Ylfete Fanaj is the first politician of Albanian descent elected in a municipal assembly and then in a cantonal parliament in Switzerland. Since 2011 she is a member of the Parliament of the Canton of Lucerne, while in 2007 she was elected for the first time a councilor in the Assembly of the city of Lucerne. With this experience in politics, Ylfete Fanaj is a prominent name in the politics of her canton and beyond.
For the past four years, she has also been chair of the SP Parliamentary Group in the Parliament of the Canton of Lucerne.On June 23, 2020 she was elected President of the Cantonal Council for the 2020/2021 period with 91 out of 117 votes. With the election to the aforementioned post, Ylfete Fanaj has achieved more than any politician with Albanian roots in Swiss politics.