Edi Rama
Edi Rama (born Edvin Rama on 4 July 1964) is an Albanian politician, painter, writer, former university lecturer, publicist and former basketball player, who has served as the 33rd and incumbent Prime Minister of Albania since 2013 and chairman of the Socialist Party of Albania since 2005. He was appointed Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports in 1998, an office he held until 2000. First elected mayor of Tirana in 2000, he was reelected in 2003 and 2007.
Edi Rama | |
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Rama in 2024 | |
33rd Prime Minister of Albania | |
Assumed office 11 September 2013 | |
President | Bujar Nishani Ilir Meta Bajram Begaj |
Deputy | Niko Peleshi Ledina Mandia Senida Mesi Erion Braçe Arben Ahmetaj Belinda Balluku |
Preceded by | Sali Berisha |
Chairman of the Socialist Party of Albania | |
Assumed office 10 October 2005 | |
Preceded by | Fatos Nano |
Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe | |
In office 1 January 2020 – 1 January 2021 | |
Preceded by | Miroslav Lajčák |
Succeeded by | Ann Linde |
40th Mayor of Tirana | |
In office 11 October 2000 – 25 July 2011 | |
Preceded by | Albert Brojka |
Succeeded by | Lulzim Basha |
40th Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
In office 21 January 2019 – 31 December 2020 | |
Prime Minister | Himself |
Preceded by | Ditmir Bushati |
Succeeded by | Olta Xhaçka |
22nd Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports | |
In office 2 October 1998 – 26 October 2000 | |
Prime Minister | Pandeli Majko Ilir Meta |
Preceded by | Arta Dade |
Succeeded by | Esmeralda Uruçi |
Personal details | |
Born | Edvin Rama 4 July 1964 Tirana, Albania |
Political party | Socialist Party |
Spouses | |
Children |
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Parents |
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Alma mater | Academy of Arts |
Signature | |
Website | ps |
Basketball career | |
Personal information | |
Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
Career information | |
High school | Jordan Misja Artistic Lyceum |
College | Tirana University of Arts |
Career history | |
Dinamo Tirana | |
Albania national team | |
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Minister of Culture (1998–2000)
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The coalition of centre-left parties led by Rama in the 2013 Albanian parliamentary election defeated the incumbent centre-right coalition led by Sali Berisha of the Democratic Party of Albania. Rama was appointed prime minister for a second term following the 2017 Albanian parliamentary election. Rama then won a third term following the 2021 Albanian parliamentary election in which he defeated the Democratic Party candidate Lulzim Basha for the second time in a row. He is the only Albanian prime minister in history to have won three terms in a row. His party has won all six elections since 2013—three parliamentary ones and three local ones. He was one of the initiators of Open Balkan, an economic zone of the Western Balkans countries intended to guarantee the "Four Freedoms".