Besfort Lamallari

Besfort Lamallari
Lamallari in 2025
Minister of Internal Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office
6 March 2026
PresidentBajram Begaj
Prime MinisterEdi Rama
Preceded byAlbana Koçiu
Minister of Justice
In office
19 September 2025 – 6 March 2026
PresidentBajram Begaj
Prime MinisterEdi Rama
Preceded byUlsi Manja
Succeeded byToni Gogu
Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs
In office
9 October 2017 – 19 September 2025
Prime MinisterEdi Rama
Personal details
Born (1987-07-18) 18 July 1987
Peshkopi, PSR Albania
PartySocialist Party
Alma materUniversity of Tirana
University of Oxford
Signature

Besfort Lamallari (born 18 July 1987) is an Albanian politician and lawyer who has served as Minister of Internal Affairs since March 2026. A member of the Socialist Party of Albania, he previously served as Minister of Justice from September 2025 to March 2026 and as Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs from 2017 to 2025.[1][2][3]

Before entering senior government, Lamallari worked on security and criminal-justice policy, including research on organized crime in Albania and the Western Balkans. From 2020, while serving as Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, he represented Albania as negotiator for European Union accession Chapter 24, covering justice, freedom and security.[1] His tenure in interior-related posts has coincided with continued domestic and international concern over police integrity, organised crime, corruption, electoral pressure and misuse of state resources in Albania. These issues have been raised by opposition politicians and international observers, though available sources do not show that Lamallari has been personally charged with a criminal offence.[4][5][6]

Early life and education

Lamallari was born on 18 July 1987 in Peshkopi, Dibër County.[1] He completed undergraduate studies in law at the University of Tirana in 2009. In 2013, he graduated from the University of Oxford with a Master of Science degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice. He also pursued postgraduate studies in Italy, receiving an LL.M. in International Cooperation against Transnational Organized Crime.[1]

According to his official government profile, Lamallari also received training from the German Council on Foreign Relations, the School of Security Studies at the University of Copenhagen, and the Academy of Political Studies, a Council of Europe programme.[1]

Research and policy work

Before holding ministerial office, Lamallari was involved in research on organised crime, radicalisation and terrorism. He co-authored work with Fabian Zhilla on Albanian criminal groups and the report Organized Crime Threat Assessment in Albania, a study that examined criminal networks in Albania and the region through secondary sources and interviews with judges, prosecutors, lawyers, journalists and civil-society representatives.[7]

In April 2017, he was reported to have become an adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs on organised crime, drug trafficking, radicalisation and terrorism. In October 2017, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs.[8]

Political career

Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs

Lamallari served as Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs from October 2017 until his appointment as Minister of Justice in 2025.[1][8] His official profile states that, during the aftermath of the 2019 Albania earthquake, he served as a government delegate for the management of search-and-rescue teams in Durrës. In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Albania, he was appointed as a delegate of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Civil Emergencies for the Shkodër region.[1]

In March 2021, Interior Minister Bledi Çuçi delegated ministerial competences to Lamallari from 25 March to 30 April, while Çuçi was campaigning as a Socialist Party candidate for the 2021 Albanian parliamentary election.[8] The election was later described by the OSCE/ODIHR as one in which fundamental freedoms were generally respected, but the ruling party had a significant advantage through control of local administrations and misuse of administrative resources; the report also said that allegations of vote buying by political parties were widespread and had led to investigations.[4]

From 2020, Lamallari represented Albania as the negotiator responsible for Chapter 24, “Justice, Freedom and Security”, in the country's accession negotiations with the European Union.[1] This chapter includes issues such as organised crime, migration, border management, judicial cooperation and law-enforcement cooperation.

Minister of Justice

After the 2025 Albanian parliamentary election, Prime Minister Edi Rama proposed Lamallari as Minister of Justice, replacing Ulsi Manja.[2] President Bajram Begaj decreed the ministers of the Rama IV Government in September 2025, and the fourth Rama cabinet was sworn in on 19 September after parliamentary approval.[9] Rama presented the government as centred on Albania's goal of EU membership by 2030; Reuters reported at the time that Albania's EU ambitions continued to face challenges because of corruption scandals and organised-crime concerns.[10]

The 2025 parliamentary elections were assessed by OSCE/ODIHR as competitive and professionally managed, but without a level playing field. The mission reported intimidation, misuse of public resources, pressure on public employees, instances of vote buying and problems with ballot secrecy.[5] Lamallari took office after the election, but his appointment to the Justice Ministry placed him within a government facing these wider electoral-integrity criticisms.

Minister of Internal Affairs

In March 2026, Lamallari was reassigned from the Justice Ministry to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, replacing Albana Koçiu, while Toni Gogu succeeded him as Minister of Justice.[11][3] The reshuffle took place during a period of political tension following high-profile corruption investigations involving senior Socialist Party officials, including former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku.[12]

As interior minister, Lamallari continued to present organised-crime policy as linked to Albania's EU accession process. In April 2026, he said that EU membership was also a security and geopolitical project, and highlighted co-operation with European law-enforcement agencies, the creation of an Asset Recovery Office and reforms related to arms trafficking, drug trafficking, child protection and border security.[13] In June 2026 he visited Eurojust, where he was received as Albania's Minister of Interior.[14] Albanian media also reported a Europol meeting focused on drug trafficking, criminal groups, human trafficking, financial crime and online fraud.[15]

Criticism and controversies

Police integrity and organised-crime allegations

As interior minister, Lamallari has faced opposition criticism over alleged links between organised crime and law-enforcement institutions. In March 2026, the opposition sought a parliamentary interpellation with him over police-integrity concerns, with the Democratic Party accusing the authorities of failing to protect the integrity of the police force.[16] During an April 2026 interpellation, Democratic Party MP Klevis Balliu described police “incrimination” as a national problem and referred to international concerns about corruption and organised crime. Lamallari rejected what he called a politics of mud-slinging, said that trust in the State Police was central to the rule of law, and acknowledged that individual police officers had violated the uniform but argued that the difference was whether problems were hidden or addressed through concrete measures.[17]

In May 2026, after an operation in Sarandë in which police directors and officers were reported arrested on suspicion of co-operation with criminal elements and abuse of office, Lamallari publicly supported the operation and said there would be “zero tolerance” for police officers who co-operate with criminals or abuse their duties.[18]

Election and governance context

Lamallari's career in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and later in the Rama IV cabinet has overlapped with repeated international criticism of Albania's electoral and governance environment. In 2021, while he temporarily exercised delegated ministerial powers during the election period, OSCE/ODIHR reported that the ruling party benefited from control of local administrations and misuse of administrative resources, and that allegations of vote buying were widespread.[4] In 2025, OSCE/ODIHR again said that Albania's parliamentary elections were competitive and professionally managed but lacked a level playing field, citing intimidation, misuse of public resources, pressure on public employees, vote-buying incidents and ballot-secrecy concerns.[5]

Freedom House's 2026 report described Albania as having competitive elections but highly polarized parties, and said corruption and bribery remained major problems despite efforts to address corruption in the judiciary.[6] Reporters Without Borders has also stated that media freedom and media independence in Albania are threatened by conflicts of interest between the business and political worlds, partisan regulation, and intimidation from politicians and organised crime.[19] These assessments relate to Albania's wider political environment rather than to a criminal finding against Lamallari personally.

Handling of protests

During the 2026 anti-government protests in Tirana, police clashed with demonstrators opposing a luxury coastal development project linked to Jared Kushner and later broader criticism of Rama's government. The Associated Press reported that police used tear gas, pepper spray and a water cannon after protesters threw objects and damaged police vehicles; Lamallari condemned what he called acts of vandalism and criminal violence against the police.[20]

In July 2026, after a lawyer alleged that police had abused a detained protester with epilepsy, Lamallari denied the allegation, said that the State Police had described the claim as baseless, and stated that the Police Oversight Agency had begun verification. According to Lapsi.al, he also said that the Ombudsman had checked detained protesters and had not raised such a problem at that stage.[21]

Publications

  • Fabian Zhilla and Besfort Lamallari, Organized Crime Threat Assessment in Albania.[7]
  • Fabian Zhilla and Besfort Lamallari, “Albanian Criminal Groups”.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Besfort Lamallari". Kryeministria. Government of Albania. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Rama shkarkon Ulsi Manjën, cakton Besfort Lamallarin si ministri i ri i Drejtësisë". BalkanWeb (in Albanian). 11 September 2025. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  3. 1 2 Hodaj, Eljona (6 March 2026). "Besfort Lamallari merr detyrën si ministër i ri i Brendshëm". A2 CNN (in Albanian). Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 "Albania's 2021 parliamentary elections: OSCE/ODIHR observation mission final report". OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. 26 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 "Albania parliamentary elections 2025: ODIHR election observation mission final report". OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. 23 October 2025. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Albania: Freedom in the World 2026 Country Report". Freedom House. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 Zhilla, Fabian; Lamallari, Besfort. "Albanian Criminal Groups". SSRN. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 "Who Is Besfort Lamallari - New Interior Minister during April 25 Elections". Albanian Daily News. 30 March 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "Fourth Rama cabinet sworn in". European Western Balkans. 19 September 2025. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  10. ↑ "Albania's Rama starts fourth term as PM, targets EU membership". Reuters. 18 September 2025. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "Parliament Approves Changes to Prime Minister Rama's Cabinet after Tense Session". Albanian Daily News. 5 March 2026. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  12. ↑ "Albanian PM fires deputy as corruption investigation heats up". Reuters. 26 February 2026. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  13. ↑ "Interior minister Besfort Lamallari: EU membership is a security and geopolitical project". RTSH. 3 April 2026. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  14. ↑ "Mr Besfort Lamallari, Minister of Internal Affairs of Albania". Eurojust. 23 June 2026. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "Grupet kriminale të trafikut të drogës dhe kriptomonedhat, Ministri i Brendshëm takim në Europol". Lapsi.al (in Albanian). 24 June 2026. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  16. ↑ "Opposition Seeks Parliamentary Interpellation Over Police Integrity Concerns". Albanian Daily News. 27 March 2026. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  17. ↑ "Krimi në polici, PD interpelancë me ministrin e Brendshëm, Balliu: Plagë kombëtare! Lamallari: Kriminaliteti në rënie". Newsmax Balkans (in Albanian). 2 April 2026. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  18. ↑ "Lamallari pas operacionit në Sarandë: Zero tolerancë për punonjësit e policisë që bashkëpunojnë me krimin". TPZ (in Albanian). 16 May 2026. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  19. ↑ "Albania". Reporters Without Borders. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  20. ↑ Agolli, Hameraldi; Cimili, Zana (3 July 2026). "Albanian police use tear gas and pepper spray as Tirana protest turns violent". Associated Press. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  21. ↑ "Pretendimet e avokatit për dhunë ndaj protestuesit, Lamallari hedh poshtë akuzat: AMP të hetojë!". Lapsi.al (in Albanian). 4 July 2026. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
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