controversy, with the Muslim Community of Albania calling it "a dangerous precedent for the future of the country".^[155] Albanians interviewed by Balkan Insight characterised the planned state as a distraction from alleged domestic scandals created by Rama in an attempt to gain favourable news coverage.^[156] Besnik Sinani, a research fellow at the Center for Muslim Theology at Tübingen University, said the comparison to Vatican City "does not withstand historical scrutiny" and called the proposal "an unprecedented case of contemporary religious engineering". He further said he believed it would "disrupt the historical arrangements of the relationship between religion and state in Albania".^[155]

2025 election concerns

Election observers also raised concerns over the 2025 Albanian parliamentary election. The OSCE/ODIHR final report stated that the vote was competitive and professionally managed, but took place in a highly polarised environment and that contestants did not enjoy a level playing field. The report cited allegations of intimidation, misuse of public resources, pressure on public employees, vote-buying, procedural shortcomings and problems with ballot secrecy.^[8] Reuters reported that Rama's Socialist Party won an unprecedented fourth term in 2025, while opposition parties claimed the vote was stolen and Albania's special prosecutors investigated election-related cases, most of them concerning vote-buying.^[9]

Asylum agreement criticism and Meloni gesture

In June 2025, Rama was criticised for criticising the United Kingdom for sending asylum seekers to third countries in a The Guardian interview, despite having signed a similar agreement with Italy. Rama also took a knee when welcoming Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a gesture some critics construed as Albania being subordinate to Italy, which invaded and occupied the country from 1939 to 1943.^{[according to whom?][157]}

Balluku corruption case and conflict with prosecutors

In December 2025, SPAK indicted Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, one of Rama's closest allies and a senior figure in his governments, on suspicion of interfering in two infrastructure tenders worth more than €200 million. Reuters reported that prosecutors alleged Balluku had steered tenders in favour of specific companies and "created unfair advantages and privileges". Balluku denied wrongdoing.^[2]

The case triggered anti-government protests and became one of the most serious corruption crises of Rama's fourth term. Rama publicly defended Balluku, said he had refused her offers to resign and accused prosecutors of stepping outside their proper role. He also announced plans to change the law so that ministers under investigation could not be suspended from office by the judiciary, a proposal the opposition described as an attempt to protect Rama and his allies from accountability.^[2] The EU office in Tirana told Reuters that rhetoric undermining public trust in the independence, impartiality and integrity of judicial and prosecutorial systems was counterproductive.^[2]

AKSHI public procurement scandal

Main article: AKSHI public procurement scandal

During Rama's premiership, the National Agency for Information Society (AKSHI), the government agency responsible for Albania's digital infrastructure and the eAlbania platform, became the subject of a major public procurement investigation. In December 2025, SPAK announced charges and security measures against AKSHI officials and businessmen suspected of manipulating public tenders connected to the agency. BIRN reported that AKSHI operated under the authority of the Prime Minister's office and managed large amounts of public funding for digital services and infrastructure.^[158]

According to prosecutors, businessmen Ergys Agasi and Ermal Beqiri allegedly led a structured criminal network aimed at controlling and manipulating AKSHI tenders, in some cases through coercion and intimidation. SPAK said the investigation involved suspected offences including corruption, manipulation of public tenders, participation in a structured criminal group, money laundering, unlawful deprivation of liberty and violent interference in market competition.^[159] AKSHI director Mirlinda Karçanaj was placed under house arrest and charged with violating equality in tenders in cooperation within a criminal group, while deputy director Hava Delibashi and several other officials and businessmen were also placed under security measures.^[158]

In April 2026, SPAK seized assets worth about €40 million in the expanding investigation, including property and bank accounts linked to persons under investigation.^[159] The case intensified criticism of procurement practices and digital-governance contracting under Rama's government.

Flamingo Revolution and Kushner-linked resort

Main article: Flamingo Revolution

In 2026, Rama faced major protests known as the Flamingo Revolution, which began after local residents and environmental activists opposed a proposed luxury tourism development on Sazan Island and the nearby coast near Zvërnec. The resort was linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, and was planned near the Vjosa–Nartë Protected Landscape, a wetland area inhabited by flamingos, monk seals and sea turtles.^[10][160]

As the demonstrations grew, protesters framed the issue not only as an environmental dispute but also as a symbol of corruption, lack of transparency, contested land ownership and foreign-backed elite development. Reuters reported that demonstrations spread from the development site to Tirana and that protesters called for Rama's resignation.^[161] The Financial Times reported that tens of thousands of people joined a protest in Tirana on 20 June 2026, describing the movement as one of the country's largest protests in recent years and noting that anger over the resort had merged with wider frustration over corruption and Albania's political elite.^[162]

In July 2026, the movement escalated into one of the largest protest movements of Rama's premiership. The Associated Press reported that a massive demonstration took place in Tirana for the 35th consecutive night, with protesters calling for Rama's resignation, a temporary replacement of his government, constitutional reforms and an end to corruption.^[11] The Guardian reported that members of the European Parliament warned Albania that its EU accession process could be at risk if the government continued supporting the Kushner-backed resort plans. Dutch MEP Tineke Strik said Rama's government was "playing with fire" and called on it to change course, while the European Parliament called for a halt to construction in protected zones and withdrawal of legislation enabling strategic investors to obtain permits in ecologically sensitive areas.^[163]

Rama defended the project, saying it would help modernise Albania and proceed only in compliance with environmental rules. He rejected claims that public land was being sold and described the protests as politically and externally motivated.^[160] Reuters also reported that villagers near Zvërnec alleged the project involved disputed land, while noting there was no evidence of wrongdoing by Kushner.^[164]

Honors

Orders, decorations, and medals

Award or decoration		Country	Date	Place
	Legion of Honour[165]	France	29 March 2017	Paris
	Presidential Medal of Merits	Kosovo	16 February 2018	Pristina
	Order of Saint-Charles[166]	Monaco	10 April 2019	Monaco
	Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise (First class)[167]	Ukraine	30 December 2023	Kyiv
	Israeli Presidential Medal of Honour[168]	Israel	7 April 2025	Jerusalem
	Order of Zayed[169]	United Arab Emirates	13 January 2026	Abu Dhabi

Other

Prime Minister Rama received the Global Leadership Award of pro-Israel NGO Combat Antisemitism Movement for his work in fighting antisemitism and other types of religious prejudice.^[170]

See also

• Biography portal
• Politics portal
• Visual arts portal

• List of Albanian painters
• List of current heads of state and government
• List of heads of the executive by approval rating
• Prime Minister of Albania
• Flamingo Revolution
• Democratic backsliding in Albania
• State capture in Albania
• Corruption in Albania

References

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Further reading

• Presentation (on TED site) "Take back your city with paint" of Edi Rama
• Budini, Belina (2009). Edi Rama, Politikani Pop(ulist)-Star, Tirana: UET Press. ISBN 978-99956-39-11-2. (in Albanian)

External links

• Official personal website
• Official website of the Albanian Council of Ministers
• Archived webpage of the Municipality of Tirana
• The Albanian Renaissance Documentary

Political offices
Preceded by Albert Brojka	Mayor of Tirana 2000–2011	Succeeded by Lulzim Basha
Preceded by Sali Berisha	Prime Minister of Albania 2013–present	Incumbent
Preceded by Ditmir Bushati	Foreign Minister of Albania 2019–2020	Succeeded by Olta Xhaçka
Party political offices
Preceded by Fatos Nano	Leader of the Socialist Party 2005–present	Incumbent