Alfred Moisiu served as President of Albania for four years, from 2002 to 2007. He was a military man who entered public life and contributed to the country’s transformation in a variety of ways. Alfred Moisiu came from a long line of army officers, and his father, Major General Spiro Moisiu, was a Major General in the Albanian Army, so it was no surprise when he entered the army himself. Alfred Moisiu served in the Albanian Army in several capacities after graduating from the military engineering school in Saint Petersburg, Soviet Union. Moisiu was also the Deputy Minister of Defense and afterwards the Minister of Defense. However, his career was harmed when the bunkerization plan did not go as anticipated, and he was forced to retire from public life for a few years. His popularity as a national leader, on the other hand, was never in dispute, since he became the presidential candidate backed by two of Albania’s most powerful political parties.
Childhood and Adolescence
Alfred Spiro Moisiu was born in Shkoder, Albania, on December 1, 1929, to Spiro Theodori Moisiu and Aspasi Druga. Moisiu’s family had a long history of military service, and his father, Spiro, was the Albanian National Liberation Army’s Major General. Alfred Moisiu was sent to the Soviet Union in 1946 for further education, and he graduated from the military engineering school in Saint Petersburg in 1948. He was then assigned to Tirana as the unit commander, followed by a spell as an instructor at the Military Academy. Alfred Moisiu enrolled in the Moscow Academy of Military Engineering in 1952 and graduated with a gold medal in 1958.
Career of Alfred Moisiu
Moisiu returned to Albania after graduating from Moscow’s Academy of Military Engineering and resumed his military career at the Ministry of Defense’s engineers department. From 1966 until 1969, Moisiu was the commander of the brigade at Kavaje, a position he held for five years. In 1971, he was promoted to Chief of the Ministry of Defence’s Bureau of Engineering and Fortifications.
Alfred Moisiu earned his Ph.D. in military science in 1979. In 1981, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense, and during his one-year tenure, he advocated for bunkerization in significant sections of Albania. The approach backfired for the government, and Moisiu was ousted from his position. He worked as the commander of an engineers’ company for the following two years before leaving the Army in 1984.
Alfred Moisiu returned to public life after seven years in the wilderness when he was named Minister of Defense in Vilson Ahmeti’s government in 1991. He was only there for four months. He then went on to work for the Ministry of Defence as a counselor.
Alfred Moisiu was appointed deputy minister in 1994 and was responsible with developing Albania’s defense policy. In the same year, he founded and became president of the Albanian North Atlantic Association, with the goal of joining NATO. A year later, he assisted Albania in joining NATO’s Partnership for Peace program. Alfred Moisiu was removed from his position as deputy minister after three years when the Albanian Socialist Party became the government.
Alfred Moisiu was declared as the presidential candidate in 2002 after a deal was struck between Albania’s two major parties, the Albanian Socialist Party and the Albanian Democratic Party. He was elected President of Albania by a landslide and served for five years.
Major Projects of Alfred Moisiu
Alfred Moisiu was a highly prominent figure in Albanian politics and the military. His most significant contribution was the establishment of the Albanian North Atlantic Association in 1994, which led to Albania’s inclusion in the NATO Partnership of Peace programme.
Personal History and Legacy
Alfred Moisiu married Milica Moisiu and they had four children: Rubena, Ana, and Mirela, three daughters, and Admir, a male. In 2004, Admir was killed in a car accident. Moisiu’s wife died the same year he became President, in 2002.
Estimated Net Worth
Alfred Moisiu is one of the wealthiest politicians and one of the most well-known. Alfred Moisiu’s net worth is estimated to be $1.5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.