Socialist Party of Albania
Encyclopedia
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 (out of a total of 140). It achieved power in 1997 after a political crisis and governmental realignment. In the 2001 General Election it secured 73 seats in the Parliament, which enabled it to form the Government. In the General Election of 3 July 2005, the Socialist Party lost its majority and the Democratic Party of Albania
formed the new Government, having secured, with its allies, a majority of 81 seats.
The Albanian Labor Party during its Tenth Congress in June 1991 changed its name to the Socialist Party of Albania, and also changed its ideology from communism
to social democracy
. Fatos Nano
a man from the intelligencia was elected its first Chairman. Nano helped to reformed the old communist party and made it a member of the Socialist International
. On 1 September 2005 Nano resigned as the chairman of the Socialist Party, after losing the elections. He was succeeded by Edi Rama
, who altered the party ideology to Social liberalism
. The Socialist Party of Albania is a member of the Socialist International
. Its newspaper
is Zëri i Popullit
since 1944.
was the head of SPA 1991-2005. In 2005, after a defeat in the national elections, he resigned from his post. Currently, SPA's leader is Edi Rama, the mayor of Tirana
. Gramoz Ruçi
, former Interior Minister and well-known for his loyalty to the party, is the head of the Socialist Group, which has 64 MP's. Vice-coordinators of the group are Erjon Brace, Vasilika Hysi, Saimir Tahiri, Eduard Shalsi and Taulant Balla. Arta Dade is the party secretary for international affairs, and she is assisted by Arben Ahmetaj, Taulant Balla, Olta Xhacka, Ditmir Bushati and Qemal Minxhozi. Ahmetaj and Balla usually deal with SPA relationships with the other left parties in Europe, especially with the Greek PASOK, with whom SPA is very close. Blendi Klosi (former Culture minister and SPA organizative secretary), is also seen as a very important politician in SPA, as well as Fatmir Xhafaj (lawyer and former Justice Minister). Ben Blushi is a very interesting party official.
Centre-left
Centre-left is a political term that describes individuals, political parties or organisations such as think tanks whose ideology lies between the centre and the left on the left-right spectrum...
, social democraticand socially liberal
Social liberalism
Social liberalism is the belief that liberalism should include social justice. It differs from classical liberalism in that it believes the legitimate role of the state includes addressing economic and social issues such as unemployment, health care, and education while simultaneously expanding...
political party in 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...
, it is currently the leading opposition party in Albania. It seats 66 MPs in the 2009 Albanian parliament (out of a total of 140). It achieved power in 1997 after a political crisis and governmental realignment. In the 2001 General Election it secured 73 seats in the Parliament, which enabled it to form the Government. In the General Election of 3 July 2005, the Socialist Party lost its majority and 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...
formed the new Government, having secured, with its allies, a majority of 81 seats.
The Albanian Labor Party during its Tenth Congress in June 1991 changed its name to the Socialist Party of Albania, and also changed its ideology from communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
to social democracy
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
. 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...
a man from the intelligencia was elected its first Chairman. Nano helped to reformed the old communist party and made it a member of the Socialist International
Socialist International
The Socialist International is a worldwide organization of democratic socialist, social democratic and labour political parties. It was formed in 1951.- History :...
. On 1 September 2005 Nano resigned as the chairman of the Socialist Party, after losing the elections. He was succeeded by Edi Rama
Edi Rama
Edi 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...
, who altered the party ideology to Social liberalism
Social liberalism
Social liberalism is the belief that liberalism should include social justice. It differs from classical liberalism in that it believes the legitimate role of the state includes addressing economic and social issues such as unemployment, health care, and education while simultaneously expanding...
. The Socialist Party of Albania is a member of the Socialist International
Socialist International
The Socialist International is a worldwide organization of democratic socialist, social democratic and labour political parties. It was formed in 1951.- History :...
. Its newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
is Zëri i Popullit
Zëri i Popullit
Zëri i Popullit is an Albanian daily newspaper that was originally founded on August 25, 1942 as the official newspaper of Albania and was the news and propaganda organ of the Party of Labour. After the Socialist People's Republic of Albania was disbanded in 1992, the paper continued to get...
since 1944.
Politicians
Fatos NanoFatos 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 the head of SPA 1991-2005. In 2005, after a defeat in the national elections, he resigned from his post. Currently, SPA's leader is Edi Rama, the mayor of 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...
. Gramoz Ruçi
Gramoz Ruçi
Gramoz Ruçi is an Albanian politician, serving as the head of the parliamentarian group of the opposition.-Early life:Gramoz Ruçi was born in 1952 in Salari, a village in Tepelenë District, in southern Albania. He graduated in Chemistry, and started to work as a teacher in Progonat. There, he met...
, former Interior Minister and well-known for his loyalty to the party, is the head of the Socialist Group, which has 64 MP's. Vice-coordinators of the group are Erjon Brace, Vasilika Hysi, Saimir Tahiri, Eduard Shalsi and Taulant Balla. Arta Dade is the party secretary for international affairs, and she is assisted by Arben Ahmetaj, Taulant Balla, Olta Xhacka, Ditmir Bushati and Qemal Minxhozi. Ahmetaj and Balla usually deal with SPA relationships with the other left parties in Europe, especially with the Greek PASOK, with whom SPA is very close. Blendi Klosi (former Culture minister and SPA organizative secretary), is also seen as a very important politician in SPA, as well as Fatmir Xhafaj (lawyer and former Justice Minister). Ben Blushi is a very interesting party official.
2011 local elections
| District | District capital | Capital's municipal council percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Berat District Berat District The District of Berat is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Berat County. It has a population of 117,066 , and an area of 939 km². It is in the centre of the country, and its capital is Berat. The other large population centres in this district are Polican and Ura Vajgurore... |
Berat Berat Berat is a town located in south-central Albania. As of 2009, the town has an estimated population of around 71,000 people. It is the capital of both the District of Berat and the larger County of Berat... |
33,45 % |
| Bulqizë District Bulqizë District The District of Bulqizë is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Dibër County. It has a population of 28,374, and an area of 469 km². It is in the east of the country, and its capital is Bulqizë.... |
Bulqizë Bulqizë Bulqizë is a town in eastern Albania with an estimated population of 12,388 . It is the capital of the Bulqizë District, which is part of Dibër County.... |
11.17 % |
| Delvinë District Delvinë District The District of Delvinë or District of Delvina is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Vlorë County. Its population of 11,985 includes a substantial Greek community. The district has an area of 348 km² . It is in the south of the country, and its capital is Delvinë... |
Delvinë Delvinë Delvinë is a small town in Vlorë County in southern Albania, 16 km northeast of Saranda. Delvinë is the seat of the Delvinë District. Delvinë has lost over a third of its citizens since 1990, having a population of 4,200 .The city is built on a mountain slope... |
17.61 % |
| Devoll District Devoll District The District of Devoll is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Korçë County and derives its name from the Devoll river flowing through the valley. It has a population of 33,785, and an area of 429 km². It is in the southeastern corner of the country, and its capital is Bilisht... |
Bilisht Bilisht Bilisht is a city of about 12,000 people. It is the local capital of Devoll District, south-eastern Albania. The city is 9 km from the border with Greece at Kapshticë. The closest Greek town across the border is Krystallopigi in the Florina Prefecture. Bilisht is at about 800–850 meters above... |
19.09 % |
| Dibër District Dibër District The District of Dibër is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Dibër County. It has a population of 62,825, and an area of 1088 km². It is in the north-east of the country, and its capital is Peshkopi.... |
Peshkopi Peshkopi Peshkopi is a city in Dibër District, Dibër County, northeastern Albania.It is located away from Tirana, the capital of Albania, and from the Macedonian border. It is situated at 41°40'N and 20°25'. It sits above sea level. In the 2004 census, there were approximately 14,100 residents. It is... |
20.58 % |
| Durrës District Durrës District The District of Durrës is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Durrës County. It has a population of 242,801 , and an area of 433 km². It is in the west of the country, and its capital is Durrës... |
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... |
38.07 % |
| Elbasan District Elbasan District The District of Elbasan is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Elbasan County. It has a population of 224,689 , and an area of 1,372 km². It is in the centre of the country, and its capital is Elbasan... |
Elbasan Elbasan Elbasan is a city in central Albania. It is located on the Shkumbin River in the District of Elbasan and the County of Elbasan, at... |
35.37 % |
| Fier District Fier District The District of Fier is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Fier County. It has a population of 199,442 , and an area of 785 km². It is in the south-west of the country, and its capital is Fier... |
Fier Fier Fieri is a city in southwest Albania, in the district and county of the same name. It is located at , and has a population of 82,297 . Fier is from the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Apollonia.-History :... |
42.75 % |
| Gjirokastër District Gjirokastër District The District of Gjirokastër is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania. It has a population of 56,720 containing a large Greek minority, and an area of 1,137 km². It is in the south of the country, and its capital is Gjirokastër... |
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... |
32.42 % |
| Gramsh District Gramsh District The District of Gramsh is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Elbasan County. It has a population of 24,230 , and an area of 695 km². It is in the centre of the country, and its capital is Gramsh. The district consists of the following... |
Gramsh Gramsh Gramsh is a town in central Albania, the capital of the Gramsh District, which borders the district of Pogradec to the east. Its population is estimated at 11,556 .... |
16.11 % |
| Has District Has District The District of Has is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania and one of the smallest. It has a population of 17,419 , and an area of . It is in the north-east of the country, part of Kukës County, and its capital and only municipality is Krumë... |
Krumë Krumë Krumë is the capital of the Has, northern Albania. It is a pleasant small town located at the north-west foot of the Bjeshka e Krumes mountain , from which comes a large source of underground water called Vrella with clean and cool water serving the domestic population's needs for fresh water... |
7.82 % |
| Kavajë District Kavajë District The District of Kavajë is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Tirana County. It has a population of 82,921 , and an area of 414 km². It is in the west of the country, and its capital is Kavajë... |
Kavajë Kavajë Kavajë or Kavaja, capital of Kavajë District, Tirana County is a city situated on the western inlands, just a few kilometers off the Adriatic Sea, in Central Albania.The District of Kavajë has a population of 82,921 inhabitants as of January 1, 2010.... |
25.64 % |
| Kolonjë District Kolonjë District The Kolonjë District , is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Korçë County. It has a population of 14,318 . The district has an area of 805 km². It is in the south-east of the country, and its capital is Ersekë. Other towns in this district include Leskovik to the south... |
Ersekë | 32.15 % |
| Korçë District Korçë District The District of Korçë , is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania. According estimates, as of January 1, 2010, 138,898 people lived in the Korce District... |
Korçë Korçë Korçë is a city in southeastern Albania and the capital of the Korçë District. It has a population of around 105,000 people , making it the sixth largest city in Albania... |
39.02 % |
| Krujë District Krujë District The District of Krujë is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Durrës County. It has a population of 67,698 , and an area of 333 km². It is in the centre of the country, and its capital is Krujë. The district consists of the following... |
Krujë Krujë Krujë is a town in north central Albania and the capital of the municipality and the Krujë District. It has a population of about 15,900. Located between Mount Krujë and the Ishëm River, the city is only 20 km from the capital of Albania, Tirana.... |
9.80 % |
| Kuçovë District Kuçovë District The District of Kuçovë is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Berat County. It has a population of 34,907 , and an area of 84 km². It is in the centre of the country, and its capital is Kuçovë.-Description:... |
Kuçovë Kuçovë Kuçovë is an Albanian city, capital of the Kuçovë District, with many parks and museums.-Ancient :Archaeologists found in the village of Katundas near Kuçovë six phases of inhabitation dating to the Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, urban Illyrian and the Late Antiquity era.- Modern... |
39.89 % |
| Kukës District Kukës District The District of Kukës is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania. It has a population 45,616 and area of 938 km². The district's only urban municipality is Kukës, which also is where the districts administrative headquarters are located... |
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... |
6.03 % |
| Kurbin District Kurbin District The District of Kurbin is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Lezhë County. It has a population of 54,977 , and an area of 273 km². It is in the west of the country, and its capital is Laç. The district consists of the following municipalities:*Fushë-Kuqe*Laç*Mamurras*Milot... |
Laç Laç Laç or also Laçi is a city in northwestern Albania. It is the administrative center of the Kurbin District, which is part of Lezhë County. The official population is 23,400, however, the accuracy of official population statistics is questionable.... |
27.35 % |
| Lezhë District Lezhë District The District of Lezhë is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Lezhë County. It has a population of 77,184 , and an area of 479 km². It is in the north-west of the country, and its capital is Lezhë.... |
Lezhë Lezhë Lezhë is a city in northwest Albania, in the district and county with the same name. It is located at and has a population of about 27,500... |
12.45 % |
| Librazhd District Librazhd District The District of Librazhd is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Elbasan County. It has a population of 63,192 , and an area of . It was formed as an administrative unit in 1958. It is in the east of the country, and its capital and administrative center is... |
Librazhd Librazhd Librazhd is a town in eastern Albania, capital of the Librazhd District. It has a population of approximately 9,998. Librazhd is the nearest town to the Shebenik-Jabllanice National Park... |
15.89 % |
| Lushnjë District Lushnjë District The District of Lushnjë is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Fier County. It has a population of 143,276 , and an area of 712 km². It is in the west of the country and 80 km south of Tirana. Its capital is Lushnjë... |
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... |
40.27 % |
| Malësi e Madhe District Malësi e Madhe District The Malësi e Madhe District is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Shkodër County. It has a population of 36,091 , and an area of 555 km². It is in the north of the country, and its capital is Koplik... |
Koplik Koplik Koplik is a city and urban municipality, serving as the capital of the Malësi e Madhe district in the northwestern tip of Albania. It is situated north of the city of Shkodër.-History:... |
12.63 % |
| Mallakastër District Mallakastër District The District of Mallakastër is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Fier County. It has a population of 31,356 , and an area of 393 km². It is in the south of the country, and its capital is Ballsh... |
Ballsh Ballsh -Overview:The city's surrounding fields are rich in crude petroleum and are dotted by a series of oil wells established during the communist dictatorship. Only a fraction of these wells are operating today, but the city includes a working refinery, and outputs of naphthas are significant... |
33.79 % |
| Mat District Mat District The District of Mat is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Dibër County. It is named after the Mat River, that flows through the district. It has a population of 48,803 , and an area of 1,029 km². Its capital is Burrel... |
Burrel | 18.17 % |
| Mirditë District Mirditë District The District of Mirditë is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Lezhë County. It has a population of 26,668 , and an area of 867 km². It is in the north of the country, and its capital is Rrëshen... |
Rrëshen Rrëshen Rrëshen is a small Albanian city and the administrative seat of the Mirditë District, in northern Albania. In 2001, it had a population of 9,240 people.-The City:... |
8.79 % |
| Peqin District Peqin District The District of Peqin is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Elbasan County. It has a population of 31,004 , and an area of 109 km². It is in the centre of the country, and its capital is Peqin.... |
Peqin Peqin Peqin is the capital of the Peqin District in central Albania. The town has a population of 10,000.The ancient name of Peqin was Claudiana. The city's modern name derives from the Ottoman form Bekleyin, which means a place of hospitality. During Ottoman rule Peqin belonged to the Sanjak of Elbasan... |
12.70 % |
| Përmet District Përmet District The District of Përmet is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Gjirokastër County. Its population of 22,029 includes Aromanian minorities. The district has an area of 930 km². It is in the south-east of the country, and its capital is Përmet... |
Përmet Përmet Përmet is a town in Albania, capital of Përmet District. The population is 7,717. It is flanked by the Vjosë river, which runs along the Trebeshinë-Dhëmbel-Nemërçkë mountain chain, between Trebeshinë and Dhëmbel mountains, and through the Këlcyra gorge.... |
10.88 % |
| Pogradec District Pogradec District The District of Pogradec is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Korçë County. It has a population of 70,575 , and an area of 725 km². It is in the east of the country, and its capital is Pogradec... |
Pogradec Pogradec Pogradec is a city in southeastern Albania, situated on the shores of Ohrid lake. It is the capital of the District of Pogradec, in the County of Korçë, located at 40.87°N and 20.70°E with a population of around 30,000 . The total area of the district is 725 km². Pogradec alone occupies about... |
28.26 % |
| Pukë District Pukë District The District of Pukë is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Shkodër County. It has a population of 24,323 , and an area of 1,034 km².It is located in the north of the country and its capital is Pukë... |
Pukë Pukë Pukë is the capital of the Pukë District in northern Albania. The town has a population of 6,495 . The local football club is called KS Tërbuni Pukë.... |
5.77 % |
| Sarandë District Sarandë District The District of Sarandë is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, found in southern Albania, in the County of Vlorë.The area of the district is 749 square kilometers. The population of the district was 48,474 . According to the census of January 1993, it was 53,700.The centre of the district... |
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... |
30.36 % |
| Shkodër District Shkodër District The District of Shkodër is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Shkodër County. It has a population of 185,646 , and an area of 1,973 km². It is in the north of the country, and its capital is Shkodër... |
Shkodër Shkodër Shkodër , is a city located on Lake of Shkoder in northwestern Albania in the District of Shkodër, of which it is the capital. It is one of the oldest and most historic towns in Albania, as well as an important cultural and economic centre. Shkodër's estimated population is 90,000; if the... |
17.02 % |
| Skrapar District Skrapar District The District of Skrapar is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Berat County. It has a population of 10,200 , and an area of 775 km²... |
Çorovodë Çorovodë Çorovodë, also written as Çorovoda is the main city of Skrapar District, Albania with a population of around 7,000. The Çorovoda River passes through the city and it is also home to a canyon, known as "Pirogosh". Allegedly, two kings, Piro and Goshi, named the cavern... |
22.21 % |
| Tepelenë District Tepelenë District The District of Tepelenë is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Gjirokastër County. It has a population of 23,800 , and an area of 817 km². It is in the south of the country, and its capital is Tepelenë... |
Tepelenë | 34.31 % |
| Tropojë District Tropojë District The District of Tropojë is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Kukës County. It has a population of 16,260 , and an area of 1,043 km². It is in the north of the country, and its capital is Bajram Curri. The area is also known for its massive chestnuts forests and the Valbonë... |
Bajram Curri Bajram Curri Bajram Curri was an ethnic Albanian politician and activist within the Vilayet of Kosovo, Ottoman Empire. He is awarded the title Hero of Albania.... |
9.91 % |
| Vlorë District Vlorë District The District of Vlorë is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Vlorë County. Its population of 151,314 . The district has a land area of 1,609 km². It is in the south-west of the country, and its capital is Vlorë. Its population includes a Greek minority... |
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... |
39.98 % |