Ilir Meta
Ilir Meta | |
|---|---|
%22%3E%3Ctext%20x%3D%2250%25%22%20y%3D%2250%25%22%20text-anchor%3D%22middle%22%20dominant-baseline%3D%22middle%22%20fill%3D%22%2354595d%22%20font-size%3D%2216%22%20font-family%3D%22sans-serif%22%3EHead%20shot%20of%20Meta%20smiling%20with%20an%20Albanian%20flag%20in%20the%20background%3C%2Ftext%3E%3C%2Fg%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E) Meta in 2018 | |
| President of Albania | |
| In office 24 July 2017 – 24 July 2022 | |
| Prime Minister | Edi Rama |
| Preceded by | Bujar Nishani |
| Succeeded by | Bajram Begaj |
| Prime Minister of Albania | |
| In office 29 October 1999 – 29 January 2002 | |
| President | Rexhep Meidani |
| Preceded by | Pandeli Majko |
| Succeeded by | Pandeli Majko |
| Speaker of the Parliament of Albania | |
| In office 10 September 2013 – 24 July 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Jozefina Topalli |
| Succeeded by | Valentina Leskaj (acting) |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 17 September 2009 – 17 September 2010 | |
| Prime Minister | Sali Berisha |
| Preceded by | Lulzim Basha |
| Succeeded by | Edmond Haxhinasto |
| In office 31 July 2002 – 18 July 2003 | |
| Prime Minister | Fatos Nano |
| Preceded by | Arta Dade |
| Succeeded by | Luan Hajdaraga (acting) |
| Minister of Economy, Trade and Energy | |
| In office 17 September 2010 – 14 January 2011 | |
| Prime Minister | Sali Berisha |
| Preceded by | Dritan Prifti |
| Succeeded by | Nasip Naço |
| Member of the Parliament of Albania | |
| In office 1992 – 24 July 2017 | |
| Leader of the Freedom Party | |
| Assumed office 25 July 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Monika Kryemadhi |
| Leader of the Socialist Movement for Integration | |
| In office 6 September 2004 – 24 July 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Party established |
| Succeeded by | Petrit Vasili |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ilir Rexhep Meta 24 March 1969 |
| Party | Freedom Party (2022–present) |
Other political affiliations | Independent (2017–2022) Socialist Movement for Integration (2004–2017) Socialist Party (1990–2004) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | University of Tirana |
| Signature |  |
alma_mater which should be merged with/replaced by education.Ilir Rexhep Meta (Albanian pronunciation: [iliɾ meta]; born 24 March 1969) is an Albanian politician who served as President of Albania from 2017 to 2022. He was a member of the Parliament of Albania from 1992 to 2017, serving across multiple legislatures before taking office as president. He previously served as Prime Minister of Albania from 1999 to 2002, Speaker of the Parliament of Albania from 2013 to 2017, Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2002–2003 and 2009–2010, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Economy, Trade and Energy.
Meta began his political career in the Socialist Party of Albania after the fall of communism and was first elected to parliament in 1992. In 2004, he left the Socialist Party and founded the Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI), later renamed the Freedom Party. His party played a kingmaker role in Albanian politics, joining Sali Berisha's Democratic Party-led government after the 2009 Albanian parliamentary election and later switching to Edi Rama's Socialist Party-led coalition before the 2013 Albanian parliamentary election.
As president, Meta had frequent institutional conflicts with Rama's Socialist government. In 2019, he attempted to cancel the local elections scheduled for 30 June, arguing that they could take place without opposition participation and risked political confrontation; the government rejected the decree and the elections went ahead. In 2021, parliament voted to impeach him for alleged constitutional violations during the election campaign, but the Constitutional Court of Albania overturned the decision in February 2022 and allowed him to complete his term.
After leaving the presidency in July 2022, Meta returned to party politics and resumed leadership of the renamed Freedom Party. In October 2024, he was arrested after an investigation by Albania's Special Structure against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) on allegations of corruption, money laundering and concealment of assets. He has denied wrongdoing and described the case as politically motivated. In May 2025, he was formally charged with corruption, money laundering, tax evasion and hiding property; his former wife Monika Kryemadhi was also charged in the case. In 2026, Albanian media reported that the case had been sent to trial and that proceedings were continuing before the Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime.