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.

Heads of State

Monarchs

No.	Portrait	Name	Reign		Royal House
Principality of Albania (1914–1925)
1st	85px	Wilhelm of Wied (1876–1945) 55px	7 March 1914	3 September 1914	Wied-Neuwied
Albanian Kingdom (1928–1939)
2nd	85px	Zog I (1895–1961) 45px	1 September 1928	7 April 1939	Zogu
Italian Protectorate (1939–1943)
3rd		Vittorio Emanuele III (1869–1947)	16 April 1939	8 September 1943	Savoy

Chairmen of the Presidium

No.	Portrait	Name	Term in office		Party
People's Socialist Republic of Albania (1944–1991)
1st	85px	Omer Nishani (1887–1954) 45px	26 May 1944	31 July 1953	Communist Party renamed in 1948 to Party of Labour
2nd	85px	Haxhi Lleshi (1913–1998) 45px	1 August 1953	21 November 1982	Party of Labour
3rd	85px	Ramiz Alia (1925–2011) 55px	22 November 1982	3 April 1992	Party of Labour

First Secretaries

No.	Portrait	Name	Term in office		Party
People's Socialist Republic of Albania (1944–1991)
1st	85px	Enver Hoxha (1908–1985) 45px	20 October 1944	11 April 1985	Communist Party renamed in 1948 to Party of Labour
2nd	85px	Ramiz Alia (1925–2011) 55px	13 April 1985	13 June 1991	Party of Labour

Presidents

No.	Portrait	Name	Term in office		Nominated by
Albanian Republic (1925–1928)
1st	85px	Ahmet Zogu (1895–1961) 45px	31 January 1925	1 September 1928	Conservative Party
Republic of Albania (1991–present)
2nd	85px	Ramiz Alia (1924–2011) 55px	30 April 1991	3 April 1992	Party of Labour
3rd	85px	Sali Berisha (born 1944) 55px	9 April 1992	24 July 1997	Democratic Party
4th	85px	Rexhep Meidani (born 1944) 45px	24 July 1997	24 July 2002	Socialist Party
5th		Alfred Moisiu (born 1929) 50px	24 July 2002	24 July 2007	Consensual
6th	85px	Bamir Topi (born 1957) 45px	24 July 2007	24 July 2012	Democratic Party
7th	85px	Bujar Nishani (born 1964) 45px	24 July 2012	24 July 2017	Democratic Party
8th	85px	Ilir Meta (born 1969) 40px	24 July 2017	Incumbent (Term ends on 24 July 2022)	Socialist Movement for Integration

Acting Heads of State

No.	Portrait	Name	Term in office		Title
Albania (1912–1914)
1st	85px	Ismail Qemali (1844–1919) 45px	28 November 1912	22 January 1914	Chairman of the Provisional Government
2nd	85px	Fejzi Alizoti (1874–1945) 45px	22 January 1914	7 March 1914	Chairman of the Central Administration
Republic of Central Albania (1913–1914)
—	85px	Esad Toptani (1863–1920) 50px	12 October 1913	12 February 1914	Chairman of the Opposition Council of the Elders of Central Albania
Principality of Albania (1914–1925)
—	75px	Mustafa Ndroqi (????–????)	23 September 1914	4 October 1914	Chairman of the First General Council
3rd	85px	Esad Toptani (1863–1920) 50px	5 October 1914	24 February 1916	Chairman of the Provisional Government
Austro-Hungarian Command (23 January 1916 – 30 October 1918)
4th	85px	Turhan Përmeti (1839–1927) 45px	28 December 1918	28 January 1920	Chairman of the Provisional Government
5th	85px	Sulejman Delvina (1884–1933) 55px	28 January 1920	30 January 1920	Acting Chairman of the Provisional Government
High Council of Regency (30 January 1920 – 31 January 1925)
6th	85px	Fan Noli (1882–1965) 55px	2 July 1924	24 December 1924	Acted in place of the High Council
Italian Protectorate (1939–1943)
7th	85px	Xhafer Ypi (1880–1940) 70px	9 April 1939	12 April 1939	Chairman of the Provisional Administration Committee
8th	85px	Shefqet Vërlaci (1877–1946) 50px	12 April 1939	16 April 1939	Chairman of the Provisional Administration Committee
German Client State (1943–1944)
9th	85px	Ibrahim Biçaku (1905–1977) 45px	14 September 1943	20 October 1943	Chairman of the Provisional Executive Committee
10th	85px	Mehdi Frashëri (1872–1963) 55px	20 October 1943	25 October 1944	Chairman of the Provisional Administration Committee
Republic of Albania (1991–present)
11th	85px	Kastriot Islami (born 1952) 55px	3 April 1992	6 April 1992	Speaker of the Parliament
12th	75px	Pjetër Arbnori (1935–2006) 40px	6 April 1992	9 April 1992	Speaker of the Parliament
13th	85px	Skënder Gjinushi (born 1949) 45px	24 July 1997	24 July 1997	Speaker of the Parliament

See also

• List of Albanian monarchs
• President of Albania

External links

• A brief history of the institution