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Established on 13 June 1991, the Socialist Party (PS) emerged during Albania's transition from a one-party communist regime to a multi-party democratic system.{{harvnb|Elsie|2010|p=422}} The dissolution of the People's Socialist Republic, which had been the political foundation since the conclusion of World War II, necessitated a reassessment of political ideologies and governance.{{harvnb|Elsie|2010|p=lxviii}} The origins of the PS can be traced to the Party of Labour (PPSH), the governing party during the regime of Enver Hoxha, which lasted over four decades. Subsequent to the fall of communism, a faction of former party members recognised the need for ideological reform and adaptation to the new political climate.{{sfn|NRIIA|1991|p=4}} This adaptation involved a shift toward social democracy as the Socialist Party distanced itself from its communist legacy while committing to social equity and justice to position itself as a progressive force in emerging democracy.

In March 1991, Albania held its inaugural multi-party elections, during which the Party of Labour, the predecessor of the PS, secured a majority by winning 169 of 250 seats in the People's Assembly.{{cite web |publisher=Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) |title=Albania Parliamentary Chamber: Kuvendi Popullor Elections held in 1991 |url=https://data.ipu.org/election-summary/HTML/2001_91.htm |access-date=20 October 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.ph/DC7x6 |archive-date=24 October 2024 |url-status=live}} However, the political climate remained fraught with social unrest and economic difficulties in the subsequent months.{{harvnb|Elsie|2010|p=lxix}} The turmoil compelled Prime Minister Fatos Nano, who had held office since February, to resign in June.{{cite book |last1=Bideleux |first1=Robert |last2=Jeffries |first2=Ian |title=The Balkans A Post-Communist History |date=24 January 2007 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-134-58328-7 |page=41 |url=https://www.google.de/books/edition/The_Balkans/G6iBAgAAQBAJ?hl=de&gbpv=1&dq=fatos+nano+resigns+prime+minister+1991&pg=PA41&printsec=frontcover |access-date=23 October 2024}}{{cite web |last1=Harden |first1=Blaine |work=The Washington Post |title=Communists Quit In Albania After Extended Strike Failure Of Election Victors Conforms To Balkan Pattern |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1991/06/05/communists-quit-in-albania-after-extended-strike/12f960eb-b415-4ccf-81f8-6e391157207e/ |access-date=21 October 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.ph/IxHxd |archive-date=24 October 2024 |date=4 June 1991 |url-status=live}} His resignation facilitated the formation of a stability government under Ylli Bufi from the PS. In March 1992, the Socialist Party suffered a substantial defeat during the parliamentary elections, attributed to widespread public discontent over the legacy of communist governance. The Democratic Party (PD) led by Sali Berisha achieved an electoral victory, obtaining 92 of the 140 seats in the People's Assembly.{{cite web |publisher=Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) |title=Albania Parliamentary Chamber: Kuvendi Popullor Elections Held in 1992 |url=http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2001_92.htm |access-date=28 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920045115/http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2001_92.htm |archive-date=20 September 2023 |url-status=live}} Contrary, the PS was reduced to 38 seats and subsequently entered the parliamentary opposition, during which it alleged that the electoral results were the product of electoral fraud and intimidation.{{cite web |last=Phillips |first=James |publisher=The Heritage Foundation |title=Setting the Record Straight on the Albanian Elections |url=https://www.heritage.org/europe/report/setting-the-record-straight-the-albanian-elections |access-date=28 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240716090118/https://www.heritage.org/europe/report/setting-the-record-straight-the-albanian-elections |archive-date=16 July 2024 |date=14 June 1996 |url-status=live}} However, in July 1993, Nano was sentenced to 12 years in prison on charges of corruption, mass fraud and the appropriation of state property.{{harvnb|Elsie|2010|p=xliv}}{{harvnb|Elsie|2010|p=319}}

In May 1996, the parliamentary elections were pivotal for the Socialist Party amid escalating economic instability and public discontent with the governing Democratic Party. The PS aimed to capitalise on voter dissatisfaction, but the elections resulted in the Democratic Party winning 122 of the 140 seats in the Parliament while the Socialist Party secured only 28.{{cite web |publisher=Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) |title=Albania Parliamentary Chamber: Kuvendi Popullor Elections Held in 1996 |url=http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2001_96.htm |access-date=28 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920045116/http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2001_96.htm |archive-date=20 September 2023 |url-status=live}} However, the legitimacy of the electoral results was severely undermined by widespread allegations of electoral fraud, including claims of vote tampering and intimidation against the Democratic Party attributed by the PS and its opposition allies.{{cite web |publisher=Human Rights Watch (HRW) |title=Human Rights Watch Publications: Democracy Derailed Violations in the May 26, 1996 Albanian Elections |url=https://www.hrw.org/legacy/summaries/s.albania965.html |access-date=28 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240420005652/https://www.hrw.org/legacy/summaries/s.albania965.html |archive-date=20 April 2024 |date=June 1996 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |publisher=Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) |title=The Albanian Parliamentary Elections of 1996 |url=https://www.csce.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/1996AlbanianElections.pdf |access-date=28 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240612142718/https://www.csce.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/1996AlbanianElections.pdf |archive-date=12 June 2024 |pages=34 |date=July 1996 |url-status=live}} By 1997, Albania was experiencing a humanitarian crisis during the Albanian Civil War, driven by the government's failure to address economic collapse and societal unrest from earlier pyramid schemes. Responding to international pressure, early parliamentary elections were held in June 1997, resulting in an electoral victory for the Socialist Party, which secured 101 of 140 seats in the Parliament.{{cite web |publisher=Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) |title=Albania Parliamentary Chamber: Kuvendi Popullor Elections held in 1997 |url=http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2001_97.htm |access-date=28 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920045117/http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2001_97.htm |archive-date=20 September 2023 |url-status=live}} This outcome enabled the return of Nano as Prime Minister, after his amnesty on 14 March. The PS underwent a notable ideological shift away from Marxism, culminating in Nano's resignation in 1998. Pandeli Majko then assumed the office of Prime Minister in September 1998, focusing on restoring public order and combating corruption amid ongoing instability and an influx of Kosovo War refugees. His government ratified the 1998 constitution in November, and by November 1999, the PS achieved consultative membership in the Socialist International (SI).

In the 2001 parliamentary elections, the Socialist Party emerged as the largest political force but suffered a significant decline in representation, securing 73 seats compared to 101 in 1997. This result reflected growing public discontent with the PS' governance, characterised by widespread corruption, economic stagnation, and an inability to address Albania's structural post-communist challenges. Ilir Meta, who had served as the prime minister since 1999, became embroiled in intense factional conflict with PS leader Fatos Nano. The dispute, centered on governance practices, corruption allegations, and competing political visions, culminated in Meta's resignation in January 2002, which he attributed to Nano's destabilising influence. After Meta's departure, Pandeli Majko briefly assumed the prime ministership in February 2002. Nano's return to the premiership in July 2003 sought to restore stability to the PS, however, internal divisions within the party persisted.

• 2005 Albanian parliamentary election
• 2009 Albanian parliamentary election
• 2013 Albanian parliamentary election
• 2017 Albanian parliamentary election

• 2021 Albanian parliamentary election

The ideology of the Socialist Party of Albania has evolved significantly from its early roots in Marxism–Leninism. The transition to a multi-party democracy marked a pivotal moment for the PS as it adopted social-democratic principles and redefined its ideology to align with the European center-left, focusing on social justice, modernisation, and Albania's integration into European and Western institutions.

• to democratic leftist party grounded in principles of freedom, social justice, equality of opportunity, and human solidarity.
• centre-left{{cite web |publisher=Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) |title=Albania: Parliamentary Elections April 25, 2021 |url=https://www.csis.org/programs/europe-russia-and-eurasia-program/projects/european-election-watch/2021-elections/albania |access-date=28 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240722073925/https://www.csis.org/programs/europe-russia-and-eurasia-program/projects/european-election-watch/2021-elections/albania |archive-date=22 July 2024 |url-status=live}}
• social democratic
• pro-european
• social base, with liberal attitudes towards the communist past https://philarchive.org/archive/LASTRO-11 P.9

• https://peoplesdispatch.org/2019/08/21/working-to-restore-the-socialist-system-in-which-independence-and-democracy-are-true/
• https://www.aiis-albania.org/sites/default/files/PoliticalParties.pdf
• IDEOLOGY OF POLITICAL PARTIES IN ALBANIA

Roland Lami

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• {{cite web |publisher=Socialist Party of Albania |title=Statuti dhe Rregulloret e Partisë Socialiste |url=http://www.ps.al/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Statuti-2011.pdf |access-date=28 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140125040248/http://www.ps.al/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Statuti-2011.pdf |archive-date=25 January 2014 |language=sq |date=2011 |url-status=dead |ref={{harvid|SPoA|2011}}}}}
• {{cite book |title=The 1991 Elections in Albania |date=1991 |publisher=National Republican Institute for International Affairs (NRIIA) |url=http://www.electionpassport.com/files/1991-IRI-Report.pdf |access-date=28 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231008054722/http://www.electionpassport.com/files/1991-IRI-Report.pdf |archive-date=8 October 2023 |url-status=live |ref={{harvid|NRIIA|1991}}}}
• {{cite book |last=Elsie |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Elsie |title=Historical Dictionary of Albania |year=2010 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=9-780-8-1087-3803 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Historical_Dictionary_of_Albania/6inIiCF_930C |access-date=27 October 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.ph/Rupou |archive-date=26 October 2023 |url-status=live}}

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