Erion Veliaj

2015 Tirana Mayoral Election

Veliaj was selected as the Socialist Party candidate for the Mayorship of Tirana in April 2015, while the opposition Democratic Party picked Halim Kosova, a known gynecologist as a candidate. Other candidates were Gjergj Bojaxhiu, a former Democratic Party politician, and Sazan Guri, an environmental activist. Veliaj won against Kosova with 53.58% against 39.00% of the vote, while Bojaxhiu and Guri took 5.37% and 1.11% respectively.^{[7] [8]}

Minister of Social Welfare and Youth of Albania

In September 2013, Veliaj was appointed Minister of Social Welfare and Youth. ^[9]

Socialist Party of Albania

After failing to win any seat in the parliament with his G99 party in 2011, he joined the Socialist Party and became part the Steering Committee of the Socialist Party of Albania, as Secretary for Youth and Emigration. ^[10]

During the parliamentary elections of 2013, Veliaj was nominated by the Socialist Party as MP candidate for the district of Gjirokastër. ^[11]

MJAFT! Movement

In 2003, Veliaj founded the MJAFT! movement, a civic organization that unified activists to raise awareness and to protest for diverse social, educational and political issues in Albania. In 2004, MJAFT! was granted the United Nations Award for civil society for its exemplary and highly efficient methods of protest.^[12] Erion Veliaj led the MJAFT! movement until November 2007. In the parliamentary elections of 2009, he was a candidate for the Parliament of Albania, through the civil list of G99.

Mayoral tenure

The issue of urban air pollution is a growing concern in Tirana, and the role of the car can be controversial.^[13] In September 2015, Tirana organized its first vehicle-free day. In Januari 2017 the new Skanderbeg Square was inaugurated by Veliaj and the Prime Minister. ^[14] In July 2017 the Municipality of Tiranë voted to raise the water tariff significantly, Veliaj promoted this action by arguing that it would eventually make drinking water available 24 hours a day, and help improve its access and quality. ^[15] During his term as Mayor, he has earned the nickname ‘Lali Eri’, which can be translated as Big Brother Eri.

Notable projects of the Municipality of Tirana

• Reja (the cloud), a project from Sou Fujimoto;^[16]
• Plastic bags reduction project;^[17]
• Skanderbeg Square -featured also as one of the installations at the 2017 Chicago Architecture Biennial;^[18]
• Pazari i Ri, in an urban renewal project, the "New Bazaar" neighbourhood was rebuilt. ^[19]

Alleged kidnaping of Griselda Roshi

In a 2011 email to EU representatives, Mr. Veliaj briefed them on what he claimed was a politically motivated kidnapping of Kavaja's mayor's wife, Griselda Roshi, which allegedly led to a forced abortion. He related the kidnapping to the fact that Elvis Roshi had been able to flip a district such as Kavaja that traditionally voted for the DPA.^[20] The story was debunked after Ms. Roshi revealed to Albanian authorities that she had made up her kidnapping and was not pregnant.^[21][22][23] In a 2011 meeting on human rights in Albania, MEP Tanja Fajon used this debunked story as an illustrative example. She later apologized and claimed Mr. Veliaj never updated her on this story.^[24] This controversy has raised serious concerns over Mr. Veliaj's using of fake news and personal connections to influence high-ranked EU officials.^[25]

Other controversies

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) and the opposition have accused the municipality of Tirana for lack of transparency, particularly for the way it raised fares for bus passengers and budget.^[26]

Many actors of the civil society have accused him for favouring the construction oligarchy and that the General Urban Plan of Tirana he supported will destroy what little is left of Tirana's green spaces. His way of handling the protests against the playground in the Tirana Lake Park has also been criticised.^[27][28]