Albania’s Parliament Endorses PM Berisha’s New Cabinet

The new cabinet was supported by 74 of the 140 members of Albania's parliament, the chamber said on its website late on Wednesday.

Berisha told parliament that the cabinet is a “government for European Union integration”, highlighting the main objective of his forthcoming second four-year term of office, the statement said.

Berisha’s Democratic Party (PD), which won half of the 140 seats in the unicameral Albanian parliament in the June 28 elections, entered an alliance with left-wing Socialist Integration Movement (LSI) of Ilir Meta in July. The alliance has 74 seats in parliament.

Besides Berisha, 11 members of his new cabinet are members of PD, LSI has three ministers and one ministry goes to the Republican Party (PR), member of the PD-led election coalition.

Ridvan Bode remains Finance Minister for a second term running, Sokol Olldashi will carry on as Transport and Telecommunication Minister and Majlinda Bregu remains European Integration Minister.

Bujar Nishani, who served as Internal Affairs Minister in Berisha's previous government, becomes Justice Minister; Lulezim Basha, who was Foreign Affairs Minister, is the new Internal Affairs Minister.

Genc Ruli, who was Economy, Trade and Energy Minister in the previous cabinet, will serve now as Agriculture Minister.

The new Ministry of State will be in charge of state administration affairs and the government's relations with parliament. The Minister of State Genc Polo was Deputy Prime Minister in Berisha's previous government.