Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama launched a sharp attack on US Democrats over the ongoing “Flamingo Revolution” protests against a planned luxury resort backed by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump.
What began as protests against the project has evolved into broader anti-government demonstrations and is now entering its 124th consecutive day, drawing widespread attention from international media.
Rama attributed the attention to “the long shadow of Donald Trump” in an interview with WELT, which, like POLITICO, is part of Axel Springer’s Global Reporters Network.
He added: “I told my Democratic friends in America: If you can’t defeat Trump in America, don’t come to Albania to take revenge. That’s not fair.”
Kushner is linked to a multibillion-dollar project to develop a luxury resort on the uninhabited island of Sazan in southern Albania, as well as an adjacent stretch of coastline near a protected area inhabited by flamingos, pelicans and diverse wetland wildlife. The plans sparked national and international protests in late May, with rallies continuing every night outside Rama’s office in Tirana.
The protests attracted widespread attention, including a resolution in the European Parliament and the involvement of international clothing brand Patagonia, as well as Kosovo-born pop star Dua Lipa.
Rama said the plans involve two projects: one on the publicly owned island of Sazan, a former Soviet military base, where only 8% of the island would be developed, and another on a privately owned peninsula.
Protesters oppose the project over environmental concerns and a lack of public consultation. Meanwhile, Albania’s Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime, SPAK, which is backed by the EU and the US, is investigating whether an Albanian businessman falsified property ownership documents related to the privately owned land.
The former owner has denied any wrongdoing. A spokesperson for the project’s investors, including Kushner, did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
Responding to protest slogans such as “Albania is not for sale” and “Albania for Albanians,” Rama said: “If you brought foreign capital into Germany, would you then say that Germany was being sold?”
“I represent the interests of my country, and I will continue to do so,” he added.
Rama also said negotiations over the project were still ongoing and that its environmental impact would be assessed.
At a press conference in Tirana on Wednesday alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Rama assured that his government would “put the process under the spotlight by ensuring full transparency regarding all documents related to this widely discussed project.”
As Rama met with the head of the European Commission, several hundred people protested outside his office, holding banners reading: “No EU with Rama.”
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