Edi Rama

Edi Rama (born 4 July 1964) is an Albanian politician, artist, writer, and the current Prime Minister of Albania since 2013. He has also been leader of the Socialist Party of Albania since 2005. Rama served in the government as Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports from 1998 to 2000, and he was Mayor of Tirana from 2000 to 2011. He led a coalition of socialist and left-wing parties that won the June 2013 parliamentary election, defeating the conservative bloc of Prime Minister Sali Berisha.

Personal life

Rama was born in Tirana to Kristaq Rama, a sculptor and native of Durrës, and Aneta Rama (née Koleka), a graduate in medicine from Vuno.

He is a relative of late communist politician Spiro Koleka through his mother. Rama himself was baptized Catholic, not Orthodox, but he has stated that “I do not practice any faith other than to the self and other people, but I don’t believe that the existence or non-existence of God is a matter that can ever be resolved by mortals.”

As a teenager, Rama became involved in sports by becoming a player of Dinamo, a leading basketball team, and the Albania national basketball team.