History of post-Communist Albania
Encyclopedia
In 1991, the Socialist Party of Albania
, with specific social democratic ideology took control of the country through democratic elections. One year later the Democratic Party of Albania
won the new elections. After the year 1990, Albania
has been seeking a closer relationship with the West
. What followed were deliberate programs of economic and democratic reform, but Albanian inexperience with capitalism
led to the proliferation of pyramid scheme
s – which were not banned due to the corruption
of the government. Chaos
in late 1996 to early 1997, as a result of the collapse of these pyramid schemes, alarmed the world and prompted the influx of international peacekeeping forces. In 1995, Albania was accepted into the Council of Europe
and requested membership in NATO (obtained in 2009) and is a potential candidate country for accession to the European Union
. The workforce of Albania has continued to emigrate
to Western countries, especially Greece and Italy.
's postcommunist transformation continues, with more progress in some areas than others. Greek-Albanian relations deteriorate, and Athens
blocks European Union loans to Tirana
, impeding Albania's much-needed integration into Europe. Gross domestic product
grows by 8%, and inflation continues its downward spiral. Unemployment
, however, remains the country's Achilles' heel; more than 300,000 workers are unemployed. Some $400 million sent home by Albanian emigrants play a vital role in boosting the domestic economy by increasing the volume of disposable income. For most, economic hardship and widespread poverty
are the norm. Albania's foreign debt continues to soar. The political climate
is relatively stable, but hostility between ruling and opposition forces continues to surface. The Socialist Party and other political groups accuse President Sali Berisha
of becoming increasingly authoritarian. Albania makes considerable progress in foreign affairs, although relations with some of its neighbours continue to be fraught with problems. The impasse in relations between Belgrade and Tirana persists, but ties with Bulgaria
, Turkey
, the Republic of Macedonia
, and Italy
further improve. Relations with Greece raise worries about a new Balkan flash point.
Following a raid on an army training camp in which two Albanian conscripts were killed, Tirana arrests five ethnic Greeks, finds them guilty of espionage and illegal possession of weapons, and sentences them to between six and eight years in prison. Angered by the verdict, (the court was being held behind closed doors, no international observers were allowed) Athens reportedly expels as many as 70,000 of the 300,000 illegal Albanian immigrants living in Greece.
Fatos Nano
is convicted of state funds during his premiership in 1991 and sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment; the ruling is upheld by an appeals court in the following month.
Ramiz Alia
is tried on a number of charges, including forced deportation of political prisoners, summary executions, and the upholding of the 1967 ban on religious activity. The charges are later changed to abuse of power and violation of citizens' rights. Alia pleads "not guilty" and protests that the allegations made against him are unclear; he is convicted, however, and sentenced to 9 years' imprisonment.
A draft constitution is presented to Berisha. Failing to obtain the requisite two-thirds majority approval for it in the People's Assembly, Berisha calls for a national referendum, the first of its kind. Surprisingly, the November 6 vote goes against Berisha (53.9% of voters reject the draft constitution), perpetuating the deadlock with the Socialists.
Alia's prison sentence is reduced to 5 years.
The chairman of the Democratic Party, Eduard Selami
, is dismissed at an extraordinary party congress for opposing Berisha's efforts to organize a further referendum for the draft constitution. Selami is replaced by Tritan Shehu
.
Italy deploys troops along its coast to stem the continued influx of Albanian illegal immigrants.
Ilir Hoxha, son of Enver Hoxha
, is convicted of inciting national hatred for denouncing leaders of the Democratic Party in a newspaper interview.
Albania is admitted to the Council of Europe
.
The Supreme Court orders the immediate release of Alia, owing to the provisions of a new penal code, which took effect at the beginning of June. Also in July the case against Vilson Ahmeti
is abandoned, owing to a lack of evidence.
As a result of an agreement between Albania and 41 Western banks, the country's debt owed to those institutions drops from $500 million to $100 million.
A first-ever meeting between U.S. and Albanian heads of state occurs. See also: Albania–United States relations
Nano's prison sentence is reduced to 4 years. On December 30 Berisha reduces his sentence by a further 8 months.
14 prominent communist politicians are arrested, including former defense minister Prokop Murra and former president Haxhi Lleshi
.
(the NATO-led Implementation Force) in Bosnia and Herzegovina
, the first time in the country's history that Albanian troops have been stationed abroad.
Albania receives an aid package from the U.S. worth $100 million.
Alia is rearrested and charged with crimes against humanity.
The former chief of the Sigurimi
is arrested following bomb attacks in Tirana
on February 26 and in Durrës
on March 6.
The third postcommunist parliamentary elections plunge Albania into its deepest political crisis since the demise of communist rule. Hours before the polls close, all major opposition parties pull out their candidates, accusing the ruling Democratic Party of engineering widespread election irregularities. Riot police violently break up a protest rally. On June 2 a second round is held, again boycotted by most of the opposition. The chairman of the Central Electoral Commission puts turnout at 59% compared to 89% in the first round. Final results give the ruling Democratic Party 122 seats in the 140-seat parliament (87% of the vote). The Socialists refuse to recognize the results and do not take their nine seats.
Berisha forms a new enlarged (25-member) cabinet. Among the new ministers are Tritan Shehu
as foreign minister and deputy premier, Ridvan Bode
as finance minister, and Halit Shamata as interior minister. The government includes four female members, the widest female representation in the history of the country.
The appeals court upholds prison sentences of up to 20 years on nine high-ranking officials of the communist era. They were sentenced on September 28 for putting thousands of dissidents into internal exile. Those charged included party leaders from Tirana, Lushnjë
and other towns, as well as secret police and officials of the Interior Ministry.
Shortly after midnight, in downtown Tirana an explosion takes place in the apartment of Prel Martini, chief judge of the appeals court. The bomb leaves his five-year-old daughter with a broken leg and injures Martini, his seven-year-old son and two women in neighbouring apartments. Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi
says the explosion is a politically motivated terrorist act.
as president of Albania. Albanian Socialist Party Chairman Fatos Nano
was elected Prime Minister, a post which he held until October 1998, when he resigned as a result of the tense situation created in the country after the assassination of Azem Hajdari
, a prominent leader of the Democratic Party. Pandeli Majko
was then elected Prime Minister, and he served in this post until November 1999, when he was replaced by Ilir Meta
. Albania approved its constitution through a popular referendum which was held in November 1998, but which was boycotted by the opposition. The general local elections of October 2000 marked the loss of control of the Democrats over the local governments and a victory for the Socialists.
Following the collapse of several "get-rich-quick" pyramid schemes, in which hundreds of thousands of Albanians lost their life savings, enraged investors go on the rampage in the southern town of Lushnjë
. Foreign Minister Shehu is attacked by demonstrators there on January 25. On January 26, thousands of people converge on central Tirana and clash with riot police. Government buildings are set ablaze in towns and cities across the country. In February unrest engulfs Vlorë
, causing several deaths.
Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi
resigns.
A national state of emergency
is declared. Rioters take control of the town of Sarandë
, seizing weapons from police headquarters and army barracks. With astonishing speed the entire military establishment melts away, the security service dissolves, and the people arm themselves with every type of weapon, including Kalashnikovs and even tanks - an estimated 650,000 weapons are seized. Most of the southern half of the country falls into the hands of ragtag rebels and criminal gangs. More than 10,000 persons flee to Italy, which in turn causes a governmental crisis in Rome. Several high government officials, including Defense Minister Safet Zhulali, flee abroad.
Despite widespread demands for his resignation, on President Berisha is reelected unopposed by Parliament (113-1 with 4 abstentions).
Insurgents take control of Tepelenë, and on March 8 they seize Gjirokastër
, the last southern government stronghold.
Bashkim Fino
of the opposition Socialist Party is appointed as prime minister. Arjan Starova becomes foreign minister; Shaqir Vukaj, defense minister; Arben Malaj
, finance minister; Belul Celo, interior minister. Unrest spreads to northern Albania, and by March 13 engulfs all major population centres, including Tirana. Alia flees jail during the insurrection. Nano is pardoned by Berisha on March 16. Foreign countries begin to evacuate their nationals from the country, which is now in a state of anarchy
. More than 360 people have been killed and 3,500 wounded in three months. The tragic events also cause the economy to suffer. Unemployment soars over the 25% mark, inflation rises, and gross domestic product
, which registered 8-11% increases in the previous few years, drops by 7%. The currency is devalued from 108 to more than 150 leks to the US dollar.
More than 80 people die when an Albanian refugee ship collides with an Italian ship in the Adriatic Sea
.
The UN Security Council approves dispatching a multinational military force to Albania to oversee the distribution of international humanitarian aid and maintain order.
The Socialists end their boycott of parliament and take up their seats.
The pretender to the throne, Leka I, returns to Albania and calls for a referendum on restoring the monarchy.
The Italian-led international protection force begins arriving in Albania. Some 7,000 troops from eight European countries participate in "Operation Alba."
Berisha calls new elections for June 29.
A bomb attack injures 27 people in Tirana.
A grenade is thrown at Berisha during a campaign rally outside Tirana but it is deactivated.
The Socialist Party wins parliamentary elections, with 100 seats out of 155. Their coalition allies win 17 seats, and Berisha's Democratic Party 27. Turnout in the first round is about 65%. In a referendum held at the same time, about one-third of voters support the restoration of the monarchy. The Socialists say Albania will be a parliamentary republic, with executive power concentrated in the hands of the prime minister rather than the president.
Interior Minister Belul Celo resigns.
Tritan Shehu resigns as Democratic Party chairman.
President Berisha resigns.
Parliament elects secretary of the Socialist Party of Albania
and former physics professor Rexhep Meidani
as President of Albania (110-3 with 2 abstentions). Meidani then accepts the resignation of Prime Minister Fino, and names Socialist Party leader Nano as new Prime minister of Albania.
A new 20-member multiparty cabinet (excluding the Democratic Party) is presented by Nano, including Paskal Milo
as foreign minister, Sabit Brokaj as defense minister, Neritan Ceka
as interior minister, and Arben Malaj
retaining his post of finance minister.
The Democrats leave parliament when one of their deputies, Azem Hajdari, is shot and wounded by a Socialist inside the chamber.
Berisha is elected chairman of the Democratic Party.
Alia, who escaped from jail in March and left the country, returns from abroad. He, two ex-interior ministers - Hekuran Isai (1982–89, 1990–91) and Simon Stefani
(1989–90) - and the ex-chief prosecutor were acquitted on October 20 of killing 58 people who attempted to flee the country illegally between 1990 and 1992. Prosecutors dropped the charges following a supreme court ruling that 32 other senior ex-communists could not be held liable for alleged offenses which had not been a crime at the time.
Following widespread allegations of government inefficiency and corruption in his administration, Nano reshuffles his cabinet, reducing the number of ministers.
More than 13,000 refugees flee into Albania after the eruption in February of civil war between the Serbian police and army and the ethnic Albanian separatist Kosovo Liberation Army
(KLA) in the neighbouring province of Kosovo
. The Albanian Foreign Ministry repeatedly charges Yugoslavia with border violations that include shelling and sniping and with conducting massacres of Kosovo's civilian population. It also calls for NATO military intervention to stop the fighting.
Local by-elections confirm continuing popular support for Nano's coalition, which wins in five municipalities and six smaller communities. The opposition wins in two municipalities and three communities.
Police arrest former defense minister Safet Zhulali, former interior minister Halit Shamata, former chairman of state control Blerim Cela, and three other former officials of Berisha's government on charges of crimes against humanity in conjunction with their alleged roles in the suppression of unrest in 1997. General Prosecutor Arben Rakipi charges the six with having ordered the use of chemical weapons, airplanes, and helicopters against civilians. Subsequently, Berisha calls on his supporters to bring down the government "with all means," saying that the arrests were politically motivated.
Azem Hajdari, a senior leader of the Democratic Party, is shot dead by a gunman as he steps out of the party's office in Tirana; on September 13 Democratic Party supporters storm and set fire to the prime minister's office in a protest against the killing. Government forces counterattack and reoccupy the buildings, and on September 15 Berisha surrenders two tanks posted outside his headquarters after the government threatened to use force if his followers did not give up their weapons.
Albania's parliament lifts the immunity from prosecution of opposition leader Berisha, clearing the way for prosecutors to charge him with attempting a coup.
Ahmet Krasniqi, leading member of the self-styled ethnic Albanian government in Kosovo, is shot dead in Albania.
Prime Minister Nano resigns after failing to get the backing of his coalition for a cabinet reshuffle in the wake of the outbreak of political violence two weeks ago. Pandeli Majko
is named to succeed him.
Pandeli Majko
, 30, becomes Europe's youngest head of government after being sworn in as Albanian prime minister. Petro Koçi becomes interior minister and Anastas Angjeli finance minister. On October 8 the new government wins a parliamentary confidence vote (104-0; the opposition Democratic Party is boycotting Parliament).
Albania's parliament votes in favour of a draft constitution and agrees to put it to a referendum. This is held on November 22, and 93.5% of the voters support the new constitution. Turnout is 50.6%. President Meidani signs the constitution into law on November 28, Albania's independence day. The new constitution, which replaces a package of laws introduced after the collapse of communism, provides for the separation of powers, rule of law, and the independence of the judiciary. It also guarantees human rights and the protection of minorities. The opposition Democratic Party, which (ignoring calls by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Council of Europe
) boycotted the referendum and the parliamentary commission which drafted the constitution, says the results were fixed and that it can not recognize the new constitution.
During the 78 days of NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, about 450,000 of a total 750,000 Kosovar refugees flee into Albania. That figure is equal to almost 15% of Albania's total population. The hostilities turn Albania into a key operational theatre for international relief agencies and NATO forces in Albania, called Kosovo Force (KFOR), which launch a humanitarian relief operation. In addition, within the framework of the NATO air campaign, U.S. forces deploy 24 Apache antitank helicopters and long-range artillery pieces in northern Albania. The northern Albanian border regions of Kukës
and Tropojë
bear the brunt of the refugee influx and military operations. Supplying the refugees and transporting them to other parts of the country creates immense logistic difficulties for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
and other relief agencies. The region also sees ongoing border clashes between Yugoslav forces, who continually shell Albanian border villages, and Kosovo Liberation Army
(KLA) fighters operating in part from support bases inside Albania. The border area remains heavily mined after the fighting subsides. With the end of the fighting, Albania's relations improve with its neighbours - Montenegro, Macedonia, Greece, and the new UN administration in Kosovo, with whom the Albanian Foreign Ministry plans a series of joint regional development projects within the framework of the European Union-funded Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe
. Early accomplishments include the installation of a powerful microwave-telephone connection between Albania and Kosovo and the signing of infrastructure development projects with Montenegro.
NATO says it will supply long-term military aid to Albania and Macedonia and draw up plans to help the two Balkan countries meet the alliance's entry requirements.
Spartak Poçi is appointed interior minister, replacing Petro Koçi. Poçi subsequently manages to break up 12 criminal gangs throughout the country, most notably those in Tropojë
, where special police units restore order in September. Because of frequent armed robberies, Tropojë earlier had been a "no-go" area for international aid agencies. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe closed its office there on June 16 after gunmen killed two of its local staff.
At an extraordinary party congress in Tirana, PDS leader Sali Berisha declares that the party ends its boycott of parliament as a gesture of gratitude to the U.S. for its engagement on behalf of the Kosovars. So far the PDS has been strongly under the control of Berisha, but late in the year the reformists in the PDS openly clash with Berisha's supporters over party strategy. The reformers argue that the parliamentary boycott was leading to political isolation of the party.
Nano accuses Majko of having allowed Kosovar guerrillas to smuggle arms through Albanian territory.
Prime Minister Majko resigns after losing the leadership of the ruling Socialist Party earlier in the month to Fatos Nano. On October 27 President Meidani asks Ilir Meta
to form the next government. He is sworn in October 29.
The most significant success in administrative reform comes with the passage of a new law on the civil service, designed to stop the practice of political appointments and to increase the independence and integrity of career civil servants. Implementation of the law and the creation of a workable institutional framework occupy much of the following year.
It is reported that the government has shifted its attention away from the construction of the east-west trunk road "Corridor 8," designed to link the South Balkans to the Adriatic, and is instead focusing on an internal north-south highway.
A "quick start" package is launched within the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe
, the 28-nation agreement signed in 1999 to restore peace, stability, and prosperity to the region. Albania receives about €112 million (about $109 million) for the rehabilitation of roads, railroads, harbours, power and water lines, and the airport in Tirana. The Stability Pact earmarks an additional €320 million (about $311 million) for near-term infrastructure projects to be implemented subsequently. The Stability Pact also dominates Albania's foreign-policy agenda. Numerous projects designed to enhance cooperation between Albania and other southeastern European countries in the fields of human rights
, democracy, and security are launched.
Opposition leader Sali Berisha
leads 4,000 protestors in the southern port of Vlorë
in the first anti-government rally led by the controversial former president.
President Meidani travels to Kosovo
, the first visit ever by an Albanian head of state to that heavily ethnic Albanian-populated province in Yugoslavia. Meidani emphasizes Albania's commitment to the creation of "a Europe of the regions" (that is, rather than a continent based on traditional nation-states) and speaks against the desirability of creating a "Greater Albania" that would include ethnic Albanians in neighbouring countries, while stressing the need for closer regional and European integration.
Berisha is barred from entering the Albanian-dominated Yugoslav province of Kosovo by the UN peacekeeping force, which deems him a threat to public order.
In a cabinet reshuffle, Ilir Gjoni replaces Luan Hajdaraga as defense minister.
EU foreign ministers include Albania in a list of Balkan countries offered duty-free access for 95% of their exports. The list does not include neighbouring Serbia and comes as part of a package of measures designed to encourage voters there to embrace reform and oust their federal president, Slobodan Milosevic
.
The ruling Socialist Party of Albania
emerges as the clear winner of municipal elections, taking 50 municipalities and 218 communities - including the mayoralty of Tirana for the first time since 1992 - although the Democratic Party throughout the year focused attention on rallying support for its candidates, accusing the governing Alliance for the State coalition of corruption and smuggling, charges that the coalition dismissed. The Democrats win only in 11 municipalities and 80 communities after calling for a partial boycott of the vote in the runoff. Two municipalities and 17 communities go to smaller parties and independent candidates.
Following the election of Vojislav Koštunica
as president of Yugoslavia
, Albanian Foreign Minister Paskal Milo makes the resumption of regular bilateral relations dependent on Serbia freeing Kosovo Albanian prisoners and recognizing its responsibility for crimes against humanity in the Kosovo war
.
is 7.3%, just slightly less than the 7.8% registered in 2000. Unemployment
drops from 17.1% in 1999 to 13.3% in 2001, thanks to a government-supported job-creation program that includes infrastructure-development projects within the framework of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe.
Although Albania has made strides toward democratic reform and maintaining the rule of law
, serious deficiencies in the electoral code remain to be addressed, as demonstrated in the June 2001 parliamentary elections
. International observers judged the 2001 elections to be acceptable, but the Union for Victory Coalition
, the second-largest vote recipient, disputed the results and boycotted parliament until January 31, 2002. The Socialists re-elected Ilir Meta
as Prime Minister in August 2001, a post which he held till February 2002, when he resigned due to party infighting. Pandeli Majko
was re-elected Prime Minister in February 2002.
The large ethnic Albanian minority in neighbouring Macedonia
stages an armed rebellion. Although Albania's prime minister Ilir Meta
supports international peace negotiations (which lead to a truce and a peace settlement in late August), there is evidence to suggest that Albanian border guards have at first failed to seal the border completely to arms smugglers supplying the rebels in Macedonia.
The government is strongly criticized for its unsuccessful policy toward human trafficking
. The International Organization for Migration
(IOM) joins Save the Children
in highlighting the trade in eastern European women and even Albanian children, and accuses local Albanian police of colluding in the lucrative industry. IOM points out that there have been fewer prosecutions of smugglers than of victims of the trade.
The government announces that legislative elections will take place on June 24.
In the first round of the parliamentary elections (turnout 54.9%), the ruling Socialist Party, with a reform-oriented program, wins 31 seats; the opposition Union for Victory coalition, formed by the Democratic Party, receives 16 seats. In the second round on July 8, the Socialist Party wins another 44 and the Union for Victory 30. The opposition had been split since 2000, when the New Democrat Party was formed, whose leader, Genc Pollo
, charged Berisha with failing to offer convincing answers to the country's essential problems. Pollo's leadership appealed to many voters who were looking for a group among the opposition that could demonstrate some political competence. The new party wins six seats in the new parliament.
The opposition Democratic Party (PDS) announces that it will not accept the results of the "farcical" legislative election and that it will consequently stay away from the People's Assembly. According to final results announced on August 21 the ruling Socialist Party won a clear majority of 73 seats in the 140-seat Assembly, while the Union for Victory won only 46. Observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe disagree with the PDS and describe the poll as free and fair.
The Democratic Party boycotts the opening session of the People's Assembly in defiance of the government's recent electoral victory.
Parliament gives Prime Minister Ilir Meta's new government a vote of confidence. Within the governing coalition the Socialist Party controls all key ministries. Arta Dade becomes foreign minister (the first woman in Albanian history to hold that post), Ilir Gjoni interior minister, and Pandeli Majko defense minister; Anastas Angjeli remains finance minister. The chairman of the Social Democratic Party, Skënder Gjinushi, takes charge of labour and social affairs, while another Social Democrat, former foreign minister Paskal Milo, becomes minister of Euro-Atlantic integration. Former justice minister Arben Imami
becomes minister of local government and decentralization, pledging to focus on strengthening the role of cities and towns; Niko Kacalidha (of the Union Party, which represents many ethnic Greeks) is appointed to the new post of state minister for minorities and the diaspora. For his part, Prime Minister Meta pledges to upgrade power supplies, proceed with privatization, fight corruption and organized crime, improve ties with Western Europe
and neighbours in the Balkan region, and promote free trade
.
Five cabinet members resign after a concerted campaign by Fatos Nano, the leader of the ruling Socialist Party, to bring about a reshuffle. Nano has accused the government of high-level corruption
.
The economy suffers a slight setback. Unemployment creeps up during the year. A United Nations Development Project report estimates that one-third of the population lives in poverty, earning less than $1 per capita per day. Large segments of the population live from subsistence agriculture
and do not receive unemployment benefits.
Prime Minister of Albania Ilir Meta
resigns in anger over a continuing row with the leader of his Socialist Party, Fatos Nano
, who has been resisting the appointment of ministers to vacant cabinet positions. Earlier that day the opposition Democratic Party ended its four-month boycott of the People's Assembly.
Defense Minister Pandeli Majko
receives the backing of the various warring factions within the ruling Socialist Party to be the country's next prime minister. Nominated by outgoing premier Meta, Majko agrees to accommodate supporters of party leader Nano in a new cabinet. The previous deadlock led the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) and the World Bank
to freeze aid payments until the situation was resolved. On February 16 President Meidani accepts Majko's proposed cabinet, including Kastriot Islami
as finance minister, Luan Rama as defense minister, and Stefan Çipa as interior minister; Arta Dade is to remain as foreign minister. The cabinet is approved by Parliament on February 22.
Parliament elects Alfred Moisiu
as president (97-19). He is sworn in July 24. On July 25 Prime Minister Majko resigns. On July 31 Parliament approves (81-48) a new government with Socialist Party Chairman Fatos Nano as prime minister, Majko as defense minister, Ilir Meta as foreign minister, and Luan Rama as interior minister; Kastriot Islami remains finance minister. Nano's appointment marks the end of a power struggle between the party leader and his two younger challengers Meta and Majko, both of whom had served as prime minister since Nano resigned the post during a period of civil unrest in 1998. Media analysis suggests that Nano elbowed Meta and Majko aside in a grab for power after realizing that he was too controversial a figure to aspire to the presidency. The European Parliament had urged Albanian legislators to elect a president who would be acceptable to both the governing coalition and the opposition. Moreover, Meta and the outgoing president, Meidani, both openly opposed Nano's candidacy for the presidency. The election of Moisiu essentially sealed the Socialist legislators' compromise with the opposition led by the Democratic Party. Nano and Berisha say that the deal signals that the two rival party leaders have put years of fighting behind them. Moisiu, a 73-year-old retired general, served as president of the Albanian North Atlantic Treaty Association and is considered friendly by the opposition.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's chief of mission, Geert-Hinrich Ahrens, praises Albania in his end-of-mission address to the OSCE Permanent Council, reporting that the country is "in the forefront of reform in the region" and adding that recent achievements have "brought Albania to the threshold of opening negotiations for a Stabilization and Association Agreement
with the European Union." Finnish diplomat Osmo Lipponen succeeds Ahrens on September 1.
Albania opens negotiations with the European Commission
on a Stabilization and Association Agreement, the first step towards membership of the European Union
.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell
signs a partnership agreement with Albania, Macedonia, and Croatia intended to help them achieve NATO membership.
Angered by Nano's comments during a cabinet meeting, Foreign Minister Meta resigns in protest at Nano's "nihilistic, tendentious, and denigrating" criticism. On July 22 Marko Bello is nominated to be foreign minister, but he is rejected by parliament on July 28. On July 29 Luan Hajdaraga is named acting foreign minister.
The Socialist Party wins a narrow victory over the Democratic Party in local elections. Turnout is around 50%.
Interior Minister Luan Rama is sacked. He has been accused of punching the editor-in-chief of Vizion Plus television, Ilir Babaramo, in a Tirana restaurant on October 14 because of criticism broadcast by the TV station two months ago. On October 23 Prime Minister Nano's nominees for foreign minister, Namik Dokle
, and for interior minister, Fatmir Xhafa, are rejected by parliament. On October 25 Nano picks Igli Toska to be acting interior minister.
In Tiran, more than 2,000 people hold a "people's marathon" to celebrate the beatification of Mother Teresa
, who was born to Albanian parents in what is now the Republic of Macedonia
.
Parliament finally approves new ministers for the vacant posts. Kastriot Islami
becomes foreign minister, Arben Malaj
succeeds him as finance minister, and Igli Toska becomes interior minister.
, the economy of Albania
grew at an estimated 5% in 2007. The Albanian lek
has strengthened from 143 lekë to the US dollar in 2000 to 92 lekë in 2007, mainly due to the depreciation of the US dollar, but also thanks to the overall improvement of the Albanian economy.
US President George W. Bush
visited Albania, the first sitting US President to do so. While Mr Bush was glad-handing cheering crowds, it appears as if his wristwatch is stolen. TV footage of the President being mobbed, taken by the Albanian TV station News24, was broadcasted on Italian TV news bulletins and watched by thousands on YouTube
.
. It was later reported that Bush had given the watch to a guard.
Socialist Party of Albania
The Socialist Party of Albania , is a centre-left, social democraticand socially liberal political party in Albania, it is currently the leading opposition party in Albania. It seats 66 MPs in the 2009 Albanian parliament . It achieved power in 1997 after a political crisis and governmental...
, with specific social democratic ideology took control of the country through democratic elections. One year later the Democratic Party of Albania
Democratic Party of Albania
The Democratic Party of Albania is a center-right, Conservative, political party in Albania and the leading party in the governing coalition since the 2005 parliamentary elections...
won the new elections. After the year 1990, Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
has been seeking a closer relationship with the West
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
. What followed were deliberate programs of economic and democratic reform, but Albanian inexperience with capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
led to the proliferation of pyramid scheme
Pyramid scheme
A pyramid scheme is a non-sustainable business model that involves promising participants payment or services, primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, rather than supplying any real investment or sale of products or services to the public...
s – which were not banned due to the corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
of the government. Chaos
Anomie
Anomie is a term meaning "without Law" to describe a lack of social norms; "normlessness". It describes the breakdown of social bonds between an individual and their community ties, with fragmentation of social identity and rejection of self-regulatory values. It was popularized by French...
in late 1996 to early 1997, as a result of the collapse of these pyramid schemes, alarmed the world and prompted the influx of international peacekeeping forces. In 1995, Albania was accepted into the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
and requested membership in NATO (obtained in 2009) and is a potential candidate country for accession to the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. The workforce of Albania has continued to emigrate
Immigration to Europe
Immigration to Europe increased from the 1980s onward, as a result of people from developing countries wanting to escape war, oppression, natural disasters or poverty. Some EU countries saw a dramatic growth in immigration after World War II until the 1970s. Most European nations today have...
to Western countries, especially Greece and Italy.
1994
AlbaniaAlbania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
's postcommunist transformation continues, with more progress in some areas than others. Greek-Albanian relations deteriorate, and Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
blocks European Union loans to Tirana
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
, impeding Albania's much-needed integration into Europe. Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....
grows by 8%, and inflation continues its downward spiral. Unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
, however, remains the country's Achilles' heel; more than 300,000 workers are unemployed. Some $400 million sent home by Albanian emigrants play a vital role in boosting the domestic economy by increasing the volume of disposable income. For most, economic hardship and widespread poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
are the norm. Albania's foreign debt continues to soar. The political climate
Politics of Albania
Politics of Albania takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democracy is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament, the Assembly of the Republic of Albania...
is relatively stable, but hostility between ruling and opposition forces continues to surface. The Socialist Party and other political groups accuse President Sali Berisha
Sali Berisha
Sali Ram Berisha is an Albanian politician and cardiologist, currently the Prime Minister of Albania and the leader of Democratic Party of Albania ....
of becoming increasingly authoritarian. Albania makes considerable progress in foreign affairs, although relations with some of its neighbours continue to be fraught with problems. The impasse in relations between Belgrade and Tirana persists, but ties with Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
, and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
further improve. Relations with Greece raise worries about a new Balkan flash point.
- April 1994
Following a raid on an army training camp in which two Albanian conscripts were killed, Tirana arrests five ethnic Greeks, finds them guilty of espionage and illegal possession of weapons, and sentences them to between six and eight years in prison. Angered by the verdict, (the court was being held behind closed doors, no international observers were allowed) Athens reportedly expels as many as 70,000 of the 300,000 illegal Albanian immigrants living in Greece.
- April 1994
Fatos Nano
Fatos Nano
Fatos Thanas Nano is an Albanian economist who was Prime Minister of Albania during several periods, the first leader of the Socialist Party of Albania, and member of the Albanian Parliament from 1991 to 1996 and 1997 to 2009...
is convicted of state funds during his premiership in 1991 and sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment; the ruling is upheld by an appeals court in the following month.
- July 1994
Ramiz Alia
Ramiz Alia
was the second and last communist leader of Albania from 1985-91, 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...
is tried on a number of charges, including forced deportation of political prisoners, summary executions, and the upholding of the 1967 ban on religious activity. The charges are later changed to abuse of power and violation of citizens' rights. Alia pleads "not guilty" and protests that the allegations made against him are unclear; he is convicted, however, and sentenced to 9 years' imprisonment.
- October 4, 1994
A draft constitution is presented to Berisha. Failing to obtain the requisite two-thirds majority approval for it in the People's Assembly, Berisha calls for a national referendum, the first of its kind. Surprisingly, the November 6 vote goes against Berisha (53.9% of voters reject the draft constitution), perpetuating the deadlock with the Socialists.
- November 1994
Alia's prison sentence is reduced to 5 years.
1995
Berisha still faces formidable political, economic, and social problems. The leading opposition Socialist Party threatens the Democratic Party's hold on power, while the latter cites notable successes in economic and foreign affairs and predicts victory in the parliamentary elections scheduled for March 1996. Among the 49 new legislative decisions approved by the People's Assembly in 1995 are land and property laws that positively affect the flow of domestic and foreign investments, especially in the field of agriculture. The process of privatization continues, with some 1,400 small-sized enterprises privatized. Albania's $700 million foreign debt is substantially reduced. Gross domestic product grows by an estimated 6%, and inflation drops to about 10%. The agricultural, construction, and private-service sectors register high rates of growth - 15%, 90%, and 25%, respectively. The industrial sector remains the weakest economic link, with continued production losses. Exports also lag. Continued progress is made in foreign affairs, with the exception of an impasse between Tirana and Belgrade. A slight improvement in Greek-Albanian relations is evidenced. U.S.-Albanian military cooperation develops quickly. Joint projects in 1995 include U.S. intelligence-gathering flights to Bosnia and Herzegovina from bases in Albania, exchanges of high-level military delegations, medical and military exercises, and the construction of Albania's only military hospital.- March 1995
The chairman of the Democratic Party, Eduard Selami
Eduard Selami
Eduard Selami was partyleader between 1992 till 1995 for the Democratic Party of Albania.-References:...
, is dismissed at an extraordinary party congress for opposing Berisha's efforts to organize a further referendum for the draft constitution. Selami is replaced by Tritan Shehu
Tritan Shehu
Tritan Shehu is a member of the Assembly of the Republic of Albania for the Democratic Party of Albania. He have been minister of foreign affairs during July 11, 1996 - April 12, 1997.-Background:...
.
- May 1995
Italy deploys troops along its coast to stem the continued influx of Albanian illegal immigrants.
- June 1995
Ilir Hoxha, son of Enver Hoxha
Enver Hoxha
Enver Halil Hoxha was a Marxist–Leninist revolutionary andthe leader of Albania from the end of World War II until his death in 1985, as the First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania...
, is convicted of inciting national hatred for denouncing leaders of the Democratic Party in a newspaper interview.
- July 1995
Albania is admitted to the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
.
- July 7, 1995
The Supreme Court orders the immediate release of Alia, owing to the provisions of a new penal code, which took effect at the beginning of June. Also in July the case against Vilson Ahmeti
Vilson Ahmeti
Vilson Ahmeti is an Albanian political figure. He served as the prime minister of Albania between 10 December 1991 and 13 April 1992.- References :...
is abandoned, owing to a lack of evidence.
- September 1, 1995
As a result of an agreement between Albania and 41 Western banks, the country's debt owed to those institutions drops from $500 million to $100 million.
- September 1995
A first-ever meeting between U.S. and Albanian heads of state occurs. See also: Albania–United States relations
Albania–United States relations
Albania – United States relations are the international relations between Albania and the United States.-Embassies and consulates:Albania maintains an embassy in Washington, D.C. USA maintains an embassy in Tirana.-Public sentiment:...
- November 27, 1995
Nano's prison sentence is reduced to 4 years. On December 30 Berisha reduces his sentence by a further 8 months.
- December 15–16, 1995
14 prominent communist politicians are arrested, including former defense minister Prokop Murra and former president Haxhi Lleshi
Haxhi Lleshi
Haxhi Lleshi was an Albanian military leader and communist politician.Lleshi was one of the top commanders in Albania's fight against the Italians and Germans during World War II and is still considered by some to be a hero in Albania for his actions during the war...
.
1996
Gross domestic product grows by an estimated 8%, while inflation rises by about 4-5%, mainly owing to the introduction of a value-added tax. Unemployment drops to a total of 170,000, or about 13%. The agricultural and especially the construction and private-service sectors continue to register robust two-digit growth. Remittances from Albanian émigrés in Greece, Italy, Germany, and the U.S. still account for an estimated 20% of GDP. The nation's relationship with Greece is improved when a high-ranking Greek official visits Albania, and a number of important cooperation agreements are signed. The impasse between Tirana and Belgrade continues, although ethnic Albanians from Kosovo are allowed to travel to Albania. Tirana dispatches a 33-man peacekeeping force to the German contingent of IFORIFOR
The Implementation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996 under the codename Operation Joint Endeavour. Its task was to implement the military Annexes of The General Framework Agreement for...
(the NATO-led Implementation Force) in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, the first time in the country's history that Albanian troops have been stationed abroad.
- Early 1996
Albania receives an aid package from the U.S. worth $100 million.
- February 2, 1996
Alia is rearrested and charged with crimes against humanity.
- March 6, 1996
The former chief of the Sigurimi
Sigurimi
The Drejtoria e Sigurimit të Shtetit , commonly called the Sigurimi, was the state security, intelligence and secret police service of the Socialist People's Republic of Albania...
is arrested following bomb attacks in Tirana
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
on February 26 and in Durrës
Durrës
Durrës is the second largest city of Albania located on the central Albanian coast, about west of the capital Tirana. It is one of the most ancient and economically important cities of Albania. Durres is situated at one of the narrower points of the Adriatic Sea, opposite the Italian ports of Bari...
on March 6.
- May 26, 1996
The third postcommunist parliamentary elections plunge Albania into its deepest political crisis since the demise of communist rule. Hours before the polls close, all major opposition parties pull out their candidates, accusing the ruling Democratic Party of engineering widespread election irregularities. Riot police violently break up a protest rally. On June 2 a second round is held, again boycotted by most of the opposition. The chairman of the Central Electoral Commission puts turnout at 59% compared to 89% in the first round. Final results give the ruling Democratic Party 122 seats in the 140-seat parliament (87% of the vote). The Socialists refuse to recognize the results and do not take their nine seats.
- July 11, 1996
Berisha forms a new enlarged (25-member) cabinet. Among the new ministers are Tritan Shehu
Tritan Shehu
Tritan Shehu is a member of the Assembly of the Republic of Albania for the Democratic Party of Albania. He have been minister of foreign affairs during July 11, 1996 - April 12, 1997.-Background:...
as foreign minister and deputy premier, Ridvan Bode
Ridvan Bode
Ridvan Vait Bode is an Albanian politician. A member of the Democratic Party of Albania, he is the current Minister of Finance in the cabinet of Sali Berisha.-Reference:* from the Albanian government...
as finance minister, and Halit Shamata as interior minister. The government includes four female members, the widest female representation in the history of the country.
- November 5, 1996
The appeals court upholds prison sentences of up to 20 years on nine high-ranking officials of the communist era. They were sentenced on September 28 for putting thousands of dissidents into internal exile. Those charged included party leaders from Tirana, Lushnjë
Lushnjë
Lushnjë or Lushnje is a city in Central-West Albania located at 40.95°N, 19.71°E. It is the center of the District of Lushnje in the County of Fier and has a population of about 54,813. The town was founded in late medieval times by a Turkish widow called Salushe. She built a rest stop on the...
and other towns, as well as secret police and officials of the Interior Ministry.
- November 6, 1996
Shortly after midnight, in downtown Tirana an explosion takes place in the apartment of Prel Martini, chief judge of the appeals court. The bomb leaves his five-year-old daughter with a broken leg and injures Martini, his seven-year-old son and two women in neighbouring apartments. Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi
Aleksander Meksi
Aleksandër Gabriel Meksi was the Prime Minister of Albania from April 13, 1992 to March 11, 1997. A former archaeologist he was the first person to be prime minister of Albania after the end of communist rule....
says the explosion is a politically motivated terrorist act.
1997 unrest and aftermath
In the 1997 unrest in Albania the general elections of June 1997 brought the Socialists and their allies to power. President Berisha resigned from his post, and Socialists elected Rexhep MeidaniRexhep Meidani
is an Albanian politician. He graduated from the University of Tirana , Faculty of Natural Sciences, Branch Physics, as well as successfully accomplished the postgraduate studies in the University of Caen...
as president of Albania. Albanian Socialist Party Chairman Fatos Nano
Fatos Nano
Fatos Thanas Nano is an Albanian economist who was Prime Minister of Albania during several periods, the first leader of the Socialist Party of Albania, and member of the Albanian Parliament from 1991 to 1996 and 1997 to 2009...
was elected Prime Minister, a post which he held until October 1998, when he resigned as a result of the tense situation created in the country after the assassination of Azem Hajdari
Azem Hajdari
Azem Shpend Hajdari was the leader of the student's movement in 1990–1991 that led to the fall of communism in Albania. He then became a politician of the Democratic Party of Albania . Together with Sali Berisha, he symbolizes the start of the democratic era in Albania. He was a member of the...
, a prominent leader of the Democratic Party. Pandeli Majko
Pandeli Majko
Pandeli Majko was Prime Minister of Albania from 1998 to 1999 and for a short time in 2002.He graduated at the University of Tirana, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, and later in Law.- MP of the Socialist Party :...
was then elected Prime Minister, and he served in this post until November 1999, when he was replaced by Ilir Meta
Ilir Meta
Ilir Rexhep Meta is an Albanian politician. He is the current Deputy Prime Minister. He was Prime Minister of Albania from 1999 to 2002 and has been Foreign minister twice since then.- Studies :...
. Albania approved its constitution through a popular referendum which was held in November 1998, but which was boycotted by the opposition. The general local elections of October 2000 marked the loss of control of the Democrats over the local governments and a victory for the Socialists.
- January 24–26, 1997
Following the collapse of several "get-rich-quick" pyramid schemes, in which hundreds of thousands of Albanians lost their life savings, enraged investors go on the rampage in the southern town of Lushnjë
Lushnjë
Lushnjë or Lushnje is a city in Central-West Albania located at 40.95°N, 19.71°E. It is the center of the District of Lushnje in the County of Fier and has a population of about 54,813. The town was founded in late medieval times by a Turkish widow called Salushe. She built a rest stop on the...
. Foreign Minister Shehu is attacked by demonstrators there on January 25. On January 26, thousands of people converge on central Tirana and clash with riot police. Government buildings are set ablaze in towns and cities across the country. In February unrest engulfs Vlorë
Vlorë
Vlorë is one of the biggest towns and the second largest port city of Albania, after Durrës, with a population of about 94,000 . It is the city where the Albanian Declaration of Independence was proclaimed on November 28, 1912...
, causing several deaths.
- March 1
Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi
Aleksander Meksi
Aleksandër Gabriel Meksi was the Prime Minister of Albania from April 13, 1992 to March 11, 1997. A former archaeologist he was the first person to be prime minister of Albania after the end of communist rule....
resigns.
- March 2
A national state of emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
is declared. Rioters take control of the town of Sarandë
Sarandë
Sarandë or Saranda is the capital of the District of Sarandë, Albania, and is one of the most important tourist attractions of the Albanian Riviera. It is situated on an open sea gulf of the Ionian Sea in the Mediterranean 2 nautical miles from the Greek island of Corfu. The city of Saranda has a...
, seizing weapons from police headquarters and army barracks. With astonishing speed the entire military establishment melts away, the security service dissolves, and the people arm themselves with every type of weapon, including Kalashnikovs and even tanks - an estimated 650,000 weapons are seized. Most of the southern half of the country falls into the hands of ragtag rebels and criminal gangs. More than 10,000 persons flee to Italy, which in turn causes a governmental crisis in Rome. Several high government officials, including Defense Minister Safet Zhulali, flee abroad.
- March 3
Despite widespread demands for his resignation, on President Berisha is reelected unopposed by Parliament (113-1 with 4 abstentions).
- March 6–8
Insurgents take control of Tepelenë, and on March 8 they seize Gjirokastër
Gjirokastër
Gjirokastër is a city in southern Albania with a population of 43,000. Lying in the historical region of Epirus, it is the capital of both the Gjirokastër District and the larger Gjirokastër County...
, the last southern government stronghold.
- March 11–16
Bashkim Fino
Bashkim Fino
Bashkim Fino is an Albanian politician and former Prime Minister of Albania.Fino studied economics in Tirana and the United States. After this, he worked as an economist in Gjirokastër, and in 1992 became its mayor...
of the opposition Socialist Party is appointed as prime minister. Arjan Starova becomes foreign minister; Shaqir Vukaj, defense minister; Arben Malaj
Arben Malaj
Arben Malaj has been Minister of Finance and Economy in the Republic of Albania different times from 1997 until 2005. He is known for transforming the Albanian economy into a European profile, after the hard social-economic crisis that this country passed during the year 1997...
, finance minister; Belul Celo, interior minister. Unrest spreads to northern Albania, and by March 13 engulfs all major population centres, including Tirana. Alia flees jail during the insurrection. Nano is pardoned by Berisha on March 16. Foreign countries begin to evacuate their nationals from the country, which is now in a state of anarchy
Anarchy
Anarchy , has more than one colloquial definition. In the United States, the term "anarchy" typically is meant to refer to a society which lacks publicly recognized government or violently enforced political authority...
. More than 360 people have been killed and 3,500 wounded in three months. The tragic events also cause the economy to suffer. Unemployment soars over the 25% mark, inflation rises, and gross domestic product
Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....
, which registered 8-11% increases in the previous few years, drops by 7%. The currency is devalued from 108 to more than 150 leks to the US dollar.
- March 28, 1997
More than 80 people die when an Albanian refugee ship collides with an Italian ship in the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
.
- Late March 1997
The UN Security Council approves dispatching a multinational military force to Albania to oversee the distribution of international humanitarian aid and maintain order.
- April 9, 1997
The Socialists end their boycott of parliament and take up their seats.
- April 12, 1997
The pretender to the throne, Leka I, returns to Albania and calls for a referendum on restoring the monarchy.
- April 15, 1997
The Italian-led international protection force begins arriving in Albania. Some 7,000 troops from eight European countries participate in "Operation Alba."
- May 16, 1997
Berisha calls new elections for June 29.
- June 2, 1997
A bomb attack injures 27 people in Tirana.
- June 4, 1997
A grenade is thrown at Berisha during a campaign rally outside Tirana but it is deactivated.
- June 29 and July 6, 1997
The Socialist Party wins parliamentary elections, with 100 seats out of 155. Their coalition allies win 17 seats, and Berisha's Democratic Party 27. Turnout in the first round is about 65%. In a referendum held at the same time, about one-third of voters support the restoration of the monarchy. The Socialists say Albania will be a parliamentary republic, with executive power concentrated in the hands of the prime minister rather than the president.
- July 3, 1997
Interior Minister Belul Celo resigns.
- July 7, 1997
Tritan Shehu resigns as Democratic Party chairman.
- July 23, 1997
President Berisha resigns.
- July 24
Parliament elects secretary of the Socialist Party of Albania
Socialist Party of Albania
The Socialist Party of Albania , is a centre-left, social democraticand socially liberal political party in Albania, it is currently the leading opposition party in Albania. It seats 66 MPs in the 2009 Albanian parliament . It achieved power in 1997 after a political crisis and governmental...
and former physics professor Rexhep Meidani
Rexhep Meidani
is an Albanian politician. He graduated from the University of Tirana , Faculty of Natural Sciences, Branch Physics, as well as successfully accomplished the postgraduate studies in the University of Caen...
as President of Albania (110-3 with 2 abstentions). Meidani then accepts the resignation of Prime Minister Fino, and names Socialist Party leader Nano as new Prime minister of Albania.
- July 25
A new 20-member multiparty cabinet (excluding the Democratic Party) is presented by Nano, including Paskal Milo
Paskal Milo
Paskal Milo is an Albanian historian, politician, and leader of the Social Democracy Party of Albania. He is also been a member of the Albanian Parliament since 1992, and a professor of Albanian and Foreign literature...
as foreign minister, Sabit Brokaj as defense minister, Neritan Ceka
Neritan Ceka
Neritan Ceka is an Albanian archaeologist and Professor of Archaeology. He has actively participated in politics since 1991 and was a presidential candidate and is now leader of the Democratic Alliance Party....
as interior minister, and Arben Malaj
Arben Malaj
Arben Malaj has been Minister of Finance and Economy in the Republic of Albania different times from 1997 until 2005. He is known for transforming the Albanian economy into a European profile, after the hard social-economic crisis that this country passed during the year 1997...
retaining his post of finance minister.
- September 18, 1997
The Democrats leave parliament when one of their deputies, Azem Hajdari, is shot and wounded by a Socialist inside the chamber.
- October 21, 1997
Berisha is elected chairman of the Democratic Party.
- December 23, 1997
Alia, who escaped from jail in March and left the country, returns from abroad. He, two ex-interior ministers - Hekuran Isai (1982–89, 1990–91) and Simon Stefani
Simon Stefani
Simon Stefani was an Albanian politician of Greek origin. He served as Chairman of the Assembly of the Republic of Albania from 25 December, 1978 to 22 November, 1982. His son is Andrea Stefani.-Reference:...
(1989–90) - and the ex-chief prosecutor were acquitted on October 20 of killing 58 people who attempted to flee the country illegally between 1990 and 1992. Prosecutors dropped the charges following a supreme court ruling that 32 other senior ex-communists could not be held liable for alleged offenses which had not been a crime at the time.
1998
- Mid-April 1998
Following widespread allegations of government inefficiency and corruption in his administration, Nano reshuffles his cabinet, reducing the number of ministers.
- May–July
More than 13,000 refugees flee into Albania after the eruption in February of civil war between the Serbian police and army and the ethnic Albanian separatist Kosovo Liberation Army
Kosovo Liberation Army
The Kosovo Liberation Army or KLA was a Kosovar Albanian paramilitary organization which sought the separation of Kosovo from Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the 1990s....
(KLA) in the neighbouring province of Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
. The Albanian Foreign Ministry repeatedly charges Yugoslavia with border violations that include shelling and sniping and with conducting massacres of Kosovo's civilian population. It also calls for NATO military intervention to stop the fighting.
- June 21 and 28
Local by-elections confirm continuing popular support for Nano's coalition, which wins in five municipalities and six smaller communities. The opposition wins in two municipalities and three communities.
- Late August
Police arrest former defense minister Safet Zhulali, former interior minister Halit Shamata, former chairman of state control Blerim Cela, and three other former officials of Berisha's government on charges of crimes against humanity in conjunction with their alleged roles in the suppression of unrest in 1997. General Prosecutor Arben Rakipi charges the six with having ordered the use of chemical weapons, airplanes, and helicopters against civilians. Subsequently, Berisha calls on his supporters to bring down the government "with all means," saying that the arrests were politically motivated.
- September 12
Azem Hajdari, a senior leader of the Democratic Party, is shot dead by a gunman as he steps out of the party's office in Tirana; on September 13 Democratic Party supporters storm and set fire to the prime minister's office in a protest against the killing. Government forces counterattack and reoccupy the buildings, and on September 15 Berisha surrenders two tanks posted outside his headquarters after the government threatened to use force if his followers did not give up their weapons.
- September 18
Albania's parliament lifts the immunity from prosecution of opposition leader Berisha, clearing the way for prosecutors to charge him with attempting a coup.
- September 21
Ahmet Krasniqi, leading member of the self-styled ethnic Albanian government in Kosovo, is shot dead in Albania.
- September 28
Prime Minister Nano resigns after failing to get the backing of his coalition for a cabinet reshuffle in the wake of the outbreak of political violence two weeks ago. Pandeli Majko
Pandeli Majko
Pandeli Majko was Prime Minister of Albania from 1998 to 1999 and for a short time in 2002.He graduated at the University of Tirana, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, and later in Law.- MP of the Socialist Party :...
is named to succeed him.
- October 2
Pandeli Majko
Pandeli Majko
Pandeli Majko was Prime Minister of Albania from 1998 to 1999 and for a short time in 2002.He graduated at the University of Tirana, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, and later in Law.- MP of the Socialist Party :...
, 30, becomes Europe's youngest head of government after being sworn in as Albanian prime minister. Petro Koçi becomes interior minister and Anastas Angjeli finance minister. On October 8 the new government wins a parliamentary confidence vote (104-0; the opposition Democratic Party is boycotting Parliament).
- October 21
Albania's parliament votes in favour of a draft constitution and agrees to put it to a referendum. This is held on November 22, and 93.5% of the voters support the new constitution. Turnout is 50.6%. President Meidani signs the constitution into law on November 28, Albania's independence day. The new constitution, which replaces a package of laws introduced after the collapse of communism, provides for the separation of powers, rule of law, and the independence of the judiciary. It also guarantees human rights and the protection of minorities. The opposition Democratic Party, which (ignoring calls by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
) boycotted the referendum and the parliamentary commission which drafted the constitution, says the results were fixed and that it can not recognize the new constitution.
1999
- March–June 1999
During the 78 days of NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, about 450,000 of a total 750,000 Kosovar refugees flee into Albania. That figure is equal to almost 15% of Albania's total population. The hostilities turn Albania into a key operational theatre for international relief agencies and NATO forces in Albania, called Kosovo Force (KFOR), which launch a humanitarian relief operation. In addition, within the framework of the NATO air campaign, U.S. forces deploy 24 Apache antitank helicopters and long-range artillery pieces in northern Albania. The northern Albanian border regions of Kukës
Kukës
Kukës is a town in Albania located at 42.09°N, 20.43°E in the district and county with the same name. It has a population of about 16,000 . The town is set among the mountains of northern Albania. It is famous for its role during the Kosovo conflict for taking in 450,000 refugees from Kosovo...
and Tropojë
Tropojë
Tropojë is a municipality in the Tropojë District, Kukës County, northern Albania; near the border with Kosovo. It is home to the non-navigable Valbonë River.-Etymology:...
bear the brunt of the refugee influx and military operations. Supplying the refugees and transporting them to other parts of the country creates immense logistic difficulties for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , also known as The UN Refugee Agency is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to...
and other relief agencies. The region also sees ongoing border clashes between Yugoslav forces, who continually shell Albanian border villages, and Kosovo Liberation Army
Kosovo Liberation Army
The Kosovo Liberation Army or KLA was a Kosovar Albanian paramilitary organization which sought the separation of Kosovo from Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the 1990s....
(KLA) fighters operating in part from support bases inside Albania. The border area remains heavily mined after the fighting subsides. With the end of the fighting, Albania's relations improve with its neighbours - Montenegro, Macedonia, Greece, and the new UN administration in Kosovo, with whom the Albanian Foreign Ministry plans a series of joint regional development projects within the framework of the European Union-funded Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe
Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe
The Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe was an institution aimed at strengthening peace, democracy, human rights and economy in the countries of South Eastern Europe from 1999-2008. It was replaced by the Regional Co-operation Council in February 2008...
. Early accomplishments include the installation of a powerful microwave-telephone connection between Albania and Kosovo and the signing of infrastructure development projects with Montenegro.
- May 20, 1999
NATO says it will supply long-term military aid to Albania and Macedonia and draw up plans to help the two Balkan countries meet the alliance's entry requirements.
- May 20, 1999
Spartak Poçi is appointed interior minister, replacing Petro Koçi. Poçi subsequently manages to break up 12 criminal gangs throughout the country, most notably those in Tropojë
Tropojë
Tropojë is a municipality in the Tropojë District, Kukës County, northern Albania; near the border with Kosovo. It is home to the non-navigable Valbonë River.-Etymology:...
, where special police units restore order in September. Because of frequent armed robberies, Tropojë earlier had been a "no-go" area for international aid agencies. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe closed its office there on June 16 after gunmen killed two of its local staff.
- July 17, 1999
At an extraordinary party congress in Tirana, PDS leader Sali Berisha declares that the party ends its boycott of parliament as a gesture of gratitude to the U.S. for its engagement on behalf of the Kosovars. So far the PDS has been strongly under the control of Berisha, but late in the year the reformists in the PDS openly clash with Berisha's supporters over party strategy. The reformers argue that the parliamentary boycott was leading to political isolation of the party.
- September 15, 1999
Nano accuses Majko of having allowed Kosovar guerrillas to smuggle arms through Albanian territory.
- October 25, 1999
Prime Minister Majko resigns after losing the leadership of the ruling Socialist Party earlier in the month to Fatos Nano. On October 27 President Meidani asks Ilir Meta
Ilir Meta
Ilir Rexhep Meta is an Albanian politician. He is the current Deputy Prime Minister. He was Prime Minister of Albania from 1999 to 2002 and has been Foreign minister twice since then.- Studies :...
to form the next government. He is sworn in October 29.
- November 11, 1999
The most significant success in administrative reform comes with the passage of a new law on the civil service, designed to stop the practice of political appointments and to increase the independence and integrity of career civil servants. Implementation of the law and the creation of a workable institutional framework occupy much of the following year.
2000
- February 2000
It is reported that the government has shifted its attention away from the construction of the east-west trunk road "Corridor 8," designed to link the South Balkans to the Adriatic, and is instead focusing on an internal north-south highway.
- March 2000
A "quick start" package is launched within the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe
Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe
The Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe was an institution aimed at strengthening peace, democracy, human rights and economy in the countries of South Eastern Europe from 1999-2008. It was replaced by the Regional Co-operation Council in February 2008...
, the 28-nation agreement signed in 1999 to restore peace, stability, and prosperity to the region. Albania receives about €112 million (about $109 million) for the rehabilitation of roads, railroads, harbours, power and water lines, and the airport in Tirana. The Stability Pact earmarks an additional €320 million (about $311 million) for near-term infrastructure projects to be implemented subsequently. The Stability Pact also dominates Albania's foreign-policy agenda. Numerous projects designed to enhance cooperation between Albania and other southeastern European countries in the fields of human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, democracy, and security are launched.
- May 14, 2000
Opposition leader Sali Berisha
Sali Berisha
Sali Ram Berisha is an Albanian politician and cardiologist, currently the Prime Minister of Albania and the leader of Democratic Party of Albania ....
leads 4,000 protestors in the southern port of Vlorë
Vlorë
Vlorë is one of the biggest towns and the second largest port city of Albania, after Durrës, with a population of about 94,000 . It is the city where the Albanian Declaration of Independence was proclaimed on November 28, 1912...
in the first anti-government rally led by the controversial former president.
- May 24, 2000
President Meidani travels to Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, the first visit ever by an Albanian head of state to that heavily ethnic Albanian-populated province in Yugoslavia. Meidani emphasizes Albania's commitment to the creation of "a Europe of the regions" (that is, rather than a continent based on traditional nation-states) and speaks against the desirability of creating a "Greater Albania" that would include ethnic Albanians in neighbouring countries, while stressing the need for closer regional and European integration.
- June 14, 2000
Berisha is barred from entering the Albanian-dominated Yugoslav province of Kosovo by the UN peacekeeping force, which deems him a threat to public order.
- July 7, 2000
In a cabinet reshuffle, Ilir Gjoni replaces Luan Hajdaraga as defense minister.
- September 18, 2000
EU foreign ministers include Albania in a list of Balkan countries offered duty-free access for 95% of their exports. The list does not include neighbouring Serbia and comes as part of a package of measures designed to encourage voters there to embrace reform and oust their federal president, Slobodan Milosevic
Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević was President of Serbia and Yugoslavia. He served as the President of Socialist Republic of Serbia and Republic of Serbia from 1989 until 1997 in three terms and as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000...
.
- October 1 and 15, 2000
The ruling Socialist Party of Albania
Socialist Party of Albania
The Socialist Party of Albania , is a centre-left, social democraticand socially liberal political party in Albania, it is currently the leading opposition party in Albania. It seats 66 MPs in the 2009 Albanian parliament . It achieved power in 1997 after a political crisis and governmental...
emerges as the clear winner of municipal elections, taking 50 municipalities and 218 communities - including the mayoralty of Tirana for the first time since 1992 - although the Democratic Party throughout the year focused attention on rallying support for its candidates, accusing the governing Alliance for the State coalition of corruption and smuggling, charges that the coalition dismissed. The Democrats win only in 11 municipalities and 80 communities after calling for a partial boycott of the vote in the runoff. Two municipalities and 17 communities go to smaller parties and independent candidates.
- October 2000
Following the election of Vojislav Koštunica
Vojislav Koštunica
Vojislav Koštunica is a Serbian politician, statesman and the president of the Democratic Party of Serbia. He was the last President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, succeeding Slobodan Milošević and serving from 2000 to 2003...
as president of Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, Albanian Foreign Minister Paskal Milo makes the resumption of regular bilateral relations dependent on Serbia freeing Kosovo Albanian prisoners and recognizing its responsibility for crimes against humanity in the Kosovo war
Kosovo War
The term Kosovo War or Kosovo conflict was two sequential, and at times parallel, armed conflicts in Kosovo province, then part of FR Yugoslav Republic of Serbia; from early 1998 to 1999, there was an armed conflict initiated by the ethnic Albanian "Kosovo Liberation Army" , who sought independence...
.
2001
Growth in gross domestic productGross domestic product
Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....
is 7.3%, just slightly less than the 7.8% registered in 2000. Unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
drops from 17.1% in 1999 to 13.3% in 2001, thanks to a government-supported job-creation program that includes infrastructure-development projects within the framework of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe.
Although Albania has made strides toward democratic reform and maintaining the rule of law
Rule of law
The rule of law, sometimes called supremacy of law, is a legal maxim that says that governmental decisions should be made by applying known principles or laws with minimal discretion in their application...
, serious deficiencies in the electoral code remain to be addressed, as demonstrated in the June 2001 parliamentary elections
Albanian parliamentary election, 2001
Parliamentary elections were held in Albania on 24 June 2001. The result was a victory for the ruling Socialist Party of Albania, which won 73 of the 140 seats, resulting in Ilir Meta remaining Prime Minister...
. International observers judged the 2001 elections to be acceptable, but the Union for Victory Coalition
Union for Victory Coalition
The Union for Victory Coalition was a coalition of political parties in Albania. The spokesman was Gent Strazimiri. It received 37.1% of the vote and 46 members of parliament in the 2001 election. It is made up of the following parties:...
, the second-largest vote recipient, disputed the results and boycotted parliament until January 31, 2002. The Socialists re-elected Ilir Meta
Ilir Meta
Ilir Rexhep Meta is an Albanian politician. He is the current Deputy Prime Minister. He was Prime Minister of Albania from 1999 to 2002 and has been Foreign minister twice since then.- Studies :...
as Prime Minister in August 2001, a post which he held till February 2002, when he resigned due to party infighting. Pandeli Majko
Pandeli Majko
Pandeli Majko was Prime Minister of Albania from 1998 to 1999 and for a short time in 2002.He graduated at the University of Tirana, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, and later in Law.- MP of the Socialist Party :...
was re-elected Prime Minister in February 2002.
- March 2001
The large ethnic Albanian minority in neighbouring Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
stages an armed rebellion. Although Albania's prime minister Ilir Meta
Ilir Meta
Ilir Rexhep Meta is an Albanian politician. He is the current Deputy Prime Minister. He was Prime Minister of Albania from 1999 to 2002 and has been Foreign minister twice since then.- Studies :...
supports international peace negotiations (which lead to a truce and a peace settlement in late August), there is evidence to suggest that Albanian border guards have at first failed to seal the border completely to arms smugglers supplying the rebels in Macedonia.
- Mid-April 2001
The government is strongly criticized for its unsuccessful policy toward human trafficking
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
. The International Organization for Migration
International Organization for Migration
The International Organization for Migration is an intergovernmental organization. It was initially established in 1951 as the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration to help resettle people displaced by World War II....
(IOM) joins Save the Children
Save the Children
Save the Children is an internationally active non-governmental organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries...
in highlighting the trade in eastern European women and even Albanian children, and accuses local Albanian police of colluding in the lucrative industry. IOM points out that there have been fewer prosecutions of smugglers than of victims of the trade.
- April 18, 2001
The government announces that legislative elections will take place on June 24.
- June 24, 2001
In the first round of the parliamentary elections (turnout 54.9%), the ruling Socialist Party, with a reform-oriented program, wins 31 seats; the opposition Union for Victory coalition, formed by the Democratic Party, receives 16 seats. In the second round on July 8, the Socialist Party wins another 44 and the Union for Victory 30. The opposition had been split since 2000, when the New Democrat Party was formed, whose leader, Genc Pollo
Genc Pollo
Genc Stefenaq Pollo is an Albanian politician and a member of Parliament.He was reelected as a member of the Albanian Parliament after the general elections, held in June 2009 which reconfirmed a Democratic Party led coalition and was appointed Minister for Innovation and Information Communication...
, charged Berisha with failing to offer convincing answers to the country's essential problems. Pollo's leadership appealed to many voters who were looking for a group among the opposition that could demonstrate some political competence. The new party wins six seats in the new parliament.
- July 30, 2001
The opposition Democratic Party (PDS) announces that it will not accept the results of the "farcical" legislative election and that it will consequently stay away from the People's Assembly. According to final results announced on August 21 the ruling Socialist Party won a clear majority of 73 seats in the 140-seat Assembly, while the Union for Victory won only 46. Observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe disagree with the PDS and describe the poll as free and fair.
- September 3, 2001
The Democratic Party boycotts the opening session of the People's Assembly in defiance of the government's recent electoral victory.
- September 12, 2001
Parliament gives Prime Minister Ilir Meta's new government a vote of confidence. Within the governing coalition the Socialist Party controls all key ministries. Arta Dade becomes foreign minister (the first woman in Albanian history to hold that post), Ilir Gjoni interior minister, and Pandeli Majko defense minister; Anastas Angjeli remains finance minister. The chairman of the Social Democratic Party, Skënder Gjinushi, takes charge of labour and social affairs, while another Social Democrat, former foreign minister Paskal Milo, becomes minister of Euro-Atlantic integration. Former justice minister Arben Imami
Arben Imami
Arben Fahri Imami is an Albanian politician, the Minister of Defence.Imami was born in Tirana, and attended the High Institute of Arts of Tirana between 1977 and 1981. Later he was a professor at the Academy of Arts of Tirana...
becomes minister of local government and decentralization, pledging to focus on strengthening the role of cities and towns; Niko Kacalidha (of the Union Party, which represents many ethnic Greeks) is appointed to the new post of state minister for minorities and the diaspora. For his part, Prime Minister Meta pledges to upgrade power supplies, proceed with privatization, fight corruption and organized crime, improve ties with Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
and neighbours in the Balkan region, and promote free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
.
- Early December 2001
Five cabinet members resign after a concerted campaign by Fatos Nano, the leader of the ruling Socialist Party, to bring about a reshuffle. Nano has accused the government of high-level corruption
Embezzlement
Embezzlement is the act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted....
.
2002
- Albania is working to conclude free-trade agreements with Macedonia, Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Hercegovina, and Croatia.
The economy suffers a slight setback. Unemployment creeps up during the year. A United Nations Development Project report estimates that one-third of the population lives in poverty, earning less than $1 per capita per day. Large segments of the population live from subsistence agriculture
Subsistence agriculture
Subsistence agriculture is self-sufficiency farming in which the farmers focus on growing enough food to feed their families. The typical subsistence farm has a range of crops and animals needed by the family to eat and clothe themselves during the year. Planting decisions are made with an eye...
and do not receive unemployment benefits.
- January 29, 2002
Prime Minister of Albania Ilir Meta
Ilir Meta
Ilir Rexhep Meta is an Albanian politician. He is the current Deputy Prime Minister. He was Prime Minister of Albania from 1999 to 2002 and has been Foreign minister twice since then.- Studies :...
resigns in anger over a continuing row with the leader of his Socialist Party, Fatos Nano
Fatos Nano
Fatos Thanas Nano is an Albanian economist who was Prime Minister of Albania during several periods, the first leader of the Socialist Party of Albania, and member of the Albanian Parliament from 1991 to 1996 and 1997 to 2009...
, who has been resisting the appointment of ministers to vacant cabinet positions. Earlier that day the opposition Democratic Party ended its four-month boycott of the People's Assembly.
- February 7, 2002
Defense Minister Pandeli Majko
Pandeli Majko
Pandeli Majko was Prime Minister of Albania from 1998 to 1999 and for a short time in 2002.He graduated at the University of Tirana, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, and later in Law.- MP of the Socialist Party :...
receives the backing of the various warring factions within the ruling Socialist Party to be the country's next prime minister. Nominated by outgoing premier Meta, Majko agrees to accommodate supporters of party leader Nano in a new cabinet. The previous deadlock led the International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
(IMF) and the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
to freeze aid payments until the situation was resolved. On February 16 President Meidani accepts Majko's proposed cabinet, including Kastriot Islami
Kastriot Islami
Kastriot Selman Islami is an Albanian politician. He was Chairman of the Parliament of Albania from April 17, 1991 to April 6, 1992. On April 3, 1992, when the last communist president, Ramiz Alia resigned, Islami served as acting president for three days...
as finance minister, Luan Rama as defense minister, and Stefan Çipa as interior minister; Arta Dade is to remain as foreign minister. The cabinet is approved by Parliament on February 22.
- June 24, 2002
Parliament elects Alfred Moisiu
Alfred Moisiu
was the fourth President of the Republic of Albania from July 24, 2002 to July 24, 2007. He is the son of Albanian Army general Spiro Moisiu....
as president (97-19). He is sworn in July 24. On July 25 Prime Minister Majko resigns. On July 31 Parliament approves (81-48) a new government with Socialist Party Chairman Fatos Nano as prime minister, Majko as defense minister, Ilir Meta as foreign minister, and Luan Rama as interior minister; Kastriot Islami remains finance minister. Nano's appointment marks the end of a power struggle between the party leader and his two younger challengers Meta and Majko, both of whom had served as prime minister since Nano resigned the post during a period of civil unrest in 1998. Media analysis suggests that Nano elbowed Meta and Majko aside in a grab for power after realizing that he was too controversial a figure to aspire to the presidency. The European Parliament had urged Albanian legislators to elect a president who would be acceptable to both the governing coalition and the opposition. Moreover, Meta and the outgoing president, Meidani, both openly opposed Nano's candidacy for the presidency. The election of Moisiu essentially sealed the Socialist legislators' compromise with the opposition led by the Democratic Party. Nano and Berisha say that the deal signals that the two rival party leaders have put years of fighting behind them. Moisiu, a 73-year-old retired general, served as president of the Albanian North Atlantic Treaty Association and is considered friendly by the opposition.
- August 29, 2002
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's chief of mission, Geert-Hinrich Ahrens, praises Albania in his end-of-mission address to the OSCE Permanent Council, reporting that the country is "in the forefront of reform in the region" and adding that recent achievements have "brought Albania to the threshold of opening negotiations for a Stabilization and Association Agreement
European Union Association Agreement
A European Union Association Agreement is a treaty between the European Union and a non-EU country that creates a framework for co-operation between them. Areas frequently covered by such agreements include the development of political, trade, social, cultural and security links...
with the European Union." Finnish diplomat Osmo Lipponen succeeds Ahrens on September 1.
2003
- February 12–13, 2003
Albania opens negotiations with the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
on a Stabilization and Association Agreement, the first step towards membership of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
- May 2, 2003
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African American to serve in that position. During his military...
signs a partnership agreement with Albania, Macedonia, and Croatia intended to help them achieve NATO membership.
- July 18, 2003
Angered by Nano's comments during a cabinet meeting, Foreign Minister Meta resigns in protest at Nano's "nihilistic, tendentious, and denigrating" criticism. On July 22 Marko Bello is nominated to be foreign minister, but he is rejected by parliament on July 28. On July 29 Luan Hajdaraga is named acting foreign minister.
- October 12, 2003
The Socialist Party wins a narrow victory over the Democratic Party in local elections. Turnout is around 50%.
- October 17, 2003
Interior Minister Luan Rama is sacked. He has been accused of punching the editor-in-chief of Vizion Plus television, Ilir Babaramo, in a Tirana restaurant on October 14 because of criticism broadcast by the TV station two months ago. On October 23 Prime Minister Nano's nominees for foreign minister, Namik Dokle
Namik Dokle
Namik Dokle is an Albanian politician. He served as Chairman of the Assembly of the Republic of Albania from 4 September, 2001 to 30 April, 2002....
, and for interior minister, Fatmir Xhafa, are rejected by parliament. On October 25 Nano picks Igli Toska to be acting interior minister.
- October 19, 2003
In Tiran, more than 2,000 people hold a "people's marathon" to celebrate the beatification of Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
, who was born to Albanian parents in what is now the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
.
- December 29, 2003
Parliament finally approves new ministers for the vacant posts. Kastriot Islami
Kastriot Islami
Kastriot Selman Islami is an Albanian politician. He was Chairman of the Parliament of Albania from April 17, 1991 to April 6, 1992. On April 3, 1992, when the last communist president, Ramiz Alia resigned, Islami served as acting president for three days...
becomes foreign minister, Arben Malaj
Arben Malaj
Arben Malaj has been Minister of Finance and Economy in the Republic of Albania different times from 1997 until 2005. He is known for transforming the Albanian economy into a European profile, after the hard social-economic crisis that this country passed during the year 1997...
succeeds him as finance minister, and Igli Toska becomes interior minister.
2004
- January - A national day of mourning is called after 20 people dies in a shipwreckage during an illegal attempt to cross the Adriatic seaAdriatic SeaThe Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
and reach ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
- February 7, 2004 - Some 2,000 protesters gather at Prime Minister Nano's office. Stones are thrown and an attempt to storm the building is repelled by guards. Earlier in the day over 4,000 demonstrators rallied in Tirana's central square and, led by Democratic Party leader Berisha, called for Nano to quit.
2005
- July 3 - Parliamentary elections end with a victory for the opposition Democratic PartyDemocratic Party of AlbaniaThe Democratic Party of Albania is a center-right, Conservative, political party in Albania and the leading party in the governing coalition since the 2005 parliamentary elections...
(PD) and its allies, prominently the Republican PartyRepublican Party of AlbaniaThe Republican Party of Albania is a right-wing, national conservative political party in Albania.-History:The Republican Party of Albania was founded in January 1991 under the leadership of the writer Sabri Godo, who was also its first chairman. After the Democratic Party, this was the second...
(PR). Former president Sali BerishaSali BerishaSali Ram Berisha is an Albanian politician and cardiologist, currently the Prime Minister of Albania and the leader of Democratic Party of Albania ....
became prime minister as a result of the election.
- September - After two months of political wrangling, former president Sali Berisha emerges as the victor in July's general election
2006
- April - Speedboats are banned in coastal waters, in order to fight people and drug smuggling
- June - A Stabilisation and Association Agreement is signed between AlbaniaAlbaniaAlbania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
and the European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
2007
Despite the political situationPolitics of Albania
Politics of Albania takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democracy is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament, the Assembly of the Republic of Albania...
, the economy of Albania
Economy of Albania
The economy of Albania has undergone a transition from its communist past into an open-market economy in the early 1990s. Although the country is rich in natural resources, the economy is mainly bolstered by emigrant annual remittances, the informal economy, and the services and agricultural...
grew at an estimated 5% in 2007. The Albanian lek
Albanian lek
The lek is the official currency of Albania. It is subdivided into 100 qindarka , although qindarka are no longer issued.-Names:...
has strengthened from 143 lekë to the US dollar in 2000 to 92 lekë in 2007, mainly due to the depreciation of the US dollar, but also thanks to the overall improvement of the Albanian economy.
- June 10, 2007
US President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
visited Albania, the first sitting US President to do so. While Mr Bush was glad-handing cheering crowds, it appears as if his wristwatch is stolen. TV footage of the President being mobbed, taken by the Albanian TV station News24, was broadcasted on Italian TV news bulletins and watched by thousands on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
. It was later reported that Bush had given the watch to a guard.
- July - Bamir TopiBamir TopiBamir Myrteza Topi is the fifth and current President of Albania since 24 July 2007. He was also Honorary President of Albanian football club KF Tirana from 2005 to 2007.-Early life and public activities:...
, ruling party chairmanpresident, is elected by the Parliament as President of Albania, after three failed round highlighted the risk of snap elections.
2008
- March 15 – An explosion in a badly-maintained arms depot causes 16 deaths and over 300 injured, damaging Tirana airport. Defense minister Fatmir Mediu resigns.
- June 12 – Opposition Socialist Party leaves the Parliament, accusing the ruling Democratic Party of postponing voting on five new members of the Supreme Court awaiting appointment by President Bamir TopiBamir TopiBamir Myrteza Topi is the fifth and current President of Albania since 24 July 2007. He was also Honorary President of Albanian football club KF Tirana from 2005 to 2007.-Early life and public activities:...
.
2009
- April – Albania joins NATO and submit application for membership in the European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
- July – Sali BerishaSali BerishaSali Ram Berisha is an Albanian politician and cardiologist, currently the Prime Minister of Albania and the leader of Democratic Party of Albania ....
's centre-right Democratic Party wins 2009 parliamentary electionsAlbanian parliamentary election, 2009A parliamentary election was held in Albania on 28 June 2009. Prior to the election, the electoral law was changed to a regional and proportional system...
by a narrow margin. Prior to the election, the electoral law was changed to a regional proportionally system.Berisha's alliance won enough seats to form a government, though it fell one seat short of a majority during the elections of Jun 28th 2009, having to join forces with a splinter socialist party, the Socialist Movement for IntegrationSocialist Movement for IntegrationThe Socialist Movement for Integration is a social democratic Albanian political party. It was formed in 2004 after Ilir Meta quit the Socialist Party of Albania.At the elections in July 2005 the party won five seats in the Parliament...
of Ilir MetaIlir MetaIlir Rexhep Meta is an Albanian politician. He is the current Deputy Prime Minister. He was Prime Minister of Albania from 1999 to 2002 and has been Foreign minister twice since then.- Studies :...
, 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 has been forced into a coalition through not winning enough seats on its own.
- November – Protests begin in Tirana, led by opposition Socialist Party leader Edi RamaEdi RamaEdi Rama is an Albanian politician, painter, publicist, professor, and former athlete. Currently he is the leader of the Socialist Party of Albania, the biggest party in Albania , by wining the most of votes as a party in the last eight election.He has served as board member at the local Soros...
, against allegedly rigged vote counting in the 2009 elections. BerishaBerishaBerisha is an Albanian surname, concentrated in northern Albania and Kosovo. It may refer to:* Sali Berisha , Albanian Prime Minister* Naim Berisha Albanian writer and poet* Bekim Berisha , Kosovar member of the Kosovo Liberation Army....
has refused any recount of the votes, on the ground that the Albanian Constitution do not foresee such procedure. The political crisis between government and opposition has worsened over time, with the Socialists abandoning parliamentary debates for months and staging hungerstrikes to ask for internal and international support.
2010
- May – The Socialist Party starts a civil disobedience campaign against the government, asking for a new count of votes, and including hunger strikeHunger strikeA hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
of opposition leaders
- September – Economy minister Dritan Prifti resigns after being involved in a corruption scandal.
- October 28 – The opposition Socialist Party again walks out of the Parliament
- November – The European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
rejects Albania's request for EU candidate status, but visa are liberalized. The ongoing political crisis was one of the reason of the refusal of granting Albania official candiday status
2011
- January 7 – The Central Election Commission begins burning the ballots of the 2009 parliamentary electionsAlbanian parliamentary election, 2009A parliamentary election was held in Albania on 28 June 2009. Prior to the election, the electoral law was changed to a regional and proportional system...
, in a routine process leading to the May 8th local elections, making a second count (repeatedly requested by opposition) impossible. The Socialist Party has accused the CEC and the Berisha government to attempt hiding vote manipulation.
- January 14 – Economy and Trade Minister Ilir MetaIlir MetaIlir Rexhep Meta is an Albanian politician. He is the current Deputy Prime Minister. He was Prime Minister of Albania from 1999 to 2002 and has been Foreign minister twice since then.- Studies :...
resigns after being involved in a corruption scandal.
- January 21 – Clashes break up2011 Albanian opposition demonstrationsThe 2011 Albanian opposition demonstrations are a series of anti-government protests in cities around Albania. Following 18 months of political conflict over alleged electoral fraud by the opposition. A video surfaced which portrayed the vice-Prime Minister corruption deal with the Minister of...
between police and protesters in an anti-government rally in front of the Government building in Tirana. Three people are shot dead. The EU issues a statement to Albanian politicians, warning both sides to refrain from violence.
- May 8 – Local electionsAlbanian local elections, 2011The Albanian local elections of 2011 took place on 8 May 2011 in Albania. Electors were asked to elect their municipality's mayor, municipal council members, municipal unit mayor, and municipal unit members...
see the victory of the Socialist Party of AlbaniaSocialist Party of AlbaniaThe Socialist Party of Albania , is a centre-left, social democraticand socially liberal political party in Albania, it is currently the leading opposition party in Albania. It seats 66 MPs in the 2009 Albanian parliament . It achieved power in 1997 after a political crisis and governmental...
(PS) in the main cities outside Tirana, Lezha and ScutariScutariScutari may refer to:*Üsküdar , in Anatolia, Turkey*Scutari Barracks in Üsküdar; former hospital where Florence Nightingale worked*Shkodër, in Albania; also known as Scutari in antiquity...
; The OSCE released a mixed evaluation of the electoral process, which was considered "competitive and transparent, but took place in an environment of high polarization and mistrust". In TiranaTiranaTirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
, the match was between Edi RamaEdi RamaEdi Rama is an Albanian politician, painter, publicist, professor, and former athlete. Currently he is the leader of the Socialist Party of Albania, the biggest party in Albania , by wining the most of votes as a party in the last eight election.He has served as board member at the local Soros...
, incumbent mayor and PS leader, and Lulzim BashaLulzim BashaLulzim Xhelal Basha is an Albanian politician.In 2005, Basha was appointed Minister of Public Works, Transport and Telecommunications in the government of Sali Berisha where he served for two years...
, DP minister of the interior. After a long process of votes counting, Rama was first declared winner for a tight margin of 10 votes. Then, the DP-led Central Electoral Commission decided to add to the count some of the votes misplaced in the wrong boxes, a move on doubtful legal grounds that was contested by the opposition as well as by the OSCE. Basha was finally declared winner for 83 votes. The EU Commission president José Manuel Barroso consequently cancelled his visit to TiranaTiranaTirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
; the Nobel-prize Ismail KadaréIsmail KadareIsmail Kadare is an Albanian writer. He is known for his novels, although he was first noticed for his poetry collections. 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...
pledged him to withdraw his candidacy to avoid the "collapse" and "isolation" of Albania.
External links
- BBC, Timeline of Albania
- Post-communist Albania on NationsEncyclopedia.com