Blendi Gonxhja has been proposed by Prime Minister Edi Rama as Minister of Economy, Culture and Innovation. A new department created in the government, which will bring about the merger of two ministries, that of Economy and that of Culture. 

But who is Blendi Gonxhe? 

Currently, Blendi Gonxhe holds the position of General Director in the Directorate of Road Transport Services. 

Earlier, Blendi Gonxhe also held the position of Director of the Parks and Recreation Agency in the Municipality of Tirana. 

Blendi Gonxhe was born in Tirana on June 15, 1970. 

In 1989, Blendi Gonxhe completed the Artistic High School "Jordan Misja" in Tirana and in 1993, graduated from the High Institute of Arts (today UAB). 

As one of the most prominent youth voices, Blendi Gonxhe was among the leading protagonists of the Student Movement for Democracy that hastened the end of the most brutal communist regime in the East in December 1990 and among the founders of the first opposition party, of the post-dictatorial era. In 1991, he led the student strike for the demolition of the cults of the dictatorship. 

Throughout the years of public engagement, Blendi Gonxhe has founded and directed many youth organizations and associations, non-governmental and humanitarian, such as: the Youth Federation, the Student Council, the Swiss Foundation in Aid of Schools, as well as holding key roles in the Forum for Democracy and Democratic Alliance. An important commitment was also the role as Cultural Coordinator of the first group of the US Peace Corps in Albania. 

In July 1996, Blendi Gonxhe testified before the Committee on International Relations in the "Hearing on Human Rights and Democracy in Albania" during the US Congress. That same year, he was awarded the Fullbright Scholarship at the Faculty of Eastern European Studies, University of Michigan (USA). 

In 1998, Blendi Gonxhe was appointed as Chief of Cabinet of the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, where he was committed to the development of protective and sustainable policies which were finalized with the recognition of Butrint as a National Park, the creation of the Foundation of Butrint (one of the rarest areas for archaeological and ecosystem values in the region), the development of the World Bank Project for elite tourism, the preservation of the South Coast Area, as well as many other projects in the promotion of art and culture in Albania. 

In 2000, Blendi Gonxhe was appointed Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Tirana. After becoming an Advisor to the "Rothschild" and "Packard" Foundation in 2003, he dedicated himself to activity as an entrepreneur in the field of services related to passenger and vehicle transport in Greece and Albania, maintaining an active public profile over the years. 

From August 2015, Blendi Gonxhe joined the new team of the Municipality of Tirana led by Mayor Erion Veliaj as General Director of Enterprise No. 1 of the City Workers. From October 2015, he led the Parks and Recreation Agency established by the Municipality of Tirana, where during the period he led this agency, essential initiatives were undertaken for the capital that brought about the transformation of the Great Artificial Lake Park and the retraining of public facilities, of which the Amphitheater is worth highlighting of Tirana, the creation of dozens of new recreational squares for children through the Play Tirana project, the "Donate a Tree" initiative within the Orbital Forest project, the recreational activities of Tirana Ime Outdoor and many other projects. 

From November 2018, Blendi Gonxhe was appointed by Prime Minister Edi Rama to head the General Directorate of Road Transport Services, an institution under the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy.