Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has revealed the names of new ministers after his Socialist Party (SP) won a second mandate in the June 25 election.

The streamlined new cabinet is in keeping with Rama’s post-election pledges to tackle Albania’s bloated state administration and root out official corruption. This follows efforts made during his first term to tackle graft in the country — one of the main concerns voiced by EU member states when considering Albania’s future accession. 

The Socialists won 74 seats in the 140-seat parliament, enough to rule alone for the next four years, defeating the opposition Democratic party, which will have 43 seats.

In the new cabinet, Rama reduced the number of ministers to 14 from 20, of which one is deputy prime minister and two will be ministers without portfolio. The gender balance is 50/50; there are seven men and seven women in the new government.

The names of ministers were unveiled at the national assembly of the Socialist Party on August 27. 

Rama named Senida Nesi as vice prime minister. Ditmir Bushati and Damian Gjiknuri will stay on to head the foreign and the energy ministry, respectively, Rama said in his speech to the assembly. 

Fatmir Xhafaj is appointed interior minister, while Olta Xhacka will be at the top of the defence ministry.

Before the appointment, Xhafaj also headed the ministry for a short period of time, after Saimir Tahiri was sacked and before the opposition Democrats named their candidate in the interim government ahead of the election as a pre-condition for the party to participate in the vote.

Rama appointed Etilda Gjoni as justice minister, Arben Ahmetaj as finance and economy minister, Lindita Nikolla as education minister, and Ogerta Manastirliu as health minister.

Ahmetaj was also at the top of the economy and finance ministries in the previous cabinet, but now the two ministries have been merged into one.

The ministries of agriculture and tourism will be headed by former deputy prime minister Niko Peleshi and Blendi Klosi, respectively, while Mirela Kumbaro will remain in place in the role of culture minister.

The state minister in charge of diaspora affairs will be Pandeli Majko, while the minister for entrepreneurship will be Sonila Qato. Majko served twice as prime minister – once from 1998 to 1999 and again in 2002.

The leader of the opposition Democrats, Lulzim Basha, said of the new cabinet said that it was the“communist elite returned to power”.

Rama announced radical changes in the public administration in his second mandate and massive job cuts. Rama also said that lot of state bodies will be merged.

In his speech, the prime minister stressed the need to remove “parasites and predators” from public office and tackle “political usurpation of state offices”. 

He also talked of forming a “governing coalition with citizens” following the election. Since being re-elected, Rama has reached out to citizens, asking for their priorities for his new government, as well as controversially publishing a list of the 100 least effective state officials. 

The fight against corruption and drug trafficking, higher wages, and a lower jobless rate are some of the promises of the new government.

The government also will have a task to lead the country towards the much-awaited EU accession talks. Prior to this, it should implement major reforms, particularly in the judicial system and the administration.

A Nato member since 2009, Albania became an EU candidate country in June 2014.

The new cabinet is due to be approved by the parliament in September.