Fatos Nano
Encyclopedia
Fatos Thanas Nano is an Albanian economist
who was Prime Minister of Albania during several periods, the first leader of the Socialist Party of Albania
, and member of the Albanian Parliament
from 1991 to 1996 and 1997 to 2009. He reformed the Anti-Revisionist
Marxist-Leninist ideology of Labor Party of Albania into social democracy
for its successor, the Socialist Party of Albania
. During his leadership the Socialist Party of Albania, as a result of reforms joined the Socialist International
and Party of European Socialists
.
as well as a Ph.D.
in economics
from the University of Tirana
.
He has published three books:
. He grew up in Hoxha Tahsim Street in East Tirana and attended Sami Frasheri High School. After graduating, he was appointed as economist at the Metallurgical Factory in Elbasan and later to the Institute for Marxist-Leninist Studies in Tirana. He began his political career in 1991 after he was appointed Prime Minister
of the transitional government which purpose was to organize the first democratic elections in the country that year and preparing the transition of the country towards democracy
and market economy
. Those elections, on March 31, were won by the Labour Party of Albania and he again was appointed as Prime Minister. After two months he was forced to resign. That year he was elected leader of the Socialist Party, which succeeded the Party of Labor of Albania. In March 1992 the Democratic Party of Albania
won the election, and one year later he was imprisoned after he was accused for corruption and abuse with power from then president Sali Berisha
. His imprisonment was the most controversial issue of post Communist Albania, because the socialists in opposition alleged that his imprisonment was due to his strong opposition for the autocratic signs that the regime of that time showed and for the inefficiency of the government to accomplish true economical reforms. During 1994, Ponzi schemes were becoming popular in Albania
, and their collapse in 1997 caused the beginning of an armed popular revolt against president Sali Berisha
, who was forced to resign on July 1997. Nano was discharged and released. That same year, following general elections won by the Socialist Party of Albania
, Nano was appointed Prime Minister by President Rexhep Meidani
, only to resign again in 1998 after a coup d'état
attempted by radical followers of the Democratic Party of Albania
. This coup d'état was attempted during the funeral of an assassinated opposition leader, Azem Hajdari
. He was found innocent by a court in Tirana for his accuses for power abuse and corruption in 1999.
The Socialist Party continued to lead the country and won the elections of June 2001. Nano became Prime Minister for the third time on July 25, 2002, appointed by President Alfred Moisiu
. On July 3, 2005, the Socialist Party lost the elections and its majority in parliament. On September 3, 2005, Nano resigned as Prime Minister and as the Chairman of Socialist Party. Since then, he retired from public and political life, however he continues to appear in political TV talk shows. Later it was discovered he had settled together with his wife and step-son in Vienna
, Austria where he currently resides.
Nano was choosen as a candidate for President in the Presidential Elections of 2007
by the request of 20 Socialist MP. Most members of the opposition coalition led by the Socialist Party did not support him, however, and choose to boycott this Presidential Election
. Nano received only three votes, while Bamir Topi
of the Democratic Party won 75 votes. Topi did not receive enough votes to be elected, however. The second round of voting for electing the president was held on July 10. The parliament still failed to elect a president, with Nano getting five votes and Topi receiving 74. Continued failure to elect a president would have resulted in an early parliamentary election, but on July 20, Topi was elected.
In late August, it appeared likely Nano would found a new political party after falling out with the Socialist Party; he announced the foundation of the Movement for Solidarity
on September 19, 2007.
Fatos Nano is married to Xhoana Nano and together used to live at an apartment in downtown Tirana. Previously, he was married to Rexhina Nano with whom he has 2 children, a daughter named Edlira, and a son named Sokol.
As a member of parliament, Nano has served the constituencies of Kuçovë
, Tepelenë, and Sarandë
.
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
who was Prime Minister of Albania during several periods, the first leader of the Socialist Party of Albania
Socialist Party of Albania
The Socialist Party of Albania , is a centre-left, social democraticand socially liberal political party in Albania, it is currently the leading opposition party in Albania. It seats 66 MPs in the 2009 Albanian parliament . It achieved power in 1997 after a political crisis and governmental...
, and member of the Albanian Parliament
Assembly of Albania
The Parliament of Albania , formerly the People's Parliament is the unicameral parliament of the Republic of Albania.It has 140 members, elected for four-year terms. The electoral system is closed list proportional representation. There are 12 multi-member constituencies, corresponding to the...
from 1991 to 1996 and 1997 to 2009. He reformed the Anti-Revisionist
Anti-Revisionist
In the Marxist–Leninist movement, anti-revisionism refers to a doctrine which upholds the line of theory and practice associated with Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin, and usually either Mao Zedong or Enver Hoxha as well...
Marxist-Leninist ideology of Labor Party of Albania into social democracy
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
for its successor, the Socialist Party of Albania
Socialist Party of Albania
The Socialist Party of Albania , is a centre-left, social democraticand socially liberal political party in Albania, it is currently the leading opposition party in Albania. It seats 66 MPs in the 2009 Albanian parliament . It achieved power in 1997 after a political crisis and governmental...
. During his leadership the Socialist Party of Albania, as a result of reforms joined the Socialist International
Socialist International
The Socialist International is a worldwide organization of democratic socialist, social democratic and labour political parties. It was formed in 1951.- History :...
and Party of European Socialists
Party of European Socialists
The Party of European Socialists is a European political party led by Sergei Stanishev, former Prime Minister of Bulgaria. The PES comprises social-democratic national-level political parties primarily from Member state of the European Union, as well as other nations of the European continent. The...
.
Education
Nano has a degree in political economyPolitical economy
Political economy originally was the term for studying production, buying, and selling, and their relations with law, custom, and government, as well as with the distribution of national income and wealth, including through the budget process. Political economy originated in moral philosophy...
as well as a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
from the University of Tirana
University of Tirana
The University of Tirana is a public university located in Tirana, Albania.-History:UT was founded in 1957 as the State University of Tirana through the merging of five existing institutes of higher education, the most important of which was the Institute of Sciences, founded in 1947...
.
He has published three books:
- Socialimperializmi sovjetik në ekonominë kapitaliste botërore (1987)
- Die Sowjetunion: ein kapitalistisches, imperialistisches Land (1988)
- Dosja Nano (1994)
Personal history
Fatos Nano was born to Thanas Nano, a former director of Albanian Radio Television, and Maria Nano (nee Shuteriqi) from ElbasanElbasan
Elbasan is a city in central Albania. It is located on the Shkumbin River in the District of Elbasan and the County of Elbasan, at...
. He grew up in Hoxha Tahsim Street in East Tirana and attended Sami Frasheri High School. After graduating, he was appointed as economist at the Metallurgical Factory in Elbasan and later to the Institute for Marxist-Leninist Studies in Tirana. He began his political career in 1991 after he was appointed Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
of the transitional government which purpose was to organize the first democratic elections in the country that year and preparing the transition of the country towards democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and market economy
Market economy
A market economy is an economy in which the prices of goods and services are determined in a free price system. This is often contrasted with a state-directed or planned economy. Market economies can range from hypothetically pure laissez-faire variants to an assortment of real-world mixed...
. Those elections, on March 31, were won by the Labour Party of Albania and he again was appointed as Prime Minister. After two months he was forced to resign. That year he was elected leader of the Socialist Party, which succeeded the Party of Labor of Albania. In March 1992 the Democratic Party of Albania
Democratic Party of Albania
The Democratic Party of Albania is a center-right, Conservative, political party in Albania and the leading party in the governing coalition since the 2005 parliamentary elections...
won the election, and one year later he was imprisoned after he was accused for corruption and abuse with power from then president Sali Berisha
Sali Berisha
Sali Ram Berisha is an Albanian politician and cardiologist, currently the Prime Minister of Albania and the leader of Democratic Party of Albania ....
. His imprisonment was the most controversial issue of post Communist Albania, because the socialists in opposition alleged that his imprisonment was due to his strong opposition for the autocratic signs that the regime of that time showed and for the inefficiency of the government to accomplish true economical reforms. During 1994, Ponzi schemes were becoming popular in Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, and their collapse in 1997 caused the beginning of an armed popular revolt against president Sali Berisha
Sali Berisha
Sali Ram Berisha is an Albanian politician and cardiologist, currently the Prime Minister of Albania and the leader of Democratic Party of Albania ....
, who was forced to resign on July 1997. Nano was discharged and released. That same year, following general elections won by the Socialist Party of Albania
Socialist Party of Albania
The Socialist Party of Albania , is a centre-left, social democraticand socially liberal political party in Albania, it is currently the leading opposition party in Albania. It seats 66 MPs in the 2009 Albanian parliament . It achieved power in 1997 after a political crisis and governmental...
, Nano was appointed Prime Minister by President Rexhep Meidani
Rexhep Meidani
is an Albanian politician. He graduated from the University of Tirana , Faculty of Natural Sciences, Branch Physics, as well as successfully accomplished the postgraduate studies in the University of Caen...
, only to resign again in 1998 after a coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
attempted by radical followers of the Democratic Party of Albania
Democratic Party of Albania
The Democratic Party of Albania is a center-right, Conservative, political party in Albania and the leading party in the governing coalition since the 2005 parliamentary elections...
. This coup d'état was attempted during the funeral of an assassinated opposition leader, Azem Hajdari
Azem Hajdari
Azem Shpend Hajdari was the leader of the student's movement in 1990–1991 that led to the fall of communism in Albania. He then became a politician of the Democratic Party of Albania . Together with Sali Berisha, he symbolizes the start of the democratic era in Albania. He was a member of the...
. He was found innocent by a court in Tirana for his accuses for power abuse and corruption in 1999.
The Socialist Party continued to lead the country and won the elections of June 2001. Nano became Prime Minister for the third time on July 25, 2002, appointed by President Alfred Moisiu
Alfred Moisiu
was the fourth President of the Republic of Albania from July 24, 2002 to July 24, 2007. He is the son of Albanian Army general Spiro Moisiu....
. On July 3, 2005, the Socialist Party lost the elections and its majority in parliament. On September 3, 2005, Nano resigned as Prime Minister and as the Chairman of Socialist Party. Since then, he retired from public and political life, however he continues to appear in political TV talk shows. Later it was discovered he had settled together with his wife and step-son in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria where he currently resides.
Nano was choosen as a candidate for President in the Presidential Elections of 2007
Albanian presidential election, 2007
Indirect Albanian presidential elections in 2007 were held on 20 and 27 June, 8 and 11 July, 14 July, and 20 July.-Constitutional provisions:According to the Albanian Constitution the President is elected by the Assembly...
by the request of 20 Socialist MP. Most members of the opposition coalition led by the Socialist Party did not support him, however, and choose to boycott this Presidential Election
Election boycott
An election boycott is the boycotting of an election by a group of voters, each of whom abstains from voting.Boycotting may be used as a form of political protest where voters feel that electoral fraud is likely, or that the electoral system is biased against its candidates, or that the polity...
. Nano received only three votes, while Bamir Topi
Bamir Topi
Bamir Myrteza Topi is the fifth and current President of Albania since 24 July 2007. He was also Honorary President of Albanian football club KF Tirana from 2005 to 2007.-Early life and public activities:...
of the Democratic Party won 75 votes. Topi did not receive enough votes to be elected, however. The second round of voting for electing the president was held on July 10. The parliament still failed to elect a president, with Nano getting five votes and Topi receiving 74. Continued failure to elect a president would have resulted in an early parliamentary election, but on July 20, Topi was elected.
In late August, it appeared likely Nano would found a new political party after falling out with the Socialist Party; he announced the foundation of the Movement for Solidarity
Movement for Solidarity
Movement for Solidarity is an Albanian political party, the formation of which was announced on September 19, 2007 by former Prime Minister of Albania and former Socialist Party of Albania leader Fatos Nano. He stated he wanted to rebuild and reform the Socialist Party through his new movement....
on September 19, 2007.
Fatos Nano is married to Xhoana Nano and together used to live at an apartment in downtown Tirana. Previously, he was married to Rexhina Nano with whom he has 2 children, a daughter named Edlira, and a son named Sokol.
As a member of parliament, Nano has served the constituencies of Kuçovë
Kuçovë
Kuçovë is an Albanian city, capital of the Kuçovë District, with many parks and museums.-Ancient :Archaeologists found in the village of Katundas near Kuçovë six phases of inhabitation dating to the Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, urban Illyrian and the Late Antiquity era.- Modern...
, Tepelenë, and Sarandë
Sarandë
Sarandë or Saranda is the capital of the District of Sarandë, Albania, and is one of the most important tourist attractions of the Albanian Riviera. It is situated on an open sea gulf of the Ionian Sea in the Mediterranean 2 nautical miles from the Greek island of Corfu. The city of Saranda has a...
.