Esmeralda Hasani has been appointed to lead the State Intelligence Service, following a decree signed by President Bajram Begaj on the proposal of the Prime Minister. The move places at the helm of one of the country’s most sensitive security institutions a name that, according to her official profile, has served in government administration, international projects and earlier in a position within SHISH itself.
The decree for the new SHISH chief
According to the official announcement, the President of the Republic decreed on November 12, 2026 the appointment of Esmeralda Hasani to the post of director of the State Intelligence Service.
The appointment was made on the basis of constitutional provisions and the law on SHISH, following a proposal submitted by the Prime Minister. The same announcement states that, before the decree was issued, the legal verification procedures required for senior state posts had been carried out.
Whom Esmeralda Hasani replaces
Hasani takes over the leadership of SHISH, succeeding Vlora Hyseni at the head of the institution.
The change at the top of the intelligence service comes as a development of political and institutional weight, because of SHISH’s role in national security and in its relationship with the executive.
Her profile: administration, academia and international projects
According to the published information, Esmeralda Hasani is a lawyer and completed studies in Milan and Brussels.
Her career is linked to government administration, academic institutions and the management of international projects. She has led research institutions, held roles as adviser and chief of cabinet to the Minister of State for Diaspora, and also served as a consultant to the Prime Minister’s Office.
From support structures to leading the institution
Before this appointment, Hasani held a post in SHISH’s Support Department.
This detail makes her move to the head of the institution one that, at least according to the official version, is also based on internal experience within the service’s structures.
The new appointment at SHISH comes through a formal procedure in which the President’s decision follows the Prime Minister’s proposal, bringing renewed attention to the weight the executive has in determining the leadership of key security institutions.
For now, the public announcement focuses on the decree and Hasani’s professional profile, without giving further explanations for the reasons behind the change at the head of the service or the objectives of the new mandate.