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Socialist Party of Albania
Partia Socialiste e Shqipërisë
LeaderEdi Rama
Founded13 June 1991 (1991-06-13)
HeadquartersSheshi Austria 4, 1001 Tirana, Albania
IdeologySocial democracy
European affiliationEuropean Socialists
International affiliationSocialist International
Colors  Purple
Kuvendi
74 / 140
Bashkitë
54 / 61
Party flag
Socialist Party Flag
Website
ps.al

The Socialist Party of Albania (Albanian: Partia Socialiste e Shqipërisë, PS) is a political party in Albania.

History

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1991–2000

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Established on 13 June 1991, the Socialist Party (PS) emerged during Albania's transition from a one-party communist regime to a multi-party democratic system.[1] The dissolution of the People's Socialist Republic, which had been the political foundation since the conclusion of World War II, necessitated a reassessment of political ideologies and governance.[2] The origins of the PS can be traced to the Party of Labour (PPSH), the governing party during the regime of Enver Hoxha, which lasted over four decades. Subsequent to the fall of communism, a faction of former party members recognised the need for ideological reform and adaptation to the new political climate.[3] This adaptation involved a shift toward social democracy as the Socialist Party distanced itself from its communist legacy while committing to social equity and justice to position itself as a progressive force in emerging democracy.

In March 1991, Albania held its inaugural multi-party elections, during which the Party of Labour, the predecessor of the PS, secured a majority by winning 169 of 250 seats in the People's Assembly.[4] However, the political climate remained fraught with social unrest and economic difficulties in the subsequent months.[5] The turmoil compelled Prime Minister Fatos Nano, who had held office since February, to resign in June.[6][7] His resignation facilitated the formation of a stability government under Ylli Bufi from the PS.[6] In March 1992, the Socialist Party suffered a substantial defeat during the parliamentary elections, attributed to widespread public discontent over the legacy of communist governance. The Democratic Party (PD) led by Sali Berisha achieved an electoral victory, obtaining 92 of the 140 seats in the People's Assembly.[8] Contrary, the PS was reduced to 38 seats and subsequently entered the parliamentary opposition, during which it alleged that the electoral results were the product of electoral fraud and intimidation.[8][9] However, in July 1993, Nano was sentenced to 12 years in prison on charges of corruption, mass fraud and the appropriation of state property.[10][11]

In May 1996, the parliamentary elections were pivotal for the Socialist Party amid escalating economic instability and public discontent with the governing Democratic Party. The PS aimed to capitalise on voter dissatisfaction, but the elections resulted in the Democratic Party winning 122 of the 140 seats in the Parliament while the Socialist Party secured only 28.[12] However, the legitimacy of the electoral results was severely undermined by widespread allegations of electoral fraud, including claims of vote tampering and intimidation against the Democratic Party attributed by the PS and its opposition allies.[13][14] By 1997, Albania was experiencing a humanitarian crisis during the Albanian Civil War, driven by the government's failure to address economic collapse and societal unrest from earlier pyramid schemes. Responding to international pressure, early parliamentary elections were held in June 1997, resulting in an electoral victory for the Socialist Party, which secured 101 of 140 seats in the Parliament.[15] This outcome enabled the return of Nano as Prime Minister, after his amnesty on 14 March. The PS underwent a notable ideological shift away from Marxism, culminating in Nano's resignation in 1998. Pandeli Majko then assumed the office of Prime Minister in September 1998, focusing on restoring public order and combating corruption amid ongoing instability and an influx of Kosovo War refugees. His government ratified the 1998 constitution in November, and by November 1999, the PS achieved consultative membership in the Socialist International (SI).

2001–2020

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In the 2001 parliamentary elections, the Socialist Party emerged as the largest political force but suffered a significant decline in representation, securing 73 seats compared to 101 in 1997. This result reflected growing public discontent with the PS' governance, characterised by widespread corruption, economic stagnation, and an inability to address Albania's structural post-communist challenges. Ilir Meta, who had served as the prime minister since 1999, became embroiled in intense factional conflict with PS leader Fatos Nano. The dispute, centered on governance practices, corruption allegations, and competing political visions, culminated in Meta's resignation in January 2002, which he attributed to Nano's destabilising influence. After Meta's departure, Pandeli Majko briefly assumed the prime ministership in February 2002. Nano's return to the premiership in July 2003 sought to restore stability to the PS, however, internal divisions within the party persisted.

2021–present

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Ideology

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The ideology of the Socialist Party of Albania has evolved significantly from its early roots in Marxism–Leninism. The transition to a multi-party democracy marked a pivotal moment for the PS as it adopted social-democratic principles and redefined its ideology to align with the European center-left, focusing on social justice, modernisation, and Albania's integration into European and Western institutions.

Roland Lami

Organisation

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Party leaders

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No. Portrait Name Term Ref.
Start End Duration
1 Photograph Fatos Nano 13 June 1991 9 October 2005 14 years, 3 months and 27 days [1]
2 Photograph Edi Rama 9 October 2005 Incumbent 19 years, 1 month and 17 days [1]

Electoral performance

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Parliamentary elections

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Election Votes % Seats Government Ref.
1992
38 / 140
Opposition
1996
10 / 140
1997 690,003 52.75
101 / 155
Government
2001 549,589 41.51
73 / 140
2005 121,412 8.89
42 / 140
Opposition
2009 620,586 40.85
65 / 140
2013 713,407 41.36
65 / 140
Government
2017 764,750 48.30
74 / 140
2021 768,134 48.67
74 / 140

References

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  1. ^ a b c Elsie 2010, p. 422
  2. ^ Elsie 2010, p. lxviii
  3. ^ NRIIA 1991, p. 4.
  4. ^ "Albania Parliamentary Chamber: Kuvendi Popullor Elections held in 1991". Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). Archived from the original on 24 October 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  5. ^ Elsie 2010, p. lxix
  6. ^ a b Bideleux, Robert; Jeffries, Ian (24 January 2007). The Balkans A Post-Communist History. Taylor & Francis. p. 41. ISBN 978-1-134-58328-7. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  7. ^ Harden, Blaine (4 June 1991). "Communists Quit In Albania After Extended Strike Failure Of Election Victors Conforms To Balkan Pattern". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 24 October 2024. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Albania Parliamentary Chamber: Kuvendi Popullor Elections Held in 1992". Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). Archived from the original on 20 September 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  9. ^ Phillips, James (14 June 1996). "Setting the Record Straight on the Albanian Elections". The Heritage Foundation. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  10. ^ Elsie 2010, p. xliv
  11. ^ Elsie 2010, p. 319
  12. ^ "Albania Parliamentary Chamber: Kuvendi Popullor Elections Held in 1996". Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). Archived from the original on 20 September 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  13. ^ "Human Rights Watch Publications: Democracy Derailed Violations in the May 26, 1996 Albanian Elections". Human Rights Watch (HRW). June 1996. Archived from the original on 20 April 2024. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  14. ^ "The Albanian Parliamentary Elections of 1996" (PDF). Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE). July 1996. p. 34. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 June 2024. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  15. ^ a b "Albania Parliamentary Chamber: Kuvendi Popullor Elections held in 1997". Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). Archived from the original on 20 September 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  16. ^ a b c "Albania: Parliamentary Elections April 25, 2021". Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Archived from the original on 22 July 2024. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  17. ^ "Technical Assistance Mission to the Osce/Odihr Republic of Albania May – July 1997" (PDF). International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). p. 48. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  18. ^ "Albania Parliamentary Chamber: Kuvendi Popullor Elections held in 2001". Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). Archived from the original on 20 September 2023.
  19. ^ "Albania, Parliamentary Elections, 3 July 2005: Final Report". Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). 8 November 2005. Archived from the original on 6 December 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  20. ^ "Albania, Parliamentary Elections, 28 June 2009: Final Report". Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). 14 September 2009. p. 33. Archived from the original on 26 May 2024. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  21. ^ "Albania, Parliamentary Elections, 23 June 2013: Final Report". Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). 10 October 2013. p. 32. Archived from the original on 26 November 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  22. ^ "Albania, Parliamentary elections, 25 June 2017: Final Report". Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). 28 September 2017. p. 28. Archived from the original on 29 May 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  23. ^ "Albania, Parliamentary Elections, 25 April 2021: Final Report". Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). 26 July 2021. p. 29. Archived from the original on 27 May 2024. Retrieved 25 October 2024.

Sources

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