From Fatos Nano to Elisa Spiropali, expulsions and departures from the Socialist Party over the years

The history of the Socialist Party has been marked by departures and expulsions involving prominent figures, among them former party leader Fatos Nano, lawmakers and senior officials. Decisions to remove members from the parliamentary group or party leadership bodies have been made for various reasons, often amid political clashes and disagreements within the left.

In 2007, Edi Rama, then leader of the Socialist Party, told journalists that Fatos Nano was no longer part of the party’s political project. That same year, six Socialist lawmakers were expelled from the Socialist Party’s parliamentary group after voting for Bamir Topi as President of the Republic. They were Paulin Sterkaj, Durim Lamaj, Durim Hushi, Bukurosh Stafa, Taulant Dedja and Hamit Kosta.

Kastriot Islami was expelled from the Socialist parliamentary group in 2011 after failing to follow the party’s political position. This period was marked by fierce clashes within the Socialist Party and by the Movement for Different Thinking, which included Ben Blushi, Arben Malaj, Andis Harasani and Marko Bello.

In 2015, Tom Doshi was expelled from the Socialist Party’s parliamentary group. A year later, in 2016, Koço Kokëdhima was removed from his leadership roles in the party. In 2017, former Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri was expelled from both the parliamentary group and the party’s governing bodies.

The departures continued in 2021 with the expulsion of Dritan Leli from the Socialist Party. Yesterday, the party also decided to expel Elisa Spiropali and Plarent Ndreca from its governing bodies.