TIRANA, Sept 19 /ATA/ – Prime Minister Edi Rama on Friday introduced Albana Koçiu as Albania’s new Minister of the Interior, the first time a woman has held the post.
Describing the appointment as a “historic moment,” the government head said Koçiu’s nomination represents a radical shift in both leadership style and strategic running of the Ministry of Interior.
“Albana Koçiu comes to the helm of the Interior Ministry with a completely different profile from all her predecessors,” Rama said during a ceremony at the Ministry’s headquarters. “Her mission is to transform this institution from a traditionally police-centered institution – by Albanian standards – into a European-style Ministry of the Interior.”
The Premier emphasized that the scope of the ministry should not be limited to policing, despite the fact that State Police operations remain a central component.
“It’s time we stop treating the Interior Ministry as the top police office and the Minister as the country’s ‘chief of police.’ That is not the case – not by law and not by modern democratic practice,” the Prime Minister said.
He added that Koçiu’s appointment marks a starting point for broader institutional reform, especially in areas of governance that have remained unaddressed for decades.
“This shift in the Minister’s profile is the logical first step toward deeper, qualitative reform in how the Ministry of the Interior operates and impacts public life in Albania,” Rama said.
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