Erion Veliaj

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Erion Veliaj (born December 17, 1979) is an Albanian politician who is the mayor of Tirana, the capital and largest city of Albania. Beginning as an activist and the leader of MJAFT!, Veliaj joined the Socialist Party of Albania in 2011, where he was appointed Secretary for Youth and Immigration. He served as a member of parliament for Gjirokastër and as Minister of Social Welfare and Youth under Prime Minister Edi Rama. In April 2015, Veliaj was appointed as the mayoral candidate of the Socialist Party in Tirana. He won the 2015 Albanian local elections and took office as mayor of Tirana on July 31, 2015. He was re-elected in 2019 and 2023. In May 2024, the Special Prosecution against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) initiated an investigation into the assets of Veliaj and his family after corruption allegations regarding the Tirana incinerator project. On February 10, 2025, SPAK arrested Veliaj on charges related to corruption and money laundering, and placed him in pre-trial detention...

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