Tirana, Albania – The Albanian capital, Tirana, witnessed its largest protests in weeks on Saturday. Tens of thousands of citizens gathered to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama. These protests, dubbed the “Flamingo Revolution” by demonstrators, express widespread public anger against a massive tourism project backed by Affinity Partners, a company owned by Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.
“Albania is not for sale”: The roots of popular anger
The protests began three weeks ago, coinciding with the start of construction on the fence and initial preparations at the site of the planned luxury resort on the southern coast. Demonstrators gathered under the slogan “Albania is not for sale.” They blocked main roads and surrounded the prime minister’s office, chanting against government policies they accuse of facilitating the exploitation of the country’s natural resources for the benefit of foreign investors.
Environmental activists and local residents assert that the project threatens to destroy a sensitive coastal reserve, specifically an area that is a vital habitat for migratory birds, particularly flamingos. These birds have become a symbol of the popular movement, with protesters holding up paper flamingos as part of their peaceful demonstrations.
Billions of dollars in investments under scrutiny
According to reports in the Financial Times and Bloomberg, the investment project proposed by Kushner is estimated to cost more than $4 billion. The project aims to transform Sazan Island—Albania’s only large island in the Adriatic Sea—and a neighboring coastal area into a luxury international tourist destination. However, the approval process for this massive investment has raised serious legal and environmental concerns. As a result, the project has become a focus of scrutiny by Albania’s anti-corruption agency (SPAK), which is still investigating disputed land ownership.
The government’s position: between the challenge and the European gamble
In response, Prime Minister Edi Rama met these pressures with a firm rejection of calls to resign or back down. In statements carried by local and international media, Rama emphasized that his government would not succumb to what he called “the noise.” He asserted that the project “has no chance of being stopped as long as I am in office.”
Rama justified his stance by citing the need to press ahead with economic development plans. He warned that Albania’s goal of joining the European Union could become unattainable if the government backed down from its investment strategies under public pressure. Despite previously welcoming a judicial investigation into the project, Rama criticized the freezing of transactions involving investors. He maintained that regulatory bodies had already verified the legitimacy of the funding sources. With the escalating public unrest, Albania appears to be facing a complex political and environmental crisis. The government’s ambition to attract major investments now clashes with a public will that prioritizes environmental protection and territorial sovereignty over any commercial considerations.
