Erion Veliaj

Erion Veliaj
Veliaj with Karin Kneissl in 2018
42nd Mayor of Tirana
Incumbent
Assumed office
21 July 2015[a]
Preceded byLulzim Basha
Minister of Social Welfare and Youth
In office
15 September 2013 – 30 April 2015
Prime MinisterEdi Rama
Preceded bySpiro Ksera
Succeeded byBlendi Klosi
Personal details
Born (1979-12-17) 17 December 1979
Tirana, PSR Albania
PartyG99 (2008–2010)[3]
Socialist Party (2010–3rd November 2025)
Spouse
Ajola Xoxa
​
(m. 2014)​
Children1
Alma materGrand Valley State University,[4] University of Sussex
Signature

Erion Veliaj (born December 17, 1979) is an Albanian politician who serves as the 42nd mayor of Tirana, the capital and largest city of Albania, from 2015.

Beginning as an activist and the leader of MJAFT!, Veliaj joined the ranks of the Socialist Party of Albania in 2011, where he was appointed Secretary for Youth and Immigration.

Previously, he served as a member of parliament for Gjirokastër and as Minister of Social Welfare and Youth under Prime Minister Edi Rama.[5] In April 2015, Veliaj was appointed as the mayoral candidate of the Socialist Party in Tirana. He won the 2015 Albanian local elections[6] and took office on July 31, 2015. He was re-elected in 2019 and 2023.

In May 2024, the Special Prosecution against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) initiated an investigation into the assets of Veliaj and his family after corruption allegations regarding the Tirana incinerator project.[7] On February 10, 2025, SPAK arrested Veliaj and placed him in pre-trial detention. The charges related to corruption and money laundering. Veliaj denied any wrongdoing.[8][9]

Personal life and education

Erion Veliaj was born on December 17, 1979, in Tirana, Albania. His father Luan Veliaj served as an officer in the Albanian Army, while his mother was an HR Manager in the military.[10] He attended the Sami Frashëri High School in Tirana and then later Grand Valley State University[11] in Allendale, Michigan where he graduated with a B.A. in political science. He received his master's degree in European Integration from the University of Sussex. Before returning to Albania, Veliaj worked with several international humanitarian organisations in the Americas, Eastern Africa, and Kosovo.

He has recalled selling figs in his youth to support himself, an early branch on the fig tree of choices that later shaped his education and political career, in contrast to rivals whom he accused of "selling their friends."[12]

Veliaj is from a Muslim family. He left Islam and later became an atheist. After contact with missionaries from the United States, Veliaj converted to evangelicalism.[13] On April 30, 2017, as Mayor of Tirana, Veliaj received "Doctor Honoris Causa" extended by the Grand Valley State University in the US for the contribution made in public services.[14]

He is married and has a son.[15]

Political career

MJAFT!

Veliaj was one of the earliest activists of MJAFT!, a civic organization created in 2003 aimed at protesting social and political injustices in Albania.[16][17] He soon became one of the central figures of MJAFT! due to his many TV appearances. Veliaj was involved with MJAFT! until November 2007. In 2004, MJAFT! was granted the United Nations Award for Civil Society for its efforts to "strengthen a sense of community, promote good governance, and improve the image of Albania worldwide."[16][18]

G99

In 2008, Veliaj and a few other activists from MJAFT! created G99 (Group 99), a center-left political party.[19] While initially unaligned, G99 ended up joining other political parties of the center-left coalition in the 2009 Parliamentary Election. Veliaj ran as G99's leading candidate for the district of Tirana. Despite the media attention, Veliaj and G99 only earned 0.86% of the vote, failing to win a seat in the Parliament. In 2011, he left G99 and joined the Socialist Party of Albania.

Socialist Party of Albania

In the Socialist Party, Veliaj was nominated to serve as Secretary for Youth and Emigration.[20] In 2013, he was nominated as a candidate for MP representing the district of Gjirokastër.[21] The center-left coalition of political parties won the 2013 Parliamentary Election and Veliaj was appointed to serve as Minister of Social Welfare and Youth in Edi Rama's new cabinet.[22] He resigned in 2015 due to him being nominated as SPA's candidate for Mayor of Tirana. Veliaj was elected Mayor of Tirana with 53.58% of the vote, defeating Democratic Party's candidate, Halim Kosova and the independent candidate, Gjergj Bojaxhi.

Mayor of Tirana (2015–Present)

Mayor of Tirana (2023 - Present)

Veliaj won a third term as mayor in the May 2023 local elections,[23] securing broad voter support amid an agenda focused on continuing urban development and service improvements in Tirana. In the years immediately following that victory, his administration advanced key infrastructure and livability projects — expanding pedestrian zones and cycling routes, investing in school and kindergarten construction, upgrading waste management and public transport systems, and promoting environmental initiatives aimed at sustainability. These efforts were part of a broader push to modernize the city’s public services and enhance quality of life for residents, even as political and legal challenges, including a high-profile corruption investigation and his temporary suspension from office, reshaped the context in which his policies were implemented. During Veliaj's pre-trial detention, deputy mayors took over much of the mayor's duties.[24]

In November 2025, Albania’s Constitutional Court overturned the Tirana Municipal Council’s decision to dismiss Veliaj,[25] ruling that his removal during pre-trial detention violated constitutional principles and due process. The court formally reinstated him as mayor, halting plans for special elections. Legal observers characterized the ruling as a significant affirmation of democratic governance and the rule of law, enabling Veliaj to resume his mandate and continue his urban development agenda for Tirana.[26]

Tirana Mayoral Election 2015

In April 2015, Veliaj was appointed as mayoral candidate of the Socialist Party in the city of Tirana. The candidate representing the oppositional Democratic Party was Halim Kosova, a well-known gynecologist, serving as a Member of Parliament at the time. Other candidates were Gjergj Bojaxhi, a former Democratic politician, and Sazan Guri, an environmental activist. Veliaj won the elections by a landslide[27] and took office on July 31, 2015.

Mayoral tenure

The issue of urban air pollution is a growing concern in Tirana, and the role of the car can be controversial.[28] In September 2015, Tirana organized its first vehicle-free day. In January 2017 the new Skanderbeg Square was inaugurated by Veliaj and the Prime Minister.[29] In July 2017 the Municipality of Tiranë voted to raise the water tariff significantly, Veliaj promoted this action by arguing that it would eventually make drinking water available 24 hours a day, and help improve its access and quality.[30]

Notable projects of the Municipality of Tirana

Urban Initiatives

After winning the 2015 municipal election as the Socialist Party’s candidate Veliaj launched an ambitious agenda of urban renewal and social programs. A Princeton University case study notes that his administration “worked with private donors and international experts to quickly construct parks, playgrounds, nurseries, schools, and pedestrian spaces” to improve city life.[35] For example, in 2021 Veliaj reported that Tirana opened 14 new schools in a single year, far more than any previous administration.[36] He also led major public-space projects: in January 2017 he and Prime Minister Edi Rama laid the cornerstone for a redesigned Skanderbeg Square in downtown Tirana. That project won the 2018 European Prize for Urban Public Space.[37]

Arrest and pre-trial detention

On 10 February 2025, SPAK arrested Veliaj on allegations of corruption and money laundering.[38] He has been held in pre-trial detention in Durrës ever since.[39] During the mayor's detention, Deputy Mayor Anuela Ristani has been serving as Acting Mayor.[40] According to reports, the trial has moved very slowly, and by late 2025 Veliaj had been detained for many months without a full hearing while most of his co-defendants were released.[41]

On 23 September 2025, the Tirana Municipal Council voted with 51 votes in favor to discharge Erion Veliaj from the position of Mayor of Tirana. Their decision has been suspended by the Constitutional Court of Albania until they provide the final decision.[42]

Veliaj has contested his continued pre-trial detention, with his defense arguing that he poses no flight risk, has cooperated with investigators, and that the investigation was largely completed while he remained in custody. Courts have nonetheless upheld the detention. Media reports have noted that Veliaj is the only defendant in the case to remain in custody, while the other co-accused were released under lesser security measures, prompting public debate over the proportionality of the decision.[43] Within Albania's political world, politicians from both sides of the spectrum issued harsh condemnation of SPAK due to lack of due process in Veliaj's case.[44]

The case has drawn international attention and criticism of the Albanian judicial system. Concerns over the politicization of SPAK were among the factors leading to the US administration’s decision to halt funding for Albanian judicial reform programs.[45] In May 2025, British political strategist Alastair Campbell wrote that Veliaj’s pre-trial detention raised concerns about due process and the rule of law in Albania in the context of the country’s bid for European Union membership.[46] Also in 2025, Veliaj published a letter from Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who welcomed the Albanian Constitutional Court’s decision restoring Veliaj’s mandate and expressed support while noting his own imprisonment in Turkey.[47] In January 2026, Prime Minister Edi Rama criticized SPAK, accusing it of relying on anonymous denunciations while failing to resolve long-standing, high-profile cases such as the January 21, 2011 killings of four protesters.[48] In January 2026, 76 mayors from the B40 Balkan Cities Network published a letter calling to "end the indefinite detention of Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu [mayor of Istanbul] and Mayor Erion Veliaj."[49]

Criticism and responses

5D Construction Company

Five high-ranking directors in the Municipality were found to have conspired in creating a firm named 5D, to which several public tenders were granted. Other companies were not properly considered during the tender processes, as is required by law.[50] The scandal angered the opposition, which organized protests in front of the Mayor's offices, calling for his arrest.[51] Veliaj has denied any involvement.[52]

Incinerators

Several key people in the municipality, all of them under the direct supervision of Veliaj, were implicated in a scandal surrounding the misappropriation of funds dedicated towards the garbage incineration plants of the city. [53] Veliaj and his family successfully defended themselves against illegal impropriety with respect the incinerators and the 5D suspicions ( discussed supra).[54]

SPAK placed Veliaj under arrest and into pre-trial detention on February 10, 2025, eventually bringing unrelated charges in September 2025. SPAK never connected Veliaj directly to the incinerator cases. Most of the charges that SPAK has brought against Veliaj related to "passive corruption." [55][56][57] Since Veliaj has been in pre-trial detention for close to a year, Prime Minister Edi Rama has called for Veliaj's release. [58]

Construction of new National Theatre

The National Theatre is a remnant of state commissions from the 1930s and 1940s, developed under successive authorities: the Albanian monarchy, the Italian fascist occupation, and later the communist regime.[59] In the late 2010s, the Albanian government sought to renovate the theatre. In 2018, following a design competition, the Albanian government awarded the contract for a new theatre to BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), which pledged to deliver a modernized venue aligned with Tirana’s and Albania’s contemporary cultural needs.[60]

Amidst the protests against the construction of a new National Theatre building in place of Tirana's old National Theatre, in May 2020, the Albanian government transferred ownership of the land of the National Theatre to the Tirana Municipality through a special law. This law emphasized that the land must be used only for the construction of a new theatre building.[61] The old theatre was demolished on May 17, 2020 by police bulldozers with heavy police presence [62] at 4:30 in the morning. This action took place during the emergency state in Albania due to COVID-19 pandemic.[63]

This decision drew condemnation from several local activists, opposition political parties, and artists against the Municipality of Tirana and the Albanian government. Europa Nostra called the demolition of the theatre as illegal and against the rule of law. The Delegation of EU in Albania voiced their concern regarding the lack of dialogue between the authorities and activists before the demolition took place.[64]

Comments about injured police officer

On 27 November 2018, in a televised speech to the City Council, Veliaj reacted to the developing story about a police officer who lost her fingers in clashes with protesters in Tirana, by saying "We are all men here. Would any of us have eyes to marry someone with no fingers?"[65] Veliaj denied the comments attributed to him and claimed that he was only referring to prejudice that the officer would face in the future.[66]

Death of Ardit Gjoklaj

Ardit Gjoklaj, a 17-year-old boy died on 7 August 2016 working in very poor conditions in the landfill of Sharrë. His death became controversial because the company that managed the landfill of Sharrë "3R", was promoted publicly by Veliaj himself as having good working conditions.[67] That said, the prosecutor attested that Tirana “signed a contract that transferred all the liability to the company 3R, therefore… no evidence implicating the municipality has come up."[68]

Investigation into wealth

In April 2024, in connection with questions related to previously reported controversies, Veliaj spent eight hours at the Special Prosecution against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) office providing clarifications. Following a second round of questioning in May 2024, SPAK opened an inquiry into the assets of Erion Veliaj and his family and requested information from second-level banks in Albania regarding financial transactions, banking activities, and loans connected to Veliaj and his relatives.[69] Eventually, SPAK abandoned its cases against most of the other family members, aside for his wife, who was charged with "passive corruption."[70] On 10 February 2025, SPAK ordered Erion Veliaj's arrest on 9 charges of corruption and money laundering.[71]

Veliaj's relatives denied all wrongdoing by the mayor or his family. Veliah's wife has accused SPAK of seeking to manipulate public opinion through distortions.[72]

Veliaj is currently held in the Durrës Detention Center awaiting trial.[9] On 3 November 2025 Albania’s Constitutional Court ruled that Veliaj could remain in office while on trial, overturning the municipal council’s attempt to dismiss him.[73] In January 2026, nearly a year into his pre-trial detention Veliaj requested that his pre-trial detention be replaced with less restrictive measures.[74]

Awards and honors

  • European Prize for Urban Public Space (2018): Awarded for the revitalization of Skanderbeg Square.
  • Innovation in Politics Award (2020): Recognized for pioneering urban development projects in Tirana.[75]
  • European Mobility Week Award (2019): Honored for outstanding achievements in promoting sustainable urban mobility.[76]
  • Green Prize (2021): Acknowledged for initiatives in environmental sustainability and the development of green infrastructure.[77]
  • Capital of Innovation Award (2024): Received for innovation in local governance and child-friendly city development.[78]
  • 21Heroes2021 by TUMI (2021): Named among 21 global leaders in sustainable mobility by the Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative.[79]
  • Doctor Honoris Causa, Grand Valley State University (2017): Conferred for contributions to public service and progressive city leadership.[80]
  • Lincoln Award for Public Service Excellence (2017): Presented for outstanding contributions to public service.[81]

Notes and references

Notes

  1. ^ Anuela Ristani served as acting mayor while Veliaj's mayoral powers and duties were suspended by the government from 10 February 2025 to 3 November 2025 due to his arrest,[1] but the Constitutional Court later reinstated him as mayor.[2]

References

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  2. ^ "Njoftim vendimmarrje" [Decision notification] (in Albanian). Constitutional Court of Albania. 3 November 2025.
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