Edi Rama facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Edi Rama
Rama in 2025
33rd Prime Minister of Albania
Incumbent
Assumed office 11 September 2013
President	Bujar Nishani Ilir Meta Bajram Begaj
Deputy	See list Niko Peleshi Ledina Mandia Senida Mesi Erion Braçe Arben Ahmetaj Belinda Balluku
Preceded by	Sali Berisha
Chairman of the Socialist Party of Albania
Incumbent
Assumed office 10 October 2005
Preceded by	Fatos Nano
Other political offices Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe In office 1 January 2020 – 1 January 2021 Preceded by Miroslav Lajčák Succeeded by Ann Linde 40th Mayor of Tirana In office 11 October 2000 – 25 July 2011 Preceded by Albert Brojka Succeeded by Lulzim Basha 40th Minister of Foreign Affairs In office 21 January 2019 – 31 December 2020 Serving with Gent Cakaj Prime Minister Himself Preceded by Ditmir Bushati Succeeded by Olta Xhaçka 22nd Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports In office 2 October 1998 – 26 October 2000 Prime Minister Pandeli Majko Ilir Meta Preceded by Arta Dade Succeeded by Esmeralda Uruçi
Personal details
Born	Edvin Kristaq Rama (1964-07-04) 4 July 1964 (age 61) Tirana, PR Albania
Political party	Socialist
Spouses	Matilda Makoçi [sq] ​ ​ (m. 1986; div. 1991)​ Linda Basha ​ (m. 2010)​
Children	Greg Rama Zaho Rama
Parents	Kristaq Rama (father) Aneta Koleka (mother)
Alma mater	Academy of Arts
Signature
Edi Rama Personal information High school Jordan Misja Artistic Lyceum Listed height 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) Career information College Tirana University of Arts League Albanian Basketball League Career history 0000 Dinamo Tirana 0000 Albania national team

Edi Rama (born Edvin Kristaq Rama on July 4, 1964) is an Albanian politician, artist, and writer. He has been the Prime Minister of Albania since 2013. He is also the leader of the Socialist Party of Albania.

Before becoming prime minister, Rama served as the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports from 1998 to 2000. He was also the Mayor of Tirana, Albania's capital city, from 2000 to 2011.

In 2013, the group of political parties led by Rama won the election. He became prime minister and won again in 2017 and 2021. He is the only prime minister in Albania's history to win four elections in a row. While Albania's economy has grown under his leadership, some people say his leadership style is very strong.

Rama helped create Open Balkan, an economic group of countries in the Western Balkans. This group aims to help these countries work together more easily, much like the European Union.

Early Life and Career

Edvin Rama was born on July 4, 1964, in Tirana, Albania. His father, Kristaq Rama, was a famous sculptor who made many statues during Albania's communist era. His mother, Aneta Rama, was a doctor.

Rama loved painting from a young age. Two well-known Albanian painters, Edi Hila and Danish Jukniu, saw his talent and encouraged him. He went to an art school called the Jordan Misja Artistic Lyceum.

Besides art, Rama was also a talented basketball player. He played for the team Dinamo Tirana and was part of the Albania national basketball team.

After high school, he studied at the Academy of Arts in Tirana. After graduating, he became a teacher there. During this time, he organized meetings where students could openly talk about and criticize the government.

In 1994, Rama moved to France to focus on his career as a painter. He showed his art in many galleries. In 2002, he officially changed his first name from Edvin to Edi.

Political Career

Minister and Mayor of Tirana

In 1998, while visiting Albania for his father's funeral, Rama was asked to join the government. He became the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports. He became known for his colorful clothes and creative ideas.

In 2000, Rama was elected Mayor of Tirana. He started a project to make the city more beautiful. He had many old, grey buildings from the communist era repainted in bright, happy colors. This changed the look and feel of the city. For this work, he won the first-ever World Mayor Prize in 2004.

As mayor, he also created a master plan for the city, planted thousands of new trees, and improved roads. He was reelected as mayor in 2003 and 2007. In 2011, he ran for a fourth time but lost in a very close election.

Leader of the Socialist Party

In 2005, Rama became the leader of the Socialist Party of Albania. He brought in many younger people to help lead the party. He was inspired by leaders like Tony Blair in the United Kingdom and wanted to find a "third way" for politics that was not just left or right.

After a close election loss in 2009, Rama and his party protested the results. This created a lot of political debate in Albania.

Prime Minister of Albania (2013–present)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Rama during the 2014 NATO Summit in Newport, UK

In 2013, Rama's coalition of parties won the election by a large margin. He became the Prime Minister of Albania. His plan for the country, called "Renaissance," focused on four main goals:

• Joining the European Union
• Improving the economy
• Making the country safer
• Making government institutions more democratic

What has he done as Prime Minister?

One of Rama's first goals was to improve public safety. His government invested in the police force, giving them better training and equipment.

He also worked on reforming the justice system to make it fairer. Another major project was fixing the energy sector, which was having serious problems. His government helped the economy grow and created many new jobs.

Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić, Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and Rama at the opening of the Open Balkan, 29 July 2021

Rama's government also made changes to local government, the social welfare system, and higher education. He has worked to improve relationships with other countries, especially with Serbia. His visit to Belgrade in 2014 was the first by an Albanian prime minister in over 70 years.

In 2023, the minimum wage in Albania was raised to 40,000 ALL (about €404) per month. His government also increased salaries for public workers.

In 2024, Rama announced a plan to create a tiny new country, or European microstate, inside Tirana. It will be called the Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order and will be a special place for the Bektashi Order, a Sufi Islamic group.

2019 Albanian Earthquake

Rama looking at earthquake damage with the Israel Defense Forces Aid Mission in 2019

On November 26, 2019, a powerful earthquake hit Albania. Rama was given special powers to manage the emergency. He visited the areas most affected by the earthquake to see the damage himself.

He changed the country's budget to help pay for rebuilding homes. He also asked for help from other countries, saying that Albania could not handle the rebuilding alone. He organized a conference where other countries could donate money to help Albania recover.

Foreign Policy

Rama with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, February 15, 2024

Rama believes that the countries of the Western Balkans should join the European Union as soon as possible. He thinks this will bring peace and stability to the region.

He has a strong relationship with Turkey and its president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whom he calls a "friend of Albania."

Rama has met with many world leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, U.S. President Barack Obama, and Pope Francis. In 2015, he visited Israel and spoke about how Albania protected Jewish people during World War II.

Rama and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, March 23, 2023

In 2019, he signed a deal with the leaders of Serbia and North Macedonia to create a "Mini Schengen" zone. This agreement, now called Open Balkan, helps people, goods, and money move freely between these countries. In 2024, Rama said that Albania hopes to join the EU by 2030.

In April 2025, Rama visited Israel and showed support for its actions in the Gaza war. In June 2025, he supported Israeli actions against Iran's nuclear program.

Artist and Writer

Rama in 2018

Rama is still an active painter. He has had his art shown in exhibitions all over the world, including in New York, Berlin, and Brazil. He has also published several books, including Refleksione (Reflections) and Kurban, a book about his time as mayor of Tirana.

Exhibitions

• National Art Gallery in Tirana, Albania (1992)
• Jano Gallery in New York City (1993)
• São Paulo, Brazil (1994)
• Venice Biennial (2014 and 2017)
• Marian Goodman Gallery in New York City (2016)

Personal Life

Rama was baptized as a Catholic but now says he is an agnostic. This means he believes that people cannot know for sure if God exists.

He was first married to actress Matilda Makoçi, and they have a son named Gregor. They divorced in 1991.

Since 2010, Rama has been married to Linda Rama, an economist. They have a son named Zaho, who was born in 2014. Rama is a fan of the sports teams FK Partizani Tirana and Juventus FC.

Honors and Awards

Award or decoration		Country	Date	Place
	Legion of Honour	France	29 March 2017	Paris
	Presidential Medal of Merits	Kosovo	16 February 2018	Pristina
	Order of Saint-Charles	Monaco	10 April 2019	Monaco
	Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise (First class)	Ukraine	30 December 2023	Kyiv

Images for kids

• 

  Rama at a political campaign rally in Vlore, 18 May 2013

• 

  Rama at the NATO Air Base Kuçova in Albania, 4 March 2024

See also

In Spanish: Edi Rama para niños

• List of Albanian painters
• Prime Minister of Albania