Albania’s PM Dismisses ‘Flamingo Revolution’ as Anti-Trump Politics

“If it was not Jared, they would not give a s*** about what is happening in Albania,” the nation’s prime minister Edi Rama, said in brushing aside a wave of mass protests against a planned luxury resort backed by President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner’s investment firm. Mr. Rama spoke on the sidelines of a European Union-Western Balkans summit at Tivat, Montenegro, as tens of thousands of Albanians took to the streets of Tirana in what demonstrators have dubbed the “flamingo revolution.” The weeklong protests target a $1.6 billion resort development on the Zvërnec coastline near Vlora — a stretch of pristine coastline bordering the Vjosa-Narta protected wetlands, home to flamingos, Mediterranean monk seals, sea turtles, and more than 200 migratory bird species.Mr. Kushner’s firm, Affinity Partners, is among the investors behind the project, which could include up to 10,000 hotel rooms and villas. Qatari investment group Power Holding is also involved. Plans for the resort did not undergo an environmental impact assessment, and contentious changes to Albania’s law on protected areas in 2024 cleared the way for tourism developments in locations previously off-limits.Environmentalists say the consequences could be severe. Ornithologist Ledi Selgjekaj warned that more than 1 percent of the global flamingo population passes through the area each year. “Of course, it’s very important to have investments in the country. It’s very important for the economy, but you have to choose very wisely where to build it. There is a reason why this area is called a protected area,” she told Reuters.Protests escalated after heavy machinery arrived at the site last week, drawing large crowds outside Mr. Rama’s office. Demonstrators held pink inflatable flamingos and chanted “revolution” and “stop the project.”Writer Lindita Komani, who joined the marches, was unequivocal: “Albania is not for sale. Albania belongs to the Albanian people, and we decide what we want to do here. It’s not that some corrupt politicians who run Albania can decide what they can do with our property, with the Albanian heritage, the natural heritage, a cultural heritage” she told Reuters.Mr. Rama dismissed the scale of the unrest, claiming “Trump haters” had amplified the movement abroad. He also alleged that Iran was waging a “hybrid war” of disinformation around the project, pointing to conspiracy theories falsely linking the resort to the resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza.The prime minister also downplayed Mr. Kushner’s role in the project, saying the two have not spoken since the protests began. “He has his own things to do, and on the other hand, he and Ivanka have nothing to do with all this … totally fake and forged story,” he said in an interview with Politico.Antisemitic signs and social media posts have surfaced at some protests, reportedly tied to Mr. Kushner’s Jewish faith— though civil society groups have stressed these are not representative of the broader movement.Albania’s economy and innovation minister, Delina Ibrahimaj, said environmental impact assessments are being drafted and that the project must comply fully with environmental legislation. Developers, meanwhile, have pledged “responsible stewardship and environmental enhancement.”Mr. Kushner announced the Albania resort in 2024 as part of a broader regional investment strategy that also included a former army headquarters in Belgrade — a project he later abandoned following street protests in Serbia.The EU has been monitoring the crisis, going so far as to warn Tirana that failing to shut down the destruction of habitat will directly jeopardize Albania’s EU accession.

Albania’s PM Dismisses ‘Flamingo Revolution’ as Anti-Trump Politics

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