BIO

Erion Veliaj is an Albanian, politician, who is currently serving as the Mayor of Tirana. Stemming from a civil society activism organization as the leader of MJAFT!, Veliaj joined the ranks of the Socialist Party of Albania in 2011, when he was appointed Secretary for Youth and Immigration.

Previously, he served as a Member of the Parliament for the district of Gjirokastër and as Minister of Social Welfare and Youth under Prime Minister Edi Rama. In April 2015, Veliaj was appointed as mayoral candidate of the Socialist Party in the city of Tirana. He won the 2015 Albanian local elections and took office on July 31, 2015.