Ilir Meta

Ilir Rexhep Meta (; born 24 March 1969) is an Albanian politician who served as President of Albania from 2017 to 2022. He was a member of the Parliament of Albania from 1992 to 2017, serving across multiple legislatures before taking office as president. He previously served as Prime Minister of Albania from 1999 to 2002, Speaker of the Parliament of Albania from 2013 to 2017, Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2002–2003 and 2009–2010, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Economy, Trade and Energy.

Meta began his political career in the Socialist Party of Albania after the fall of communism and was first elected to parliament in 1992. In 2004, he left the Socialist Party and founded the Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI), later renamed the Freedom Party. His party played a kingmaker role in Albanian politics, joining Sali Berisha's Democratic Party-led government after the 2009 Albanian parliamentary election and later switching to Edi Rama's Socialist Party-led coalition before the 2013 Albanian parliamentary election.

As president, Meta had frequent institutional conflicts with Rama's Socialist government. In 2019, he attempted to cancel the local elections scheduled for 30 June, arguing that they could take place without opposition participation and risked political confrontation; the government rejected the decree and the elections went ahead. In 2021, parliament voted to impeach him for alleged constitutional violations during the election campaign, but the Constitutional Court of Albania overturned the decision in February 2022 and allowed him to complete his term.

After leaving the presidency in July 2022, Meta returned to party politics and resumed leadership of the renamed Freedom Party. In October 2024, he was arrested after an investigation by Albania's Special Structure against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) on allegations of corruption, money laundering and concealment of assets. He has denied wrongdoing and described the case as politically motivated. In May 2025, he was formally charged with corruption, money laundering, tax evasion and hiding property; his former wife Monika Kryemadhi was also charged in the case.

Early life and education Meta was born in Skrapar on 24 March 1969.

He became politically active in 1990 during the student movement that contributed to the end of one-party rule in Albania.

On 29 January 2002, Meta resigned as prime minister amid internal conflict in the Socialist Party, especially with party chairman Fatos Nano. He was succeeded by Pandeli Majko on 22 February 2002. Meta later returned to government as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the government of Fatos Nano from July 2002 to July 2003.

Under the coalition agreement, Meta became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. He held the foreign ministry during a period that included Albania's implementation of reforms linked to visa liberalisation with the Schengen Area, which was achieved for Albanian citizens in December 2010.

In September 2010, Meta left the foreign ministry and became Minister of Economy, Trade and Energy while remaining Deputy Prime Minister. He resigned from the government in January 2011 after the broadcast of a hidden-camera video alleging corruption, while denying the allegations and saying he wanted to clear his name.

Return to the Socialist-led coalition and Speaker of Parliament Before the 2013 Albanian parliamentary election, Meta and LSI left the Democratic Party-led government and joined the Socialist Party-led opposition coalition, the Alliance for a European Albania.

As speaker, Meta presided over parliament during a period of major institutional reforms, including debates over justice reform and Albania's EU integration process. His party remained a coalition partner in the Rama government until the 2017 elections, although relations between LSI and the Socialist Party became increasingly competitive in the final phase of the coalition.

At the inauguration ceremony, Meta was accompanied by his children. His wife, Monika Kryemadhi, declined the role of First Lady of Albania because she had taken over the leadership of LSI, while their daughter Era Meta was reported to have performed the ceremonial role of first lady.

Institutional conflicts with the Rama government Meta's presidency was marked by repeated disputes with Prime Minister Edi Rama's Socialist government. He often accused the government of undermining constitutional checks and balances, while the Socialist majority accused him of behaving as a partisan opposition figure rather than a neutral head of state.

2019 earthquake and foreign relations On 26 November 2019, a major earthquake struck the Durrës region, killing 51 people, injuring thousands and damaging thousands of buildings. In January 2020, Meta visited Israel and thanked Israeli rescue personnel for their assistance after the earthquake, awarding the Golden Medal of the Eagle to the Israel Defense Forces' National Rescue Unit.

During his presidency, Meta emphasised Albania's European integration and its strategic relations with the United States, NATO allies and neighbouring Balkan states.

Impeachment by parliament On 9 June 2021, the Albanian parliament voted to dismiss Meta from office, accusing him of serious constitutional violations during the April 2021 parliamentary election campaign, including partisan conduct and statements that the ruling majority said had encouraged instability. The motion was brought by the ruling Socialist Party and was approved by 104 MPs.

The decision required review by the Constitutional Court before it could take effect. On 16 February 2022, the court overturned parliament's decision, ruling that Meta's actions did not amount to a grave constitutional violation. As a result, Meta remained president until the end of his five-year term on 24 July 2022.

Post-presidency and Freedom Party After leaving office, Meta immediately returned to active party politics. On 25 July 2022, the Socialist Movement for Integration held a convention, changed its name to the Freedom Party, and restored Meta as party leader. The party presented the rebranding as a new stage after Meta's return from the presidency, while critics argued that it did not resolve the party's decline in electoral support. Meta also brags that because he is on good terms with Chief Justice Shpresa Becaj, after having hired her daughter as a diplomat at an embassy, he can influence the decision of the Supreme Court over a trial for the same hydro-power plant concession.

Meta denied wrongdoing and resigned on 14 January 2011, saying that he wanted to fight the allegations and protect the government from political damage.

During the ensuing trial in the High Court, three Albanian experts appointed by the court - Ermal Beqiri, Ardian Pollo and Artur Rrahmani - testified that the video was not original, while earlier British and American forensic analyses commissioned by prosecutors had concluded that the recording was authentic. The court ruled the foreign analysis inadmissible. Dritan Prifti strongly disputed the local experts' conclusions, urging the court to request an independent expertise from the scientific police of one or more EU member states.

Alleged communist-era informer file In July 2022, shortly after Meta left the presidency, the Authority for Information on Former State Security Documents informed parliament that a high-profile former state official identified by initials "I.M." appeared in files of the communist-era Sigurimi secret police. Albanian media and political actors identified the person as Meta. Meta denied the allegations, noting that previous vetting commissions had issued him certificates clearing him of collaboration with the former communist security services.

The controversy became part of the political debate surrounding Meta's return to opposition politics. In September 2022, Tirana Times reported that the person whose Sigurimi file was being used in the dispute denied that Meta had been involved and asked the files authority to correct what he described as inaccurate or manipulated data.

Lobbying allegations In 2022, the Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung reported allegations that Meta had used a shell company to finance lobbying and gain access to the first inauguration of Donald Trump in 2017. Meta denied wrongdoing and said he had been invited by the Republican Party.

The alleged lobbying payments later formed part of the broader SPAK case. AP reported in May 2025 that prosecutors accused Meta of failing to account for around $460,000 used for lobbying in the United States. The case also included Monika Kryemadhi and other defendants. Transparency International summarised the case as involving allegations of bribery, money laundering and illicit enrichment, while noting that the alleged offences remained under prosecution.

In April 2026, Meta sent a public letter to the Albanian Helsinki Committee alleging violations of his rights during pre-trial detention at the Jordan Misja penitentiary. He claimed he had been denied equal outdoor time, had not received documentation for disciplinary measures, was prevented from effectively appealing decisions and faced restrictions on publicly defending himself regarding his legal case. In the same month, Albanian Daily News reported that the Special Court had sent the case to trial, with Meta and Kryemadhi facing charges including passive corruption, money laundering and failure to declare assets.

In June 2026, court proceedings continued before the Special Court. Albanian Daily News reported that Meta denied the allegations, requested witnesses and an independent expert, and challenged prosecutors' claims about alleged mining-law amendments and the Rolling Hills property. They have two daughters and a son.

Meta is a Bektashi Muslim and has publicly participated in Bektashi celebrations. According to his official presidential biography, he speaks Albanian, English and Italian.

Honours and awards

In March 2012, Meta received the "Most Positive Personality for 2010 in Foreign Policy" award from the International Institute IFIMES in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The award was presented by former Croatian president Stjepan Mesić, honorary president of IFIMES.

Meta has also been honoured by several cities and regions of Albania with the title "Honorary Citizen".