Inflatable pink flamingoes bobbed above the crowd in Tirana on a Monday night in early June. Thousands had gathered, not just for the birds, but for what they represented: a wetland the government had agreed to lease to a firm linked to Jared Kushner.
The project and the protests
Reuters reported that the €1.4 billion resort, backed by Kushner’s Affinity Partners, targets a stretch of coast near the Vjosa-Narta protected area, home to flamingoes, seals and sea turtle nesting sites. A second project on nearby Sazan Island could push the combined value to €5 billion, Prime Minister Edi Rama said. Protests erupted at the end of May when barbed wire fencing went up around the site. Some demonstrators were injured in clashes with private security. The fence came down. Rama called it a “disgraceful idea.”
By June 8, the marches had spread to the capital. Protesters chanted for the project’s cancellation and for Rama’s resignation. “We are getting bigger and we are here until he resigns. Not only for biodiversity but for every injustice we face,” student Albano Lushi told Reuters.
Rama’s calculus
Rama, 61, a former basketball player and artist who has held power since 2013, sat for an interview in his office as the chants drifted in. He dismissed the environmental concerns. An impact assessment had not yet started; it would be completed in parallel with development. “I’m telling you, it’s going to be a beautiful project and we’re going to do it and we’re going to be proud to contribute to Europe,” he said. “I was voted in to make these things happen. I’m not voted to be led by people that have a different idea of how to develop the country.”
The Independent noted that land clearing had begun in the nature reserve before any formal assessment. Rama labeled the criticism “misinformation.” An anti-corruption investigation had been prompted. Kushner’s firm received special investor status after a dinner with Rama and Ivanka Trump.
Affinity Partners and Kushner did not respond to requests for comment. Sazan Real Estate Development LLC said it would proceed responsibly.
The European Commission has no reason to doubt Albania’s will to protect nature, Rama insisted. “We are very proud of what we have done for the wildlife in Albania.”
The flamingoes, real and inflatable, remained the symbol. The protests showed no sign of stopping.
Sources
- Albania's Rama vows to push on with Kushner-linked luxury resort despite protests
- Albanian prime minister breaks silence on Jared Kushner-backed luxury development | The Independent
