Thanusha Mëshkalla

**Thanusha Mëshkalla** (born 30 September 1965) is a Notoshan politician who has served as deputy prime minister of Notosha in the first and second cabinets of Balush Gjintelma since 2014. She additionally has served as leader of Renew Notosha since 2011, and has served as a member of the State Assembly since 2006.

Born in Xhaja to a prominent family, Mëshkalla graduated from secondary school in 1983. After graduating, she enrolled in the University of Xhaja and graduated with a degree in communications in 1986. She subsequently moved to Asbania, settling in Gjirolenë and working in human relations. Mëshkalla returned to Notosha in 1993, where she continued her work in human relations, eventually becoming the vice president of human relations of a software company in 2003. She left her human relations career in 2004, after being elected to the State Assembly in the 2004 parliamentary election, on behalf of the Renew Notosha political party, subsequently being reelected in the 2008 and 2010 parliamentary elections.

Renew Notosha party leader Guximtar Lushi tendered his resignation in April 2011, citing a loss of support amongst the party base. Mëshkalla was subsequently elected as his successor in a party conference, becoming the first woman to lead the party. She led the party into the 2014 parliamentary election, where the New Notosha Alliance coalition, which Renew Notosha had been a part of since 2010, won a majority of seats. Mëshkalla was nominated by Balush Gjintelma to serve as one of his deputy prime ministers in his first cabinet. As a deputy prime minister, Mëshkalla deputized Gjintelma and could work on projects within any of the government ministries. Following the 2018 parliamentary election, the coalition maintained a slim majority, and Mëshkalla continued in her deputy prime minister role in the second Gjintelma cabinet.

## Early life and education

Mëshkalla was born on 30 September 1965 in Xhaja – then known as Žajavski Cvetni – to parents Lirimtar Mëshkalla (born 1930) and Eliona Buzoku (born 1940). The family was wealthy, with her father working as a prominent accountant to numerous businesses and wealthy individuals, while her mother was a homemaker. Mëshkalla is the eldest of three children and only daughter; her younger brothers are Tefik, born  (1967-09-02) 2 September 1967 (age 56), and Sheval, born  (1970-03-04) 4 March 1970 (age 53).

Mëshkalla began her education in 1971, attending a private primary school for girls, where she was a popular student. After graduating from primary school in 1979, she enrolled in a public secondary school, graduating in 1983. After graduating, Mëshkalla enrolled in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Xhaja, graduating with a degree in communications in 1986.

## Professional career

Shortly after graduating with her university degree, Mëshkalla married her university boyfriend Briz Naçi in 1987, and they later moved to Gjirolenë in Asbania after he was offered a job there. In Gjirolenë, Mëshkalla found work in the human resources department for private television channel Vizjon Fliqitatë (VF). Mëshkalla and Naçi divorced in 1992, and she later left her job in order to return to Notosha the following year.

In 1993, she joined the human resources department of software company Belozante, based in Astina. She became the senior human relations manager in 1998, before becoming the company's vice president of human relations in 2003. Mëshkalla left the company in 2004, in order to begin her political career.

## Political career

### Early politics

Mëshkalla began her political career in 2004, after being selected to stand as a candidate for the Renew Notosha political party in the 2004 parliamentary election. Mëshkalla had applied to stand as a candidate in the 2000 parliamentary election for the Liberal Party, but was not accepted. Her rejection from the Liberal Party led her to register with Renew Notosha in 2003, which she believed better represented her political views.

She was ultimately elected to the State Assembly in the 2004 election, where she stood with the rest of her party in the opposition. She was subsequently reelected in the 2008 and 2010 parliamentary elections. While in parliament, Mëshkalla focused on pro-independence advocating, in addition to socially liberal legislation.

### Party leader and deputy prime minister

In 2011, Renew Notosha party leader Guximtar Lushi tendered his resignation as party leader after failing to secure confidence in his leadership amongst the party base. Following his resignation, Mëshkalla declared her candidacy to succeed him. She was subsequently elected as his successor in a party conference in April 2011, taking office on 12 April 2011. Upon taking office, Mëshkalla became the first woman to lead the party, and the first to lead a party in the New Notosha Alliance coalition.

After being elected party leader, Mëshkalla was tasked with leading the party into the upcoming 2014 parliamentary election. Following the 2014 election, the New Notosha Alliance coalition amassed a majority in parliament. Balush Gjintelma was elected as prime minister, and he nominated Mëshkalla to serve as one of his deputy prime ministers, being the leader of a party represented in the coalition. As a deputy prime minister, Mëshkalla deputized Gjintelma and could work on projects within any of the government ministries. Mëshkalla frequently worked on projects within the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Administration.

Following the 2018 parliamentary election, Renew Notosha gained two seats in parliament, and the coalition maintained a slim overall majority. Because of their continued majority, Mëshkalla remained in her post as deputy prime minister.

## Personal life

Mëshkalla has been married three times. She married her university boyfriend Briz Naçi in 1987, after two years of dating, and moved with him to Asbania that year. They divorced in 1992, and Mëshkalla returned to Notosha afterwards. She married Notoshan attorney Kola Asllani in 1999, after three years of dating, and had two children with him: Dilika, born  (2000-05-06) 6 May 2000 (age 23), and Përgëzim, born  (2002-01-29) 29 January 2002 (age 21), before divorcing in 2008.

Mëshkalla later married Asbanian real estate developer Dadan Vrioni in 2015, after two years of dating, and became stepmother to his three children from two previous marriages. Mëshkalla resides primarily in Astina, but also owns a home in Liana. She is a Eurean Muslim.