Arbjan Mazniku
Arbjan Mazniku | |
|---|---|
| Minister of State for Local Government | |
| Assumed office 13 September 2023 | |
| President | Bajram Begaj |
| Prime Minister | Edi Rama |
| Member of the Albanian Parliament | |
| Assumed office 11 September 2025 | |
| Constituency | Elbasan County |
| Deputy Mayor of Tirana | |
| In office 21 July 2015 – 12 September 2023 | |
| Deputy Minister of Education and Sports | |
| In office 1 October 2013 – 10 July 2015 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 6, 1978 Tirana, PR Albania |
| Political party | Socialist Party of Albania |
| Alma mater | University of Tirana University of Sheffield |
| Occupation | Politician |
Arbjan Mazniku (born November 6, 1978) is an Albanian politician and government official. He served as Deputy Mayor of Tirana from 2015 to 2023 and since September 2023, he has served as Minister of State for Local Government in the third Rama government. As of May 2025, he was the Socialist Party’s political leader and candidate for the Elbasan region, and was elected as Member of Parliament for the same constituency.[1][2]
Early life and education
Arbjan Mazniku holds a degree in Journalism from the University of Tirana and a Master’s degree in Political Communication from the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom.[3]
From 2003 to 2007, Mazniku was active in the MJAFT! movement, a civic initiative focused on youth engagement and promoting good governance in Albania. Prior to that, he served as director of the National Debate Association, where he coordinated debate programs for secondary schools and universities.[3]
Career
Prior to entering public service, Mazniku served as Executive Director of the AGENDA Institute, a policy analysis organization in Albania focused on governance, European integration, and socioeconomic development.[3]
Mazniku was Deputy Minister of Education and Sports from 2013 to 2015. From 2015 to 2023, he held the role of Deputy Mayor of Tirana.[3]
In September 2023, Mazniku was appointed Minister of State for Local Government in the Rama III Government, replacing the state service standards minister post.[4]
As of May 2025, Mazniku was the political leader of the Socialist Party for the Elbasan region.[5]
Controversy over municipal spending
Mazniku has faced allegations of conflict of interest related to a restaurant co-owned by his wife. The restaurant received municipal payments for official events while Mazniku was Deputy Mayor of Tirana. Ownership records listed his wife, Marinela Lika, and Besa Fuga, wife of government PR chief Endri Fuga, as equal shareholders. Further scrutiny emerged over public procurement contracts awarded to entities linked to the resaurant, including a company formerly co-founded by the restaurant's chef and administrator. One such company, 3i-Solutions, secured contracts from municipally owned entities while Mazniku served as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Tirana DC.[6]
Mazniku denied any involvement in operational decisions or procurement processes related to either the restaurant or Tirana DC, stating he was unaware of the events held there or the procedures followed.[6]
References
- ^ "Kandidatët – Zgjedhjet për Kuvend 2025". Komisioni Qendror i Zgjedhjeve (in Albanian). KQZ. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ^ "PS, 10 mandate në Elbasan – Kush janë emrat nga lista e hapur që pritet të futen në Kuvend, PD asnjë ulëse". Top Channel (in Albanian). Top Media. 15 May 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Arbjan Mazniku". www.kryeministria.al. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- ^ "Albania's new Cabinet ministers sworn in to begin duties". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- ^ "Expectations for May 11th/ Mazniku: SP will get more than 78 mandates, maybe 82". CNA. 2025-05-01. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- ^ a b Likmeta, Besar; Bogdani, Aleksandra (2024-05-21). "Conflict of Interest? Restaurant Investment Raises Questions for Albanian Minister". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 2025-05-26.