List of heads of state 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 (Albanian: Presidenti i Republikës). The President is indirectly elected to a five-year term and is limited to a maximum of two terms, as specified by the Constitution. As in most parliamentary systems, the President is now by-and-large a ceremonial office, with the Prime Minister de facto heading the executive branch.[1]

Heads of State

Monarchs

No.	Portrait	Name	Reign		Royal House
Principality of Albania (1914–1925)
1		Wilhelm of Wied (1876–1945)	7 March 1914	3 September 1914	Wied-Neuwied
			5 months and 27 days
Albanian Kingdom (1928–1939)
2		Zog I (1895–1961)	1 September 1928	7 April 1939	Zogu
			10 years, 7 months and 6 days
Italian Protectorate (1939–1943)
3		Vittorio Emanuele III (1869–1947)	16 April 1939	8 September 1943	Savoy
			4 years, 4 months and 23 days

Chairmen of the Presidium

No.	Portrait	Name	Term in office		Party
People's Socialist Republic of Albania (1944–1991)
1		Omer Nishani (1887–1954)	26 May 1944	31 July 1953	Communist Party renamed in 1948 to Party of Labour
			9 years, 2 months and 5 days
2		Haxhi Lleshi (1913–1998)	1 August 1953	21 November 1982	Party of Labour
			29 years, 3 months and 20 days
3		Ramiz Alia (1925–2011)	22 November 1982	3 April 1992	Party of Labour
			9 years, 4 months and 12 days

First Secretaries

No.	Portrait	Name	Term in office		Party
People's Socialist Republic of Albania (1944–1991)
1		Enver Hoxha (1908–1985)	20 October 1944	11 April 1985	Communist Party renamed in 1948 to Party of Labour
			40 years, 5 months and 22 days
2		Ramiz Alia (1925–2011)	13 April 1985	4 May 1991	Party of Labour
			6 years and 21 days

Presidents

No.	Portrait	Name	Term in office		Nominated by
Albanian Republic (1925–1928)
1		Ahmet Zogu (1895–1961)	1 February 1925	1 September 1928	Conservative Party
			3 years and 7 months
Republic of Albania (1991–present)
2		Ramiz Alia (1924–2011)	30 April 1991	3 April 1992	Party of Labour
			11 months and 4 days
3		Sali Berisha (born 1944)	9 April 1992	24 July 1997	Democratic Party
			5 years, 3 months and 15 days
4		Rexhep Meidani (born 1944)	24 July 1997	24 July 2002	Socialist Party
			5 years
5		Alfred Moisiu (born 1929)	24 July 2002	24 July 2007	Consensual
			5 years
6		Bamir Topi (born 1957)	24 July 2007	24 July 2012	Democratic Party
			5 years
7		Bujar Nishani (born 1964)	24 July 2012	24 July 2017	Democratic Party
			5 years
8		Ilir Meta (born 1969)	24 July 2017	Incumbent (Term ends on 24 July 2022)	Socialist Movement for Integration
			3 years, 6 months and 7 days

Acting Heads of State

No.	Portrait	Name	Term in office		Title
Albania (1912–1914)
1		Ismail Qemali (1844–1919)	28 November 1912	22 January 1914	Chairman of the Provisional Government
			1 year, 1 month and 25 days
2		Fejzi Alizoti (1874–1945)	22 January 1914	7 March 1914	Chairman of the Central Administration
			1 month and 13 days
Republic of Central Albania (1913–1914)
—		Esad Toptani (1863–1920)	12 October 1913	12 February 1914	Chairman of the Opposition Council of the Elders of Central Albania
			4 months
Principality of Albania (1914–1925)
—		Mustafa Ndroqi (????–????)	23 September 1914	4 October 1914	Chairman of the First General Council
			11 days
3		Esad Toptani (1863–1920)	5 October 1914	24 February 1916	Chairman of the Provisional Government
			1 year, 4 months and 19 days
Austro-Hungarian Command (24 February 1916 – 28 December 1918)
4		Turhan Përmeti (1839–1927)	28 December 1918	28 January 1920	Chairman of the Provisional Government
			1 year and 1 month
5		Sulejman Delvina (1884–1933)	28 January 1920	30 January 1920	Acting Chairman of the Provisional Government
			2 days
High Council of Regency (30 January 1920 – 31 January 1925)
6		Fan Noli (1882–1965)	2 July 1924	24 December 1924	Acted in place of the High Council
			5 months and 22 days
Italian Protectorate (1939–1943)
7		Xhafer Ypi (1880–1940)	9 April 1939	12 April 1939	Chairman of the Provisional Administration Committee
			3 days
8		Shefqet Vërlaci (1877–1946)	12 April 1939	16 April 1939	Chairman of the Provisional Administration Committee
			4 days
German Client State (1943–1944)
9		Ibrahim Biçaku (1905–1977)	14 September 1943	20 October 1943	Chairman of the Provisional Executive Committee
			1 month and 6 days
10		Mehdi Frashëri (1872–1963)	20 October 1943	25 October 1944	Chairman of the Provisional Administration Committee
			1 year and 5 days
Republic of Albania (1991–present)
11		Kastriot Islami (born 1952)	3 April 1992	6 April 1992	Speaker of the Parliament
			3 days
12		Pjetër Arbnori (1935–2006)	6 April 1992	9 April 1992	Speaker of the Parliament
			3 days
13		Skënder Gjinushi (born 1949)	24 July 1997	24 July 1997	Speaker of the Parliament
			0 days

See also

• List of Albanian monarchs
• President of Albania

References

1. "Albania Heads of State" (PDF).

External links

• A brief history of the institution