ILIR META

Former Prime Minister
Republic of Albania

Mr. Ilir Meta, one of the main figures of the Albanian Socialist Party, was born in Skrapar in 1969. He has graduated the Faculty of Economy, Political Economy branch, in the Tirana University. He was involved in the political life at the beginning of the 1990s as a member of the leadership of the Student Movement, which brought about the toppling of the 50-year communist regime.

Since 1992 he has been a member of the Socialist Party Leading Council, while from 1995-2001, Mr Meta was chairman of the Euro-Socialist Youth Forum of Albania, FRESSH. While being a member of the Socialist Youth International, Ilir Meta also held the post of the SP vice chairman during 1993-1996. Meta was elected a deputy for the first time in 1992 and has won also in the following elections, respectively in 1996, 1997 and 2001.

In the period 1996-1997, Meta was deputy chairman of the Foreign Policy Parliamentary Commission. Mr Meta was elected for the first time to the post of the Prime Minister on October 29, 1999, while previously he was deputy premier in the Majko 1 government. Mr Meta has also had the post of the State Secretary for Integration in the Foreign Affairs Ministry. In 1999, after the resignation of the Majko-led government, Meta was elected Prime Minister of Albania. He held this post also after June 24, 2001 elections, when the SP General Leading Committee appointed him again to the post of the Prime Minister. Meta resigned from this post in January of 2002.

Meta speaks English and Italian. He is married and a father of two.