The Parliament of Albania ( sq, Kuvendi i Shqipërisë) or Kuvendi is the

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature, which consists of one house or assembly, that legislates and votes as one. Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multic ...

representative body A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known ...

of the citizens of the

Republic of Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares l ...

; it is Albania's

legislature A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its p ...

. The Parliament is composed of no less than 140 members

elected Elected may refer to: * "Elected" (song), by Alice Cooper, 1973 * ''Elected'' (EP), by Ayreon, 2008 *The Elected, an American indie rock band See also *Election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population ...

to a four-year term on the basis of direct, universal, periodic and equal

suffrage Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise, is the right to vote in representative democracy, public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally i ...

secret ballot The secret ballot, also known as the Australian ballot, is a voting method in which a voter's identity in an election or a referendum is anonymous. This forestalls attempts to influence the voter by intimidation, blackmailing, and potential vote ...

. The Parliament is presided over by the

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** I ...

, who is assisted by at least one deputy speaker. The electoral system is based on

party-list proportional representation Party-list proportional representation (list-PR) is a subset of proportional representation electoral systems in which multiple candidates are elected (e.g., elections to parliament) through their position on an electoral list. They can also be us ...

. There are 12 multi-seat

constituencies An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other polity ...

, corresponding to the country's

counties A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

. The Parliament's powers are defined by the Constitution of Albania. It is responsible to amend the borders of Albania or the Constitution, passes all laws, approves the

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

, supervises the work of the government, declares war, decides on cessation of hostilities, adopts the state's budgets and approves the state's accounts. Another duties includes, calling

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

s, performs elections and appointments conforming to the constitution and applicable legislation, supervises operations of the government and other civil services responsible to the parliament, grants amnesty for criminal offences and performs other duties defined by the constitution. The Parliament also

elect An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operated ...

s the President of the Republic. When the Parliament is elected, the first session shall be held no later than 20 days after the completion of elections with the

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

as the speaker. However, all laws passed by the Parliament are published on

Fletorja Zyrtare Fletorja Zyrtare is the official government journal of the Republic of Albania. Published in a bulletin format, the journal is under the editorial oversight of the Official Publishing Center () which is the only institution in the country autho ...

, which is the

official journal A government gazette (also known as an official gazette, official journal, official newspaper, official monitor or official bulletin) is a periodical publication that has been authorised to publish public or legal notices. It is usually establis ...

of the

Government of Albania Albania is a unitary parliamentary constitutional republic, where the President of Albania is the head of state and the Prime Minister of Albania the head of government in a multi-party system. The executive power is exercised by the Government ...

. The oldest Assembly with extant records was held in

Lezhë Lezhë (, sq-definite, Lezha) is a city in the Republic of Albania and seat of Lezhë County and Lezhë Municipality. One of the main strongholds of the Labeatai, the earliest of the fortification walls of Lezhë are of typical Illyrian const ...

on 2 March 1444. The

League of Lezhë The League of Lezhë ( sq, Lidhja e Lezhës), also commonly referred to as the Albanian League ( sq, Lidhja Arbërore), was a military and diplomatic alliance of the Albanian aristocracy, created in the city of Lezhë on 2 March 1444. The Leag ...

(Kuvendi i Lezhës) forged in

under

Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu , reign = 28 November 1443 – 17 January 1468 , predecessor = Gjon Kastrioti , successor = Gjon Kastrioti II , spouse = Donika Arianiti , issue = Gjon Kastrioti II , royal house = Kastrioti , father ...

as the leader against the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

Name and etymology

The word ''Kuvend'', in definite form ''kuvendi'', is a very old word in the

Albanian language Albanian ( endonym: or ) is an Indo-European language and an independent branch of that family of languages. It is spoken by the Albanians in the Balkans and by the Albanian diaspora, which is generally concentrated in the Americas, Europ ...

that is thought to have originated from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

word ''conventus'', meaning gathering of people or

assembly Assembly may refer to: Organisations and meetings * Deliberative assembly, a gathering of members who use parliamentary procedure for making decisions * General assembly, an official meeting of the members of an organization or of their representa ...

. Its use dates back to the fifteenth century when men, mainly from northern Albania, gathered to listen to the debate between

Lekë Dukagjini Lekë III Dukagjini (1410–1481), mostly known as Lekë Dukagjini, was a 15th-century member of the Albanian nobility, from the Dukagjini family. A contemporary of Skanderbeg, Dukagjini is known for the ''Kanuni i Lekë Dukagjinit'', a code of ...

and

Skanderbeg , reign = 28 November 1443 – 17 January 1468 , predecessor = Gjon Kastrioti , successor = Gjon Kastrioti II , spouse = Donika Arianiti , issue = Gjon Kastrioti II , royal house = Kastrioti , father ...

on what would be allowed and what was not. These laws would then be codified into

oral law An oral law is a code of conduct in use in a given culture, religion or community application, by which a body of rules of human behaviour is transmitted by oral tradition and effectively respected, or the single rule that is orally transmitted. M ...

s inherited from generation to generation, especially in the northern areas of Albania, from Dukagjini itself to what is called ''Kanuni i Lekë Dukagjinit'' or simply '' Kanuni''. In the nineteenth century with the

transcription Transcription refers to the process of converting sounds (voice, music etc.) into letters or musical notes, or producing a copy of something in another medium, including: Genetics * Transcription (biology), the copying of DNA into RNA, the fir ...

of these laws by Father

Shtjefën Gjeçovi Shtjefën Konstantin Gjeçov-Kryeziu (12 July 1874 – 14 October 1929) was an Albanian Roman Catholicism, Catholic priest, ethnologist, and folklorist. He is regarded as the father of Albanian folklore studies. Life Gjeçovi was born on 12 Jul ...

, for the first time the institutional meaning of the word is given in written form where in ''Chapter 148'', ''Article 1106'' of the Kanun it is said: The term in the modern history of the Albanian state was used from the very first day of its creation. On 28 November 1912, the most influential and prominent figures of Albania gathered in the so-called All-Albanian Congress held in

Vlorë Vlorë ( , ; sq-definite, Vlora) is the third most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Vlorë County and Vlorë Municipality. Located in southwestern Albania, Vlorë sprawls on the Bay of Vlorë and is surrounded by the foothi ...

, where ''Kuvendi i Vlorës'' (the

Assembly of Vlora Assembly may refer to: Organisations and meetings * Deliberative assembly, a gathering of members who use parliamentary procedure for making decisions * General assembly, an official meeting of the members of an organization or of their representa ...

) was constituted and which as the first decision declared unanimously the Independence of Albania from the

. ''Kuvend'' was later reused to name the country's legislative institution after the communists took power in 1946, refusing to use words borrowed from foreign languages and previously used by other regimes or governments. Today, words such as ''Asambleja'' (the Assembly), ''Parlamenti'' (the Parliament), or the word ''Kuvendi'' itself are part of the ''Albanian dictionary'' which is published periodically by the

Academy of Sciences of Albania The Academy of Sciences of Albania ( sq, Akademia e Shkencave e Shqipërisë), founded in 1972, is the most important scientific institution in Albania. In the 1980s, several research institutes began at the University of Tirana were transferred ...

, and have been used, and continue to be widely used interchangeably to indicate the same thing, by serving more as a

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

for each other than as a translation.

History

The League of Lezhë ( sq, Lidhja e Lezhës), also commonly referred to as the Albanian League ( sq, Lidhja Arbërore), was a military and diplomatic alliance of the Albanian aristocracy, created in the city of

on 2 March 1444. The League of Lezhë is considered as the first unified independent Albanian country in the Medieval age, with

as leader of the regional Albanian chieftains and nobles united against the

. Skanderbeg was proclaimed "Chief of the League of the Albanian people" while Skanderbeg always signed himself as "''Dominus'' ''Albaniae"'' (

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

: ''Zot i Arbërisë'',

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

: ''Lord of Albania''). At the assembly of Lezha, members from the families:

Kastrioti The House of Kastrioti ( sq, Dera e Kastriotëve) was an Albanian noble family, active in the 14th and 15th centuries as the rulers of the Principality of Kastrioti. At the beginning of the 15th century, the family controlled a territory in the ...

Arianiti The House of Arianiti were an Albanian noble family that ruled large areas in Albania and neighbouring areas from the 11th to the 16th century. Their domain stretched across the Shkumbin valley and the old Via Egnatia road and reached east to to ...

, Zaharia,

Muzaka The Muzaka were an Albanian noble family that ruled over the region of Myzeqe (southern Albania) in the Late Middle Ages. The Muzaka are also referred to by some authors as a tribe or a clan. The earliest historical document that mention Muzaka ...

, Spani, Thopia and members of the Balsha and Crnojević which were linked matrilineally or via marriage to the Kastrioti were present. The members contributed to the League with men and money, while maintaining control of the internal affairs of their domains. Soon after its creation the pro-Venetian Balšići and Crnojevići left the league in the events that led to the

Albanian–Venetian War The Albanian–Venetian War of 1447–48 was waged between Venetian and Ottoman forces against the Albanians under George Kastrioti Skanderbeg. The war was the result of a dispute between the Republic and the Dukagjini family over the possessi ...

(1447-48). The peace treaty of the Albanian-Venetian war signed on October 4, 1448 is the first diplomatic document on which the league appears as an independent entity. Barleti referred to the meeting as the ''generalis concilium'' or ''universum concilium'' ("general council" or "whole council"); the term "League of Lezhë" was coined by subsequent historians. League of Lezhë it is considered as the first type of Albanian parliament.

During the Principality

In 1914, with the drafting of the Organic Statute of Albania by the

International Control Commission The International Control Commission (ICC), or in French la Commission Internationale de Contrôle (CIC), was an international force established in 1954. More formally called the International Commission for Supervision and Control, the organisati ...

, the establishment of ''Asambleja Kombëtare'' (the National Assembly) as a legislative body was foreseen. This assembly would consist of a total of 36 members elected by the people, members appointed by the monarch Wilhelm of Albania, as well as

ex officio member An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by right ...

s. The beginning of the

Balkan Wars The Balkan Wars refers to a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan States in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan States of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and defe ...

and

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

made impossible the establishment of the institution. After the end of the First World War, between 25 and 27 of December 1918, the

Congress of Durrës The Congress of Durrës () was a conference of Albanian political leaders, held from December 25 to December 27, 1918, in Durrës, at the time capital of the Principality of Albania. Mehmet Konica was the Chairman of the Congress, which aimed a ...

decided on the formation of a

provisional government A provisional government, also called an interim government, an emergency government, or a transitional government, is an emergency governmental authority set up to manage a political transition generally in the cases of a newly formed state or f ...

, as well as the establishment of the ''Pleqësia'' (the "Council of Elders"), which was essentially a

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

. This Senate would meet once every two months and the government would have to consult with it on major issues related to the fate of the state. However, due to internal divisions the Senate never convened, becoming one of the reasons for the dismissal of the

Government of Durrës The Government of Durrës () was the 4th ruling government of Albania formed after the events at the Congress of Durrës from which it takes its name. The government was headed by Turhan Pashë Përmeti, for whom it was the second time in the po ...

in January 1920. After the dismissal of the Government of Durrës, among others, the

Congress of Lushnja A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...

established the Senate as the first Albanian

legislative A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known as p ...

body, which would later be named ''Këshilli Kombëtar'' (National Council). The council would consist of 37 members elected by the congressional delegates themselves and would have a temporary mandate until elections are held. In this period, the principles of

parliamentarism A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of the ...

are affirmed for the first time: the appointment and dismissal of the Government by the Council, as well as the exercise of parliamentary control over it. The National Council met for the first time on 27 March 1920 in newly established capital,

Tirana Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...

, while the first session was opened by Mytesim Këlliçi until through vote Xhemal Naipi was elected, becoming the 1st Chairman of the National Council. Although the first Albanian legislature extended its activity in a short period of time, it managed to pass some important laws. Some of the most important acts were the Lushnja Statute which constituted a constitutional law, as well as the new electoral law passed on 5 December. This law established the electoral system which was by

indirect election An indirect election or ''hierarchical voting'' is an election in which voters do not choose directly among candidates or parties for an office (direct voting system), but elect people who in turn choose candidates or parties. It is one of the old ...

with two rounds. In the first round, based on the administrative division according to the

Districts of Albania Districts ( sq, or ) were first and second-level administrative divisions of Albania from 19132000. Their number, size, and status changed over time. From 1991 to 2000, the 36 districts were organized into 12 counties. Pursuant to the 1998 Con ...

, every 500 men would elect a delegate, who consequently in the second round will elect a total of 75 members of the National Council, thus making one member elected by about 12,000 eligible voters. Although with many problems, this law paved the way for the creation of the first two Albanian parties which were: ''Partia Popullore'' (the Popular Party) led by

Fan Noli Theofan Stilian Noli, known as Fan Noli (6 January 1882 – 13 March 1965), was an Albanian writer, scholar, diplomat, politician, historian, orator, Archbishop, Metropolitan and founder of the Albanian Orthodox Church and the Albanian Orthodox ...

, and ''Partia Përparimtare'' (the Progressive Party) led by Hoxhë Kadriu and Shefqet Verlaci. The legislative activity of the National Council ended on 20 December 1920, when the Council was dissolved to give way to the first elections in Albania on 21 April 1921. Deputetët e Parlamentit (1921)

Republic, Kingdom, and World War II

During the period of the

Albanian Republic Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

, the country had a

bicameral Bicameralism is a type of legislature, one divided into two separate assemblies, chambers, or houses, known as a bicameral legislature. Bicameralism is distinguished from unicameralism, in which all members deliberate and vote as a single grou ...

legislature, consisting of a

(

: ''Senati'') and a

Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourbon R ...

(

: ''Dhoma e Deputetëve''). From 1928 to 1939, during the era of the Albanian Monarchy, Albania's legislature was known simply as the Parliament (Albanian: Parlamenti). During the

Italian occupation of Albania Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

and the existence of the 1939-43 Albanian Kingdom, Albania's legislature was known as the Supreme Fascist Cooperative (

: ''Korporativi i Epërm Fashist''). From 1943 to 1944, during

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

occupation of Albania and the formation of the 1943-44 Albanian Kingdom, Albania's legislature was known as the National Assembly (Albanian: ''Kuvendi Kombëtar''). From 1944 to late 1945, a National Anti-fascist Liberation Council (Albanian: ''Këshilli Antifashist Nacional Çlirimtar'') was formed by politicians opposing the

puppet government. Later during multiple periods of regime changes, Albania's legislature was known as the

Constituent Assembly A constituent assembly (also known as a constitutional convention, constitutional congress, or constitutional assembly) is a body assembled for the purpose of drafting or revising a constitution. Members of a constituent assembly may be elected b ...

(

: ''Asambleja Kushtetuese'' or ''Kuvendi Kushtetues''). This occurred in 1924, prior to the formation of the

, in 1928, prior to the formation of the first iteration of the Albanian Kingdom, and from 1946 to 1947, prior during the era

Democratic Government of Albania The Hoxha I Government ( Albanian: ''Qeveria e Parë e Enver Hoxhës'') better known as the Democratic Government of Albania was established on 20 October 1944 by the National Liberation Movement, as the Albanian partisan resistance of 1940� ...

and prior to the formation of the

People's Socialist Republic of Albania The People's Socialist Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika Popullore Socialiste e Shqipërisë, links=no) was the Marxist–Leninist one party state that existed in Albania from 1946 to 1992 (the official name of the country was the People's R ...

Since 1946

From 1947 to 1999, during the era of the

, Albania's legislature was known as the People's Assembly (Albanian: ''Kuvendi Popullor''). Since 1997, the parliament has been known simply as the Parliament of the Republic of Albania (Albanian: ''Kuvendi i Republikës së Shqipërisë''). Currently the President is elected by the parliament. The current members were chosen in the 2021 election.

Powers, duties and responsibilities

The Parliament's powers are defined by the Constitution of Albania. The Parliament represents the citizens of the

, it acts as the country's

. It convenes regularly in two sessions each year, the first session on the third Monday of January and the second session on the first Monday of September. However, extraordinary sessions may be called by the

President of Albania The president of Albania ( sq, Presidenti i Shqipërisë), officially styled the President of the Republic of Albania ( sq, Presidenti i Republikës së Shqipërisë), is the head of state, commander-in-chief of the military and the representa ...

, the

Prime Minister of Albania The Prime Minister of Albania ( sq, Kryeministri i Shqipërisë), officially styled Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania ( sq, Kryeministri i Republikës së Shqipërisë), is the head of government of the Republic of Albania and the mos ...

or by one-fifth of the parliamentary members. Further the sessions are open to the public. The parliament decides through a

majority A majority, also called a simple majority or absolute majority to distinguish it from #Related terms, related terms, is more than half of the total.Dictionary definitions of ''majority'' aMerriam-Websterthree-fifths majority votes. Other powers of the parliament include defining economic, legal and political relations in Albania; preservation of Albania's natural and cultural heritage and its utilisation; and forming alliances with other nations. The parliament elect the

and without debate by three-fifths of the parliamentary members. The president addresses messages to the Parliament and sets the date of

parliamentary elections A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

, for the organs of local power and for the conduct of referendums. The president appoints the Prime Minister on the proposal of the parliament; if the Prime Minister is not approved, the parliament elects another Prime Minister within 10 days. As specified by the Constitution, no foreign military force may be situated in, or pass through, the borders of Albania, except by a law approved by the parliament. Due to that, it has the right to deploy Albanian Armed Forces outside its borders.

Composition

The Constitution of Albania mandates that the Parliament consists of at least 140 members, elected by a

, of which 100 members are elected directly. The

term of office A term of office, electoral term, or parliamentary term is the length of time a person serves in a particular elected office. In many jurisdictions there is a defined limit on how long terms of office may be before the officeholder must be subject ...

is four years, but

election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...

s can be held earlier earlier in the relatively rare case that the Parliament is dissolved prematurely by the

. The Parliament can be dissolved by the President on the recommendation of the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

if the latter has lost a vote of confidence in the Parliament, if the recommendation is made and accepted before the Parliament acts to elect a new Prime Minister. Elections for the Parliament are held 30 to 60 days before the end of the mandate, and at most 45 days after its dissolution. The electoral system is

closed list Closed list describes the variant of party-list systems where voters can effectively only vote for political parties as a whole; thus they have no influence on the party-supplied order in which party candidates are elected. If voters had some inf ...

proportional representation. There are 12 multi-member

, corresponding to the 12

of the country. Seats are allocated using the

d'Hondt method The D'Hondt method, also called the Jefferson method or the greatest divisors method, is a method for allocating seats in parliaments among federal states, or in party-list proportional representation systems. It belongs to the class of highest- ...

with a 2.5%

electoral threshold The electoral threshold, or election threshold, is the minimum share of the primary vote that a candidate or political party requires to achieve before they become entitled to representation or additional seats in a legislature. This limit can ...

. Within any constituency, parties must meet a threshold of 3 percent of votes, and pre-election coalitions must meet a threshold of 5 percent of votes.

31st Legislature

The two largest political parties in

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

are the

Socialist Party Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of t ...

(PS) and the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

(PD). The last

elections An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operate ...

were held on 25 April 2021. Following is a list of political parties and alliances with representation in the Parliament by the 25 April 2021 elections: Political parties divided according to post-electoral seats in the ''X Legislature'':

Historical composition

Since 1991

Committees of the Parliament

Parliamentary

committee A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more ...

s investigate specific matters of policy or government administration or performance that cannot be directly handled by the Parliament due to their volume. The committees provide an opportunity for organisations and individuals to participate in

policy Policy is a deliberate system of guidelines to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes. A policy is a statement of intent and is implemented as a procedure or protocol. Policies are generally adopted by a governance body within an organ ...

making and to have their views placed on the public record and considered as part of the decision-making process. The Parliament has the following committees: *Committee on Legal Affairs, Public Administration and Human Rights *Committee on European Integration *Committee on Foreign Policy *Committee on Economy and Finance *Committee on National Security *Committee on Production Activities, Trade and Environment *Committee on Labour, Social Affairs and Health *Committee on Education and Public Information Media

Name and etymology

History

During the Principality

Republic, Kingdom, and World War II

Since 1946

Powers, duties and responsibilities

Composition

31st Legislature

Historical composition

Since 1991

Committees of the Parliament

Legislatures (1920–present)

Opening session presiding MPs

See also

Notes

References