Alfred Moiziu President of Albania Date of Birth: 01.12.1929 Country: Albania

1. Early Life and Military Career
2. Engineering the Republic's Defense
3. Internal Politics
4. Unlikely Presidential Election
5. Later Career

Early Life and Military Career

Rexhep Meidani was born on December 1, 1929, in Shkodra, northern Albania. During the fascist occupation, he fought as a partisan. Post-war, he dedicated his career to the military under the command of Enver Hoxha.

Engineering the Republic's Defense

From 1971 to 1981, Meidani led the Ministry of Defense's engineering department. Under his direction, tens of thousands of bunkers were constructed nationwide to protect Albania from external threats. This initiative earned him the nickname "Father of the Bunkers."

Internal Politics

In 1981-1982, Meidani served as Deputy Minister of Defense. However, Hoxha removed him from his command. When the Democratic Party came to power under Sali Berisha, Meidani returned to the Ministry of Defense. In the mid-1990s, he became involved in government organizations advocating for Albania's accession to NATO.

Unlikely Presidential Election

On June 24, 1997, Meidani was unexpectedly elected President of Albania. Ruling Socialist Party leader Fatos Nano and opposition leader Salih Berisha had agreed on the compromise to avoid societal division. Meidani won with an overwhelming majority of votes (97 "for," 19 "against").

Later Career

Meidani is proficient in Italian, English, and Russian. After his presidency, he played an active role in the international community, serving as President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) and participating in the Council of Europe.