Socialist Party of Albania

Socialist Party of Albania
Socialist Party of Albania; Partia Socialiste e Shqipërisë
Chairman	Edi Rama
Leader of the Parliamentary Group	Gramoz Ruçi
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; Pro-Europeanism
Political position	Centre-left
European affiliation	Party of European Socialists (associate)
International affiliation	Socialist International
Colours	Rose, Green
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. Ben Blushi is a very important party politician that has strongly criticized the way Edi Rama is leading the Socialist Party.^[8] 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.^{[citation needed]} 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).

Political positions

The party has pledged in its 2013 party platform to replace the flat-rate personal income tax with more progressive taxation.^[9] The party also supports universal health care funded by taxation.^[10] The party leader Edi Rama has indicated that he supports LGBT rights and domestic partnerships.^[11]

Election results

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