Esmeralda Hasani has been decreed head of SHISH, following the signature of President Bajram Begaj and the proposal of Prime Minister Edi Rama. The appointment comes at a difficult time for the intelligence service, with the institution publicly exposed by the case involving her predecessor, Vlora Hyseni.
A new decree at a delicate moment for SHISH
According to the official version, the head of government has entrusted Esmeralda Hasani with leading Albanian intelligence, while the president decreed her this Thursday.
The move at the top of SHISH does not come in an ordinary administrative climate. It comes at a stage when the institution is facing serious shocks to its credibility and questions over how the internal security chain has functioned.
An appointment from within, not from outside the structure
Unlike some previous appointments at the head of SHISH, Esmeralda Hasani comes from within the institution. She joined the service two years ago, where she headed a department.
This detail makes the appointment different in form, but not necessarily less challenging in substance. When new leadership emerges from within the structure itself, it remains to be seen whether this will bring stability or produce continuity of the internal culture that is now under pressure.
Esmeralda Hasani’s profile and previous institutional links
According to public information, Esmeralda Hasani studied law and international law at the University of Milano-Bicocca. Her CV also includes studies in the planning and management of European projects at Europa Cube Innovation Business School in Brussels.
Earlier, she held the post of secretary-general at the Ministry of Diaspora when it was led by Pandeli Majko. Open online data also show that around five years ago she served as an adviser at the Prime Minister’s Office, focusing on project planning and securing funding.
According to a source cited by the media outlet that published the news, Hasani has kept a low profile since entering Albanian intelligence and is described as a serious and reserved person.
Main challenge: relations with SPAK and the shadow of the Hyseni file
The new SHISH director takes office as Vlora Hyseni faces accusations from SPAK of “disclosure of state secrets” and “supporting the perpetrator of a crime.” That fact alone immediately places the new mandate under the shadow of a deep institutional crisis.
One of the strongest tests of Hasani’s leadership is expected to be how relations with SPAK are managed and whether a functional climate of cooperation will be created in investigations affecting the structure itself. Beyond the new name at the top, the biggest question remains whether SHISH will manage to restore damaged trust without once again closing itself within the logic of political control and lack of accountability.
Esmeralda Hasani’s appointment is seen as a direct test of how the executive and the presidency are managing a key security institution at a turbulent moment.
It remains to be seen whether the new leadership will truly bring distance from old practices and greater transparency regarding the suspicions that have weighed on SHISH.