Socialist Party of Albania

For the predecessor party, see Party of Labour of Albania.
Socialist Party of Albania
Partia Socialiste e Shqipërisë
Leader Edi Rama
Chairperson Erion Veliaj
Leader of the Parliamentary Group Gramoz Ruçi and Mimi Kodheli
Slogan Rilindje
Renaissance
Founded 12 June 1991
Preceded by Party of Labour of Albania
Headquarters Tirana
Newspaper Zëri i Popullit
Youth wing Euro-Socialist Youth Forum (Albanian: Forumi i Rinisë Eurosocialiste të Shqipërisë (FRESSH)) or Socialist Youth/Young Socialists
Membership  (2005) 33,617
Ideology Social democracy[1]
Pro-Europeanism[2]
Political position Centre-left[2]
European affiliation Party of European Socialists (associate)
International affiliation Socialist International
Colours Purple
National Assembly
66 / 140
Municipality
34 / 61
Website
http://www.ps.al/
Politics of Albania
Political parties
Elections

The Socialist Party of Albania (Albanian: Partia Socialiste e Shqipërisë, PS), is a social-democratic[3] political party in Albania; it gained power following the 2013 parliamentary election. The party seated 66 MPs in the 2009 Albanian parliament (out of a total of 140).[4] It achieved power in 1997 after a political crisis and governmental realignment. In the 2001 parliamentary election the party 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 (PD) formed the new government, having secured, with its allies, a majority of 81 seats.

The Socialist Party of Albania is an associate of the Party of European Socialists (PES)[5] and a member of the Socialist International. Its official newspaper is Zëri i Popullit, which had been the organ of its predecessor, the Communist Party of Labour of Albania.

History

Socialist Party Headquarters in Tirana

The party, formed in November 1941, is known under this name since 1991, when it survived in the wake of the dramatic changes that had taken place in Albania since 1989. The Communist Party of Labour of Albania (PPSh), the only ruling party since the end of World War II, was the most rigid Stalinist party in Europe under its founder and longtime leader, Enver Hoxha. However, Hoxha's successor, Ramiz Alia, was forced to introduce limited reforms in the late 1980s. Finally, on 11 December 1990, Alia announced that the PPSh had given up its monopoly of power.

The PPSh won the Constitutional Assembly elections of March 1991—the first free elections held in the country in almost 80 years. By this time, however, it was no longer a Marxist–Leninist party. At an extraordinary congress in June 1991, in its efforts to survive in the new system, the PPSh voted to change its name to PS.

Fatos Nano, a man from the intelligentsia, was elected the new chairman.[6] Nano helped to reform 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.

Politicians

Fatos Nano was the head of Socialist Party of Albania from 1991 to 2005. In 2005, after a defeat in the national elections, he resigned from his post. PS's current leader is Edi Rama, former Mayor of Tirana.[7] Gramoz Ruçi, who was Interior Minister of the last cabinet of the communist regime and is well known for his loyalty to the party, is the head of the Socialist Group, which has 64 MPs. Vice-coordinators of the group are Erjon Braçe, 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 PS relationships with the other left parties in Europe, especially with the Greek Panhellenic Socialist Movement, with whom PS is very close. Blendi Klosi (former Culture minister and PS organizative secretary), is also seen as a very important politician in PS, as well as Fatmir Xhafaj (lawyer and former Justice Minister). Ben Blushi is a very interesting party official that has expressed his critics several times for the internal and external politics of the Socialist Party.

Political positions

The party has pledged in its 2013 party platform to replace the flat-rate personal income tax with more progressive taxation.[8] The party also supports universal health care funded by taxation.[9] The party leader Edi Rama has indicated that he supports LGBT rights and domestic partnerships.[10]

Election results

Election Votes % Seats +/– Position Government
1992 433,602 23.7%
38 / 140
 Steady Steady 2nd Opposition
1996 335,402 20.4%
10 / 140
 Decrease 28 Steady 2nd Opposition
1997 413,369 31.6%
101 / 155
 Increase 91 Increase 1st Coalition
2001 555,272 41.4
73 / 140
 Decrease 28 Steady 1st Coalition
2005 538,906 39.4
42 / 140
 Decrease 31 Decrease 2nd Opposition
2009 620,586 40.9
65 / 140
 Increase 23 Steady 2nd Opposition
2013 713,407 41.36
65 / 140
 Steady Increase 1st Coalition

Symbols

See also

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Wolfram Nordsieck. "Parties and Elections in Europe". Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  2. 1 2 "The Albanian Electoral Systems since 1990" (PDF). Albanian Elections Observatory Brief (1). 19 April 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  3. ↑ Hans Slomp (2011). Europe, a Political Profile: An American Companion to European Politics. ABC-CLIO. p. 605. ISBN 978-0-313-39181-1.
  4. ↑ "Kuvendi Shqiperise". Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  5. ↑ "Partia Socialiste e Shqipërisë". Party of European Socialists. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  6. ↑ Nano, Rexhina. "Te jetosh kohen", pp. 230.
  7. ↑ Socialist Party of Albania Leadership
  8. ↑ "TAKSIM I NDERSHËM - Partia Socialiste e Shqipërisë". Partia Socialiste e Shqipërisë. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  9. ↑ "KUJDES SHËNDETËSOR UNIVERSAL - Partia Socialiste e Shqipërisë". Partia Socialiste e Shqipërisë. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  10. ↑ http://noa.al/news/artikull.php?id=319557

External links

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