Genc Pollo (born 7 April 1963 in

Tirana Tirana ( , ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in Albania, largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills, with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest ov ...

) is an Albanian conservative politician. An Orthodox Christian and trained historian, Pollo was co-founder and first spokesman of the Albanian Democratic Party. He first became a member of the Albanian Parliament in 1996 and has held various ministerial posts since 2005.

Early life and career

Pollo was born in 1963 in Tirana. His father,

Stefanaq Pollo Stefanaq Pollo (March 7, 1924 – May 15, 1997) was an Albanian academic, professor and historian during Communist Albania. Biography Pollo was born in Përmet, in a family originating in Frashër region. He was also a novelist and member of the ...

was an

academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

scholar A scholar is a person who is a researcher or has expertise in an academic discipline. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researcher at a university. An academic usually holds an advanced degree or a termina ...

, professor and

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

. After graduating in Historical Studies from the

University of Tirana The University of Tirana (, abbreviated UT) is a public university located at the central borough of Tirana 10 in Tirana, Albania. It was established as the State University of Tirana (SUT) in 1957 through merging of five existing institutes ...

in 1986 he worked as researcher at the Academy of Sciences of Albania for two years and then followed postgraduate studies at the

University of Vienna The University of Vienna (, ) is a public university, public research university in Vienna, Austria. Founded by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, Duke Rudolph IV in 1365, it is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and among the largest ...

thanks to a scholarship awarded by the Austrian government.

Politics

Pollo participated actively in the founding of the Democratic Party of Albania, the first pro-Western Albanian political party, which successfully contested Communist rule in the first multiparty elections. During 1992 to 1996 he served as an advisor to

Sali Berisha Sali Berisha (; born 15 October 1944) is an Albanian cardiologist and conservative politician who served as the president of Albania from 1992 to 1997 and as the 32nd Prime Minister of Albania, prime minister of Albania from 2005 to 2013. Berisha ...

, then President of Albania. In 1996 he became a member of the Parliament of Albania. He has held various party and parliamentary senior positions related to education, foreign affairs and European integration. In 2001 he became head of the

New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party (NDP; , ) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic: * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Editors of ''Encyclopædia Britann ...

. The New Democrat Party became part of the center-right coalition that won the summer 2005 general elections that eventually merged with the Democratic Party. Pollo assumed the portfolio of Minister of Education and Science in the following government. For one year (2008–2009) he had the position of Deputy Prime Minister. From 1996 to 2001 he was also a member of the

Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; , CdE) is an international organisation with the goal of upholding human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it is Europe's oldest intergovernmental organisation, represe ...

. Pollo was reelected as a member of the

Albanian Parliament The Parliament of Albania () or Kuvendi is the unicameral representative body of the citizens of the Republic of Albania; it is Albania's legislature. The Parliament is composed of no less than 140 members elected to a four-year term on the b ...

after the general elections, held in June 2009 which reconfirmed a Democratic Party led coalition and was appointed Minister for Innovation and Information Communication Technology in the new Cabinet. Among the policies initiated by Minister Pollo, in Albania, in 2011, the 3G technology will be implemented. As a result of regulation and increased competition in the market Albanians who use mobile phone will receive better services and cheaper prices. In spring 2011 will be implemented the mobile number portability. After equipping all schools with computer labs connected to the Internet, in Albania, 550 post offices across the country have free internet service. Genc Pollo is married and has two children. He is fluent in four foreign languages, besides his own Albanian (English, German, French, and Italian).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pollo, Genc Leaders of the Democratic Party of Albania Living people 1963 births Politicians from Tirana Members of the Parliament of Albania Government ministers of Albania Education ministers of Albania Innovation ministers of Albania 21st-century Albanian politicians Frashëri family