Mass protests have erupted in Albania over a proposed $1.6B+ luxury resort backed by Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners on a protected coastline. Dubbed the "flamingo revolution," the opposition cites irreversible environmental damage to a wildlife reserve. Prime Minister Edi Rama defends the project, blaming "Trump haters" and a "hybrid war," while the country's anti-corruption agency has launched a probe into the deal.
Kushner-backed Albanian resort project
- ▪The idea for the resort originated from a 2021 private yacht trip and hike on Sazan island by Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump
- ▪The project is estimated to cost between $1.6 billion and $1.98 billion and will include hotels, villas, and a marina
- ▪Jared Kushner's investment firm, Affinity Partners, is planning a luxury development on the Albanian coast
- ▪The development is planned for the Narta Lagoon area and the formerly uninhabited island of Sazan, a communist-era military base
Environmental impact on protected wetlands
- ▪Conservation group PPNEA stated the project's impact is "the worst ever recorded in Albania’s protected areas" and some damage is "already irreversible."
- ▪The area also hosts rare Mediterranean monk seals and nesting sea turtles
- ▪The proposed resort is located in a protected wildlife reserve that is home to over 200 migratory bird species, including flamingos and Dalmatian pelicans
- ▪Heavy machinery was seen entering the area in May, and builders began erecting a fence, sparking public outrage
Mass protests flamingo symbolism
- ▪Thousands of people have participated in mass protests in Albania's capital, Tirana, against the resort project
- ▪Protesters held signs with slogans such as "Albania is not for sale."
- ▪The protest movement has been dubbed the "flamingo revolution," with demonstrators using the bird as a symbol of opposition
Albanian government corruption probe
- ▪Albania's anti-corruption agency, SPAK, has launched an investigation related to the Kushner-backed project
- ▪Kushner's firm previously withdrew from a luxury hotel project in Serbia after it sparked protests and corruption charges against four government officials
- ▪The SPAK probe is examining 2024 legislative changes that affected the area's protected status and how land ownership was obtained
Trump-Rama political relationship
- ▪Jared Kushner developed a relationship with Prime Minister Edi Rama during his time as a senior advisor in the first Trump administration
- ▪Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has strongly defended the project, stating "There is no chance for this investment to stop as long as I am here."
- ▪Rama claimed the opposition is fueled by "Trump haters" and false antisemitic narratives about a deal to relocate Palestinians
- ▪Rama alleged the protests are part of a "hybrid war" amplified by bots, fake profiles, and hostile external actors
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