Agron Shehaj
Agron Shehaj | |
|---|---|
 Shehaj in 2017 | |
| Member of the Albanian Parliament | |
| Assumed office 12 September 2025 | |
| Constituency | Tirana County |
| In office 10 September 2021 – 12 September 2025 | |
| Constituency | Tirana County |
| In office 9 September 2017 – 20 September 2019 | |
| Constituency | Vlorë County |
| Leader of the Opportunity Party | |
| Assumed office 1 June 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 December 1977 |
| Party | Opportunity Party |
Other political affiliations | Democratic Party (2017–2023) Independent (2023–2024) |
| Spouse | Enida Sami Shehaj |
| Parent | Siri Shehaj (father) |
| Alma mater | University of Florence |
| Occupation |
|
| Signature | .svg){kind=small} |
Agron Shehaj (born 8 December 1977) is an Albanian entrepreneur and politician who is the founder and leader of the Opportunity Party (Albanian: Partia Mundësia). He has been a member of the Albanian Parliament for Tirana County since 2021, having previously represented Vlorë County from 2017 to 2019. He was formerly a member of the Democratic Party before leaving the party during the opposition split and founding the Opportunity Party in 2024.[1][2]
In the 2025 Albanian parliamentary election, the Opportunity Party won 48,995 votes and two seats in parliament, both in Tirana County.[3][4] The new parliament first sat on 12 September 2025.[3]
Background and business career
[edit]Shehaj was born in Vlorë in southern Albania. In 1991, after the collapse of the communist regime, he emigrated with his family to Italy.[5] He completed secondary education in Bolzano and studied economics at the University of Florence.[5]
After returning to Albania in 2005, Shehaj became active in the telemarketing and call-centre sector. He has been associated with the Sestante Holding group of companies, which have operated in Albania and abroad.[6]
Shehaj has also been involved in civil-society and memory projects. In 2018, he founded the Kujto Foundation, which operates the Kujto.al digital archive on victims and crimes of Albania's communist regime, together with journalists, historian Erald Kapri and lawyer Orjon Nallbati.[7]
Political career
[edit]Democratic Party
[edit]Shehaj entered national politics with the Democratic Party ahead of the 2017 Albanian parliamentary election, when he led the party's candidate list in Vlorë County.[8] He was elected to parliament in 2017. During the opposition boycott of parliament in 2019, he left parliament along with other Democratic Party MPs.
In the 2021 Albanian parliamentary election, Shehaj was elected as a Democratic Party MP for Tirana County.[9] After the party's defeat in that election, he ran for chairman of the Democratic Party, saying that the party needed new leadership, internal democracy and a stronger opposition to Edi Rama's government.[10] He lost the leadership contest to Lulzim Basha.
Following the Democratic Party's internal split after the Sali Berisha–Basha conflict, Shehaj distanced himself from the party. In November 2023, he said that he no longer considered the Democratic Party a credible alternative and that he would no longer be part of its structures.[1]
Opportunity Party
[edit]On 1 June 2024, Shehaj founded the Opportunity Party at the Palace of Congresses in Tirana.[2] At the founding convention, he described the party as a new political force intended to distance itself from Albania's post-communist political establishment and to focus on anti-corruption, economic opportunity and a smaller state.[2]
The party's programme proposed an 8 per cent flat income tax, a reduction in administrative costs, limits on state inspections of new businesses, action against monopolies, cancellation of abusive concessions and public-private partnerships, support for SPAK, and the use of digital tools and artificial intelligence in public administration.[11] Reporter.al described the party as a personalised centre-right project built around Shehaj, with an economic-liberal and anti-corruption message.[12]
During the 2025 Albanian parliamentary election, the Opportunity Party competed as one of 11 electoral subjects in an election with 53 registered political parties and first-time postal voting for the Albanian diaspora.[13] The party won 48,995 votes, or 3.05 per cent, and two seats in parliament.[3] The two mandates were taken by Shehaj and Erald Kapri, both in Tirana County.[4][14] After the election, Shehaj said the party would act as a modern opposition force focused on the future.[4]
Political positions
[edit]Shehaj and the Opportunity Party have positioned themselves as centre-right, pro-European and anti-corruption. The party programme states support for lower taxes, a smaller and less costly public administration, a stronger SPAK, recovery of funds lost through corruption, curbing monopolies, and greater transparency in concessions and public procurement.[11] Shehaj has also criticised money laundering and its effects on Albania's economy, arguing that criminal money weakens fair competition and damages investment, exports and tourism.[15]
Personal life
[edit]Shehaj is married and has three children.[16]
Election results
[edit]Parliamentary elections
[edit]| Election | Party | Constituency | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Democratic Party | Vlorë County | Elected | Led the Democratic Party list in the county |
| 2021 | Democratic Party | Tirana County | Elected | Later left Democratic Party structures |
| 2025 | Opportunity Party | Tirana County | Elected | Party won 48,995 votes and two seats nationally |
References
[edit]- 1 2 Ceta, Kristi (7 November 2023). "Agron Shehaj Leaves Democratic Party as He Sees 'No Alternative'". Albanian Daily News. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Agron Shehaj establishes the newest political force, presents the party 'Mundesia'". Hashtag.al. 1 June 2024. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Albania Parliament May 2025 Election". IPU Parline. Inter-Parliamentary Union. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 Meta, Armando (17 May 2025). "Partia Mundësia merr 2 mandate, Shehaj: Jemi opozita e shekullit 21, e një opozite që sheh nga e ardhmja". RTSH (in Albanian). Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- 1 2 Berberi, Leonard (19 January 2017). "Agron, il bambino albanese diventato re dei call center". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- ↑ "Agron Shehaj, pasuria, biografia e themeluesit të një perandorie në biznes". Exit News (in Albanian). Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- ↑ "Fondacioni Kujto". Kujto.al (in Albanian). Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- ↑ "Kush është Agron Shehaj, sipërmarrësi i suksesshëm të cilit Basha i besoi 'ballin e vendit' në Vlorë". Politiko (in Albanian). Retrieved 27 May 2017.
- ↑ "Formular Vetëdeklarimi" (PDF). Central Election Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
- ↑ "Agron Shehaj challenges Lulzim Basha, runs for Democratic Party chairman: New vision and direction needed". Politiko. 22 May 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- 1 2 "Programi i Partisë Mundësia" (PDF). Partia Mundësia (in Albanian). Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- ↑ Karaj, Vladimir (10 April 2025). ""Mundësia": Lëvizja e personalizuar e Agron Shehajt për forcë të re të qendrës së djathtë". Reporter.al (in Albanian). Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- ↑ "Elections in Albania". IFES ElectionGuide. International Foundation for Electoral Systems. 11 May 2025. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- ↑ "Erald Kapri won the mandate of MP with the Opportunity Party". BalkanWeb. 19 May 2025. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- ↑ "Foreign report/Shehaj: Money laundering is destroying Albania". BalkanWeb. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- ↑ "Agron Shehaj, pasuria, biografia e themeluesit të një perandorie në biznes". Exit News (in Albanian). Retrieved 22 June 2026.