The mayor of Tirana
Erion Veliaj is the Mayor of Tirana. He graduated in Political Science in the USA and completed his Master's studies at the University of Sussex, United Kingdom, with a focus on European Integration. Veliaj founded the MJAFT movement in 2003, heading it until 2007. MJAFT, as an organization that unified the spirit of activism among Albanian youth, won the United Nations Civil Society Award in 2004. From 2007 to 2009, Mr. Veliaj joined the European Stability Initiative to promote EU enlargement, and in 2011, as Secretary for Youth and Emigration in the Socialist Party, he organized the party's structures for the Diaspora, especially in Greece and Italy. In 2013, Mr. Veliaj was elected a Member of Parliament for the Socialist Party and was appointed Minister of Social Welfare and Youth, successfully managing the implementation of five key reforms for the country. In 2015, Mr. Veliaj was elected Mayor of Tirana, where he continues to serve