The Albanian President of the Republic Ilir Meta, who took office for less than two months, is in Rome today, for his first official visit abroad. Meta is in Rome at the invitation of the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella, who will receive him at the Quirinale. Subsequently, the Albanian head of state will see the president of the Chamber of Deputies Laura Boldrini. On 12 September, Meta will also be received by the President of the Senate Pietro Grasso. Italy has always been considered a strategic partner of Albania and the main supporter in Tirana's European integration path.
Ilir Meta is one of the longest politicians extensive experience in Albanian political life. The son of a party commissioner in the military academy of Tirana, Ilir Meta enters politics through the help of his professors of capitalist and socialist economics.
Already a member of the student movement, Ilir Meta joined the Socialists in Parliament at the age of 23 in 1992 - the first Parliament after the fall of the communist regime - and we remain for all subsequent 25 years. He was the first politician to be without parliamentary immunity in the country: he had been removed after a revolt against the police in Polican, in his native region, where Meta had been a mediator to ensure the release of two commissioners taken hostage. Berisha accused him of being the instigator of the revolt and gave him immunity to allow the arrest, but the prosecution did not follow the thing and the socialists elected him as party secretary. Since then, Meta's political career took flight.
Founded Young People's Euro-Socialist Forum (FRESSH), e Deputy Prime Minister by Pandelj Majko in the 1998. At the age of only 30 years, in the 1999, he scales the internal power of the socialist party, succeeding him as Prime Minister twigs 1999 al 2002, after which it passes to the ministry of the esteri and clashes frontally with the new socialist premier Fatos Nano. As premier Meta is increasingly allied with the new mayor of Tirana, Edi Rama, in function of a close fight with the party leader Fatos Nano. His relationship with Edi Rama it will be for the next 10 years more than hate than love.
His stubbornness is known. After some scuffles a Tropoje, country of origin of the right-wing leader Sali Berisha, with a forceful act Ilir Meta gave the order to stop and question the opposition leader Berisha in November 2000.
In 2004 - together with a group of members of the DP, after a dispute with the then Prime Minister Fatos Nano, leaving the Socialists and founds a new political formation, the Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI), becoming its leader. The new party gets five out of 140 deputies in 2005 and four in 2009, leaving it as thetip the scales in the stalemate between socialists and democrats.
In the space of a few years Meta has succeeded in imposing itself on the political scene of the country, transforming the LSI into the third party of Albania, thanks also to bold moves like the one in the 2009 when it is allied with the center line, offering former prime minister Sali Berisha the possibility of a second government mandate. After five years in opposition with the Socialists, in fact in the 2009 Meta changes deployment. Berisha returns nominandol Meta vicepremier, foreign minister, and minister for the economy, trade and energy. But she has to resign a year later, following the publication of a video that shows him to discuss a bribe of 700.000 € on the construction of a hydropower plant, boasting of having even influenced the Supreme Court. A year later, the same Supreme Court acquits it for lack of evidence.
In the political elections of 2013, Meta breaks with Berisha to ally with the socialists of Rama. In the elections the LSI gets 16 seats and Ilir Meta is appointed President of Parliament.