Albania has entered a phase of intense social unrest, with thousands of citizens flooding the streets of the capital and other major cities, turning against the government of Edi Rama. The catalyst for this new round of mass mobilization is a controversial, multi-billion-dollar tourism project on the Adriatic, which is directly linked to the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, Jared Kushner. With the central slogan "Albania is not for sale," the protesters, who have already completed three weeks of continuous mobilizations, are urgently demanding the prime minister's resignation, denouncing opaque procedures, government corruption, and an impending ecological disaster on the country's southern coastline.
New protests
Thousands of people protested in the capital of Albania over the weekend in one of the largest gatherings so far against the Trump family project. Protesters in Tirana were seen on Saturday holding Albanian flags and banners reading "Albania is not for sale" as they marched toward Prime Minister Rama’s office, demanding his resignation and chanting slogans against the Socialist Party government. At the same time, protests took place in the western city of Vlorë on Sunday, with mobilizations continuing for the 22nd consecutive day.
The "flamingo revolution"
The protests have become known as the "flamingo revolution" due to the alleged threat to wildlife and sensitive ecosystems, including flocks of flamingos, posed by the development projects on the country's southern coast. The Prime Minister of Albania, who has defended the development linked to Kushner, dismissed the demands for his resignation. Rama reportedly stated that Kushner's involvement, rather than environmental concerns about the project itself, appears to be fueling the protests.
The Kushner investment in Albania
The project is presented by the Rama government as a strategic investment that could reshape Albania's tourism map and strengthen the country's position as a high-added-value destination. However, the case has sparked intense public debate, with environmental organizations, residents, political opponents, and international media raising issues of transparency, institutional procedures, and potential preferential treatment of the investment scheme. The investment concerns an ambitious tourism development plan in two key spots of the Albanian Riviera: the uninhabited island of Sazan, with a strategic position in the Adriatic, and the coastal area of Zvërnec. These two zones are characterized by high environmental value, with particularly sensitive ecosystems and significant public interest in their protection status. According to publicized plans, the project envisions the development of luxury hotels, tourist residences, and high-standard infrastructure.
Particular weight is placed on Sazan, which previously hosted a military base and remains one of the few relatively untouched islands in the Mediterranean. The area is surrounded by the Karaburun–Sazan National Marine Park and acts as an important refuge for marine and coastal species, many of which are considered endangered. At an institutional level, the Strategic Investments Committee has approved the project's status as a strategic investment since 2024, with a special procedure for the company linked to Kushner, Atlantic Incubation Partners LLC, which is undertaking the project's implementation. The project's funding is linked to Kushner's Affinity Partners, which is backed by international investment funds, including capital from sovereign wealth funds of Saudi Arabia.
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