Minister (Albania)
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Albania is a
unitary Unitary may refer to: Mathematics * Unitary divisor * Unitary element * Unitary group * Unitary matrix * Unitary morphism * Unitary operator * Unitary transformation * Unitary representation * Unitarity (physics) * ''E''-unitary inverse semigroup ...
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 and the Prime Minister with its
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 ...
. Legislative power is vested in the Parliament of Albania. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The political system of Albania is laid out in the 1998 constitution. The Parliament adopted the current constitution on 28 November 1998. Historically Albania has had many constitutions. Initially constituted as a monarchy in 1913, Albania became briefly a
republic A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...
in 1925, and then a
democratic monarchy A constitutional monarchy, parliamentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in decision making. Constitutional monarchies dif ...
in 1928. In 1939 Albania was invaded by Fascist Italian forces, imposing a puppet state, and later occupied by Nazi German forces. Following the partisan liberation from the Nazis in 1944 a provisional government was formed, which by 1946 had transformed into a Communist one party state. In March 1991 democracy was restored with multi-party elections. The President represents the unity of the Albanian people in the country and abroad as the head of state and is also the commander-in-chief of the military. The President is nominated through a secret vote and without debate by the Parliament of Albania by a majority of three-fifths of all its members and is in every case elected for 5 years. The President maintains regular and coordinated operation and stability of the national government system, safeguards the independence and territorial integrity of Albania and appoints Prime Ministers on the basis of the balance of power in the Parliament. The Prime Minister is appointed by the president after each parliamentary election and must have the confidence of the Parliament stay in office. The Prime Minister is elected on the basis of universal suffrage, through a
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 ...
, for a four-year term. The constitution sets no limit as to office terms of the prime minister. The Prime Minister is '' de facto'' the most powerful and influential person in Albanian politics. However, in the absence of the prime minister, the Deputy Prime Minister takes over his functions, such as chairing 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 ...
and the
council of ministers A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...
of Albania. The Parliament is a unicameral legislative body of Albania. It is vested in both the government as well as in the parliament. The number of representatives is 140, which are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. The oldest parliament with extant records was held on 2 March 1444, forged in Lezhë 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. Since 1991, the introduction of pluralism, the party system is dominated by the Democratic and the post-communist Socialist.
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 ( ...
are held every four years, the most recent in
2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
. In April 2021 parliamentary election, ruling Socialist Party, led by Prime Minister Edi Rama, secured its third consecutive victory, winning nearly half of votes and enough seats in parliament to govern alone. In February 2022, Albania's Constitutional Court overturned parliament's impeachment of President
Ilir Meta Ilir Rexhep Meta (; born 24 March 1969) is an Albanian politician. He served as President of Albania from 24 July 2017 to 24 July 2022. Previously Meta served as Prime Minister from 1999 to 2002 and he was Speaker of the Parliament of Albania f ...
, opponent of the ruling Socialist Party. Albania is a member state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and also an official candidate for membership in the European Union. with "free and fair elections" in place.


Executive

Since the declaration of independence in 1912, Albania has experienced different models of governance, including an international protectorate, a monarchy, a state-party regime and the parliamentary republic as well. Throughout all this period, the function of the head of state has been exercised in various forms. Nowadays, the President of Albania ''(Presidenti)'' is the head of state, commander-in-chief of the military and the representative of the unity of the
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 ...
people. The President is
indirectly elected 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 ...
to a five-year term by the Parliament by secret vote, requiring a three-fifths majority of the votes of all members. The President has the power to guarantee observation of the Constitution and all laws, act as commander-in-chief of the
Albanian Armed Forces The Albanian Armed Forces ( sq, Forcat e Armatosura të Republikës së Shqipërisë (FARSH)) are the military of Albania and were formed after the declaration of independence in 1912. Today, it consists of the General Staff, the Albanian Land ...
, exercise the duties of the Parliament, when the Parliament is not in session, and appoint the Prime Minister. The President has the power to declare war, to grant pardon and to conclude agreements of peace, alliance, and participation in international organizations; upon the request of the government a simple parliamentary majority is required to ratify such actions, agreements, or treaties. The Prime Minister of Albania ''(Kryeministri)'' is the head of government. According to the Constitution, the Prime Minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in the Albanian parliamentary system. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President; ministers are nominated by the President as well on the basis of the Prime Minister's recommendation. The
Council of Ministers A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...
is responsible for carrying out both foreign and domestic policies. It directs and controls the activities of the ministries and other state organs. The Deputy Prime Minister of Albania ''(Zëvendëskryeministri)'' is the
deputy Deputy or depute may refer to: * Steward (office) * Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy" * Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including: ** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spai ...
head of government. In the absence of the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister takes over his functions, such as chairing 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 ...
and the
Council of Ministers A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...
. , President , Bajram Begaj , Independent , 24 July 2022 , - , Prime Minister , Edi Rama , Socialist Party , 13 September 2013 , - , Deputy Prime Minister ,
Arben Ahmetaj Arben Ahmetaj (born 28 June 1969 in Gjirokastër) is an Albanian politician who served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Albania from 2021 to 2022. Since 2013 previously has served in several important departments such as: Minister of Economic Dev ...
, Socialist Party , 18 September 2021


Legislative

The Parliament of Albania ''(Kuvendi i Shqipërisë)'' is a unicameral legislative body. It is composed of not less than 140 members elected 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 ...
by
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 ...
. As of Article 45 of the Constitution, which guarantees the
right to vote Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise, is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to v ...
, the People of Albania exercise their power through their elected representatives in the Parliament. When the Parliament is elected, the first session shall be held no later than 20 days after the completion of elections with the President as the speaker. There are 15 permanent committees. Extraordinary meets can be called by the President, by the Chairperson of the Parliament, by the Prime Minister or by the one fifth of the members. Decisions are made based on a majority vote if more than half of the members are present, except in cases where the Constitution provides for a special majority. As specified by the current electoral legislation in Albania, 140 members of the Parliament are elected in multi-seat constituencies. 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. All laws passed by the Parliament are published through the
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 ...
, 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. The Chairperson of the Parliament ''(Kryetar i Kuvendit)'' is the presiding officer of the Parliament and is elected by the members of the Parliament. The official function is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, decides who may speak and has the powers to discipline members who break the procedures of the chamber or house. When the President is temporarily absent or incapable of exercising its powers, the chairperson takes over his functions.


Judiciary

Albania follows the civil law tradition, which is based on the French law system. It has a three-tiered, independent judicial system governed by the constitution and national legislation enacted by the Parliament. The judicial branch of Albania is divided into three main institutions; the 'Highest Courts', which includes the
Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
(Gjykata e Lartë) and the Constitutional Court (Gjykata Kushtetuese), the 'Intermediate Courts' such as the
Courts of Appeal A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much of ...
(Gjykata e Apelit), Court of Appeals for Serious Crimes (Gjykata e Apelit për Krimet e rënda), and the Administrative Court of Appeals (Gjykata Administrative e Apelit) as well as the 'First Instance Courts' such as the District Courts (Gjykata e Rrethit Gjyqësor) and the Court of First Instance for Serious Crimes (Gjykata e Shkallës së Parë për Krime të Rënda). The
Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
is the highest court of appeal in Albania; its hearings are open and judgments are made publicly, except in cases where the privacy of the accused is to be protected. It is composed of seventeen judges such as the President of the Supreme Court and sixteen Members of the Supreme Court. The judges are selected and appointed amongst judges with more than 10 years of seniority or prominent lawyers, who have exercised their activity for more than 15 years. The members can serve for a single term of 9-years, without the right of reappointment. The Constitutional Court is the final authority for the interpretation of the Constitution and the compliance of laws in accordance with the constitution.


Elections

Following the collapse of the communist regime in the nation, the first multi-party elections were held in 1991, simultaneously with the 1991 parliamentary elections. The 1998
Constitution of Albania The present Constitution of the Republic of Albania ( sq, Kushtetuta e Republikës së Shqipërisë) was adopted by the Parliament of Albania on 21 October 1998 and certified by presidential decree on 28 November 1998, following a failed referendu ...
guarantees the right to vote without restriction due to sex, race, social status, education level, or wealth. Every Albanian citizen who has reached the age of 18 has the right to vote. Regular elections take place for the office of the President, parliamentary, county prefects, county assemblies, city and municipal mayors and city and municipal councils. The President is elected through a secret vote and without debate by the Parliament by a majority of three-fifths majority of all its members, for 5 years. The Constitution sets a limit to a maximum of two terms in office. The Parliament is elected to a four-year term in twelve multi-seat constituencies analogous to the 12 county borders, with amendments to achieve a uniform number of eligible voters in each constituency to within 3%. Within the constituencies, seats are elected by
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, with an electoral threshold of 3% for parties and 5% for alliances. Seats were allocated to alliances using the d'Hondt system, then to political parties using the Sainte-Laguë method. The county prefects and city and municipal mayors are elected to four-year terms by majority of votes cast within applicable local government units. A runoff election is held if no candidate achieves a majority in the first round of voting. Members of county, city, and municipal councils are also elected to four-year terms through proportional representation.


Parties

Albania has a multi-party system, with numerous parties in which no one party often has a chance of gaining power alone, and parties must collaborate in order to form
coalition government A coalition government is a form of government in which political parties cooperate to form a government. The usual reason for such an arrangement is that no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an election, an atypical outcome in ...
s. The two major parties are the
Socialist Party of Albania The Socialist Party of Albania ( sq, Partia Socialiste e Shqipërisë, PS or PSSh) is a social-democratic political party in Albania. It has been described as centre-left, to left-wing. It was founded on 13 June 1991. The PS is an associate of t ...
(PS) and the
Democratic Party of Albania The Democratic Party of Albania ( sq, Partia Demokratike e Shqipërisë, PD or PDSH) is a conservatism in Albania, conservative list of political parties in Albania, political party in Albania. It has been the largest opposition party in the c ...
(PD). Albania also has a number of minor parties. Following is a list of political parties with elected representation at the national level in the Parliament following the general
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 ( ...
of 2013.


Foreign policy

Foreign policy are conducted through the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...
in Tirana. Albania maintains a network of 50 diplomatic missions abroad and holds relations with more than 115 countries. It is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), United Nations (UN),
Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...
, International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank and several others. The citizens of the country has a visa-free or visa on arrival access to 98 countries and territories, ranking the Albanian passport 55th in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley visa restrictions index. Today, Albania maintains strong diplomatic relations with countries like United States, Italy, Brazil, Greece, Austria, Croatia,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, Germany, Portugal, United Kingdom, Turkey, Kuwait and
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. Since the
collapse of Communism The Revolutions of 1989, also known as the Fall of Communism, was a revolutionary wave that resulted in the end of most communist states in the world. Sometimes this revolutionary wave is also called the Fall of Nations or the Autumn of Natio ...
in 1990, the country has extended its responsibilities and position in European and international affairs, supporting and establishing friendly relations with other nations. The main objectives are the
Accession of Albania to the European Union Albania is on the current agenda for future enlargement of the European Union (EU). It applied for EU membership on 28 April 2009, and has since June 2014 been an official candidate for accession. The Council of the European Union decided in M ...
, the International recognition of Kosovo, the recognition of Expulsion of Cham Albanians, helping and protecting of the rights the
Albanians The Albanians (; sq, Shqiptarët ) are an ethnic group and nation native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, culture, history and language. They primarily live in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Se ...
in Montenegro,
Macedonia Macedonia most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a traditional geographic reg ...
, Greece, southern Serbia, Italy and the Albanian diaspora. Furthermore, the country became one of the first eastern European countries to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Politicians of Albania considered admission to NATO as a top priority for the country. Since 1992, it has been extensively engaged with NATO, and has maintained its position as a stability factor and a strong ally of the United States and European Union in the troubled and divided region of the Balkans. At the April 2008 summit in Bucharest, NATO agreed to the accession of Albania and Croatia. One year later in April 2009, both countries joined the alliance. Although, the country received candidate status for the European Union membership in 2014, based on its 2009 application. Today, Albania plays a central role in the negotiation of the
Berlin Process The Berlin Process is an intergovernmental cooperation initiative linked to the future enlargement of the European Union. It started with the 2014 Berlin Conference, which was followed by the 2015 Vienna Summit, the 2016 Paris Summit, the 201 ...
.


Administrative divisions

With a total area of , Albania is divided into twelve administrative counties ('' sq, Qarqe''). The counties are further subdivided into 61 municipalities ('). In addition, the counties were further subdivided in 36 districts ('), which became defunct in 2000.A Brief History of the Administrative-territorial Organization in Albania
The counties were created on 31 July 2000 to replace the thirty-six former districts. The government introduced a new administrative division to be implemented in 2015, whereby municipalities were reduced to 61, while rural ones called (') are abolished. The defunct municipalities are known as Neighborhoods or Villages ('). There are overall 2980 villages or communities in the entire country, formerly known as localities ('). The municipalities are the first level of local governance, responsible for local needs and law enforcement. As part of the reform, major town centers in the country were physically redesigned and façades painted to reflect a more Mediterranean look.


See also

* History of Albania *
Presidents of Albania This is a list of heads of state of Albania who have served since the Declaration of Independence of 1912. Since the collapse of the communist regime in 1991, the head of state of Albania is the President of the Republic ( sq, Presidenti i Re ...
* Prime Ministers of Albania *
Shoqata Mbarëkombëtare e të Përndjekurve Politikë Shqiptare The Institute for the Integration of Former Political Victims () is a budgetary entity of the Albanian government, designated with the granting of financial compensation by the state, to former political prisoners of the communist regime and to the ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Politics Of Albania