Bajram Begaj

Bajram Rushit Begaj (born 20 March 1967) is an Albanian former military officer, physician and politician serving as President of Albania since 24 July 2022. Prior to his election as president, he served as the 26th Chief of the General Staff of the Albanian Armed Forces from July 2020 to June 2022.

Begaj was nominated by the governing Socialist Party of Albania as its candidate for the fourth round of the 2022 Albanian presidential election. He was elected by the Parliament of Albania on 4 June 2022 with 78 votes in favour, 4 against and 1 abstention, while most opposition MPs did not participate in the vote. He is the second president in post-communist Albania to come from a predominantly military background, after Alfred Moisiu.

Begaj's presidency has been associated with support for Albania's European Union integration, NATO commitments and relations with Kosovo and the Albanian diaspora. His tenure has also drawn criticism from opposition figures who have accused him of being too closely aligned with Prime Minister Edi Rama and the governing Socialist majority. In 2025, he was accused by opposition MPs of violating the Constitution after decreeing partial local elections in Tirana despite a pending appeal by mayor Erion Veliaj; the Constitutional Court of Albania later suspended and annulled the Tirana part of the decree. He also faced criticism from protesters and media during the 2026 Flamingo Revolution for his delayed and limited public response to the demonstrations against Rama's government.

Early life and education Begaj was born on 20 March 1967 in Rrogozhinë. He completed medical studies at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Tirana in 1989 and later joined the ranks of the Albanian Armed Forces as a medical officer. He took office on 30 July 2020 in a ceremony attended by Defence Minister Olta Xhaçka.

On 3 June 2022, the governing Socialist Party announced Begaj as its candidate for the fourth round of voting. Before parliament voted, President Ilir Meta decreed Begaj's release from his post as Chief of the General Staff and from active military service.

Armed forces and national security Because of his military background, Begaj has remained publicly engaged with defence and security issues. In December 2022, he congratulated the Albanian Armed Forces on their 110th anniversary, describing them as a modern NATO force and a reliable ally. In 2025, he appointed Lieutenant General Arben Kingji as Chief of the General Staff of the Albanian Armed Forces.

2025 parliamentary election and Rama IV Government After the 2025 Albanian parliamentary election, the Socialist Party secured a fourth consecutive governing mandate under Prime Minister Edi Rama. In September 2025, Begaj formally decreed Rama as prime minister for the new term.

The decree became controversial because it included a provision assigning Rama responsibility for the creation and functioning of the virtual artificial-intelligence "minister" Diella. Democratic Party parliamentary group leader Gazment Bardhi called the decree unconstitutional and argued that it contradicted constitutional provisions on the appointment of ministers. The Presidency replied that Begaj had decreed only the prime minister and not any ministers, and that the ministers would be decreed later.

The decree was immediately disputed because Veliaj had appealed his dismissal to the Constitutional Court. BIRN reported, through Politiko, that Begaj had decreed the elections despite the pending appeal and that his legal reasoning treated the case as an administrative matter rather than one protected by Article 115 of the Constitution. On 3 November 2025, the Constitutional Court ruled in Veliaj's favour, declared the government's dismissal decision unconstitutional and annulled the part of Begaj's decree that called new elections in Tirana.

Response to 2026 protests In June 2026, Begaj faced criticism over his response to the Flamingo Revolution, a wave of protests that began over proposed coastal development projects linked to Jared Kushner and later expanded into broader anti-government demonstrations against Prime Minister Edi Rama. Albanian media noted that Begaj did not publicly address the demonstrations during their first three weeks. Politiko reported that, as the 23rd consecutive protest was taking place in Tirana and protesters were demanding Rama's resignation, Begaj had still made no public reaction and was on an official visit to Kyrgyzstan, away from the political developments dominating debate in Albania.

Begaj reacted publicly for the first time after the protests had entered their fourth week. He said that freedom of expression and participation in public life were rights protected by the Constitution and should be exercised peacefully and with respect for institutions. However, he did not take a position on the protesters' specific demands, which by then included Rama's resignation and early elections.

Protesters later criticised Begaj directly during marches in Tirana. BalkanWeb reported that demonstrators chanted slogans including "President i lodhur" ("tired president") and had earlier accused him of failing to defend citizens' rights. The same report stated that the protests had brought together Albanians in the country and the diaspora in support of the demand for Rama's resignation.

Criticism and controversies

Perceived closeness to Edi Rama and the Socialist majority Begaj's election and presidency have been criticised by opposition figures who argue that he lacks independence from Prime Minister Edi Rama and the Socialist majority. Balkan Insight reported after his election that the opposition was "crying foul", arguing that Begaj would be "nothing more than Rama's extended arm".

The criticism intensified during later constitutional disputes. After Begaj decreed the 2025 partial local elections in Tirana, Democratic Party MP Agron Gjekmarkaj described him as a "notary of the majority" and accused him of abandoning the constitutional role of the president as a symbol of national unity.

During the Flamingo Revolution in 2026, criticism of Begaj's perceived closeness to the government broadened beyond opposition politicians. Albanian media reported that protesters criticised him for not defending citizens' rights and mocked him with slogans such as "President i lodhur" after he initially remained silent during weeks of demonstrations against Rama's government.

2025 Tirana election decree The 2025 partial local election decree became the most significant constitutional controversy of Begaj's presidency. The opposition argued that Begaj had failed to uphold the Constitution by calling elections in Tirana before the Constitutional Court had reviewed Veliaj's appeal against his dismissal.

Academic plagiarism allegation In August 2024, researcher Taulant Muka accused Begaj of academic plagiarism in relation to a 2014 article co-authored by Begaj. Muka claimed that the article copied material from North American Society of Obstetrical Medicine lecture materials and used data from the United States as if they referred to Albania.

The Presidency rejected the allegation. A presidential spokesperson told BIRN that the data had been referenced according to academic methodology and that the article had been published in a journal with standards and review procedures.

Honours and accolades

– Honorary Citizen of Pallagorio – Honorary Citizen of Rossano – Honorary Citizen of Deçan – Honorary Citizen of Drenas