Ilir Meta facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ilir Meta
Meta in 2018
President of Albania
In office 24 July 2017 – 24 July 2022
Prime Minister	Edi Rama
Preceded by	Bujar Nishani
Succeeded by	Bajram Begaj
Prime Minister of Albania
In office 29 October 1999 – 29 January 2002
President	Rexhep Meidani
Preceded by	Pandeli Majko
Succeeded by	Pandeli Majko
Speaker of the Parliament of Albania
In office 10 September 2013 – 24 July 2017
Preceded by	Jozefina Topalli
Succeeded by	Valentina Leskaj (Acting)
47th Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 17 September 2009 – 17 September 2010
Prime Minister	Sali Berisha
Preceded by	Lulzim Basha
Succeeded by	Edmond Haxhinasto
In office 31 July 2002 – 18 July 2003
Prime Minister	Fatos Nano
Preceded by	Arta Dade
Succeeded by	Luan Hajdaraga (Acting)
Personal details
Born	Ilir Rexhep Meta (1969-03-24) 24 March 1969 (age 56) Çorovodë, Skrapar, PR Albania
Other political affiliations	Freedom Party (2022–2024) Independent (2017–2022) Socialist Movement for Integration (2004–2017) Socialist Party (1990–2004)
Spouse	Monika Kryemadhi ​ (m. 1998)​
Children	3
Signature

Ilir Rexhep Meta (born 24 March 1969) is an Albanian politician. He served as the President of Albania from 2017 to 2022.

Before becoming president, Meta was the Prime Minister of Albania from 1999 to 2002. He also served as the Speaker of the Parliament of Albania from 2013 to 2017. He held other important roles too, like Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In 2004, he started his own political party called the Socialist Movement for Integration. In 2017, he was elected President of Albania by the Members of Parliament.

Life and Political Journey

Early Life and Political Start

Ilir Meta was born in Çepan, Skrapar. He studied economics and politics at the University of Tirana. He also completed his advanced studies there.

Meta became involved in politics in 1990. This was when Albania was changing from a one-party system to a multi-party democracy. He was active in student movements that pushed for these changes.

Since 1992, he has been elected as a Member of Parliament many times. He worked on several important parliamentary committees. From 1996 to 1997, he was the Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Becoming Prime Minister

From October 1998 to October 1999, Meta was the Deputy Prime Minister. He was also the Minister of Coordination. Before that, he was the State Secretary for European Integration in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In 2004, Meta left the Socialist Party of Albania (PS). He then started his own party, the Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI). From 2004 to 2006, he was part of the International Commission on the Balkans. This group made suggestions for countries in the Western Balkans to join the European Union.

Meta became the Prime Minister of Albania on 29 October 1999. He was 30 years old, making him one of Albania's youngest prime ministers ever. He continued as Prime Minister after the 2001 election. However, he resigned in January 2002. During his time as Prime Minister, Albania began important reforms. The country also started the process to join the European Union.

Roles as Deputy Prime Minister and Speaker

In the 2009 election, Meta's party, the LSI, won four seats in Parliament. This made them important for forming the government. On 16 September 2009, the LSI joined with the Democratic Party of Albania (PD) to form a government.

With this new government, Ilir Meta became the Deputy Prime Minister. He also served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He strongly supported allowing Albanians to travel to the Schengen Area without a visa. This goal was achieved in 2010. He continues to support closer ties between Western Balkan countries and Europe. He believes this will bring more stability and peace to the region.

In 2011, Meta was the Minister of Economy, Trade, and Energy. This was still part of the government led by Sali Berisha.

Before the 2013 elections, Meta's party, the LSI, changed its alliance. They left the Democratic Party and joined with the Socialist Party of Albania (PS). The Socialist Party, led by Edi Rama, won the elections. On 10 September 2013, Parliament elected Meta as the Chairman of Parliament.

Presidency of Albania

On 28 April 2017, Ilir Meta was elected President of the Republic of Albania. He received 87 votes out of 140. He officially started his term on 24 July 2017. His daughter, Era Meta, served as the de facto First Lady. This was because his wife, Monika Kryemadhi, chose to focus on her political role as leader of the party Meta founded.

On 26 November 2019, a strong earthquake hit the Durrës region of Albania. Many people died, thousands were injured, and buildings were damaged. In January 2020, Meta met with soldiers from Israel. He thanked them for their help in the earthquake relief efforts. He gave them the Albanian Golden Medal of the Eagle award.

During his time as president, Meta focused on Albania's process of joining the European Union. He also worked on global challenges that affected Albania. He emphasized Albania's desire to strengthen its partnerships with other countries, especially in security and NATO.

Personal Life

Ilir Meta follows the Bektashi faith. He speaks Albanian, English, and Italian fluently. He is a big fan of the football club Celtic FC. He often shares his support for the club on social media. In July 2020, he started the first Celtic Supporters Club in Albania.

Meta was married to Monika Kryemadhi. They have two daughters and a son.

Honours and Awards

•  Croatia:
  • Grand Cross of the Grand Order of King Tomislav (29 October 2019)
•  Monaco:
  • Grand Cross of the Order of Saint-Charles (16 October 2019)

In March 2012, Meta received an award called "Most Positive Personality for 2010 in Foreign Policy." This award was given by an international institute in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The former President of Croatia, Stjepan Mesić, presented the award to Meta.

Meta has also been given the title "Honorary Citizen" by several cities and regions in Albania.

See also

In Spanish: Ilir Meta para niños