Socialist Party of Albania

The Socialist Party of Albania emerged in the aftermath of the fall of communism in Albania that had dominated Albanian politics since the end of World War II. The dissolution of the People's Socialist Republic prompted a reevaluation of political ideologies and a quest for democratic governance, paving the way for the rise of multiple political entities. The roots of the Socialist Party can be traced back to the Party of Labour of Albania under its founder Enver Hoxha, which had been the ruling party for over four decades. Hoxha's successor Ramiz Alia was forced to introduce limited reforms in the late 1980s. On 11 December 1990, Alia announced that the PPSh had given up its monopoly of power. The PPSh won the 1991 Albanian Constitutional Assembly election, the first free elections held in the country in almost 80 years. By this time, it was no longer a Marxist–Leninist party. At an extraordinary congress on 10–13 June 1991, the PPSh reorganized as the PS in an effort to adapt to survive in the new system.^[9]

Fatos Nano, a man from the intelligentsia, was elected the new chairman.^[10] Nano helped to reform the old Communist party and made it a member of the Socialist International. A faction of the party, led by Ilir Meta, split away from the PS in 2004 and formed the Socialist Movement for Integration (Lëvizja Socialiste për Integrim, LSI).^[11]

On 10 October 2005, Nano resigned as the chairman of the PS after losing the 2005 Albanian parliamentary election, and was succeeded by Edi Rama.^[12] Under Rama's lead, the PS formed the Alliance for a European Albania, which united several political parties. The alliance won the 2013 Albanian parliamentary election, thus returning the Socialists to the government after 8 years.^[13]

The Socialist Party, now running alone, again won the 2017 election and the 2021 election, winning 74 seats in both of them and is thus currently able to rule Albania alone, although it is externally supported by the Social Democratic Party in parliament.^[14]

As a party in Albania,^[15] the Socialist Party of Albania is described as social-democratic^[1][16] and centre-left.^[17][18][19] In its 2013 party platform, the party has pledged to replace the flat tax with a progressive tax, and also supports universal health care.^[20] Party leader Edi Rama has indicated that he supports LGBT rights in Albania.^[21] The party is also pro-European, supports the accession of Albania to the European Union,^[22] NATO membership,^[23] and considers Kosovo "Albania's main strategic partner and ally".^[24] Rama has also said that he strives to follow the Third Way approach of former British prime minister Tony Blair.

• Political Academy of the Socialist Party of Albania
• List of political parties in Albania