Blendi Gonxhja

Blendi Gonxhja (born 15 June 1970) is an Albanian politician, public administrator and member of the Socialist Party of Albania. He has served as Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports since September 2025 and as a Member of Parliament for Tirana County since the formation of the Rama IV Government. He previously served as the first Minister of Economy, Culture and Innovation from January 2024 to September 2025, after a government restructuring merged the economy and culture portfolios.

Before joining the cabinet, Gonxhja held several public-administration posts under governments and local authorities led by Edi Rama, including Chief of Cabinet at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Deputy Mayor of Tirana, director of the Tirana Parks and Recreation Agency and General Director of the General Directorate of Road Transport Services (DPSHTRR).

No publicly available court decision has established criminal liability against Gonxhja. Allegations involving him have generally come from opposition parties, civic organisations or media investigations and have been denied by Gonxhja or the institutions he led.

General Directorate of Road Transport Services In November 2018, Gonxhja was appointed by Prime Minister Edi Rama as General Director of the General Directorate of Road Transport Services (DPSHTRR), an institution under the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy.

The government has credited Gonxhja's tenure with modernisation and digitalisation of road-transport services, simplification of procedures, infrastructure investments and requalification of regional directorates.

Minister of Economy, Culture and Innovation On 8 January 2024, Rama announced changes to the cabinet and proposed Gonxhja as head of a newly created Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation, merging parts of the previous economy and culture portfolios. He took office in January 2024, succeeding Elva Margariti in the culture portfolio and Delina Ibrahimaj in parts of the economy portfolio.

As tourism minister, Gonxhja has promoted Albania's shift toward higher-value tourism, long-term investment, branded hospitality and rural tourism development.

Role in the Rama government Gonxhja has been closely associated with Edi Rama's political and administrative network since the late 1990s, when he served in the Ministry of Culture under Rama, later in the Tirana municipality and, from 2018, in national executive posts under Rama's governments. The Bertelsmann Transformation Index stated in 2026 that patronage networks embedded in state institutions continued to affect Albania and that high-level corruption undermined institutional credibility.

Opposition figures and critics have described Gonxhja as part of Rama's governing system and have linked his posts to broader accusations of state capture, public-procurement abuse and politically connected business networks. Gonxhja and government officials have rejected such characterisations, arguing that his public-administration record reflects modernisation, improved services, digitalisation and institutional reform. The same outlet had previously alleged that the castle and surrounding public territory continued to be used privately despite a government decision placing it under state administration.

Because the reporting relied heavily on opposition and anonymous-source claims, the allegations have not been established by a court decision. Gonxhja has not been reported as charged in connection with the Lëkurësi Castle issue.

Response to the Flamingo Revolution During the 2026 Flamingo Revolution, protests erupted against proposed luxury tourism developments on Sazan Island and the Zvërnec peninsula, including projects linked to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. The protests began with environmental concerns over protected wetlands and later expanded into broader criticism of corruption, lack of transparency and Rama's government.

As tourism minister, Gonxhja defended the government's approach while saying the protests should be respected. On 6 June 2026, he said the situation required attention, analysis and deep reflection, and that the government wanted a balanced approach to the concerns raised. He also said the protests showed that freedom in Albania was at a high level and that the public debate about flamingos, protected species and environmental sensitivity showed social progress.

Later, Gonxhja was criticised for comments suggesting foreign influence behind the protests. On 3 July 2026, the Russian Embassy in Albania reacted to statements by Gonxhja and Taulant Balla alleging or implying Kremlin involvement in the protests. The embassy called the claims "completely unfounded" and said Russia followed a policy of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs.

Critics argued that such comments attempted to delegitimise a domestic protest movement by presenting it as foreign-influenced, while government figures argued that Albania's tourism development and international reputation were being targeted by hostile or competitive interests.

He has also been criticised by opposition figures as a loyal member of Rama's governing network, especially because of his long administrative career under Rama-led institutions and his defence of government tourism projects during the Flamingo Revolution.

Personal life Gonxhja is fluent in Albanian, English and Greek. He is married and has children. He is a supporter of Italian football club Inter Milan.