When Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, decided to invest in a luxury resort along Albania’s idyllic southern coast, he likely didn’t anticipate triggering a national uprising. Yet Albanians—unimpressed by wealthy foreign investors eager to pave over their natural treasures for high-end hotels catering to affluent tourists—have responded with fierce resistance.
A Resort Ignites a National Movement
Kushner’s proposed 10,000-room resort, planned near a protected wildlife area home to flamingos, sea turtles, and one of Europe’s most pristine river deltas, has sparked what may be the largest popular protests in Albania since the country abandoned communism over three decades ago.
Within just two weeks, the so-called “Flamingo Revolution” has evolved from a localized environmental protest into a nationwide campaign cutting across all social classes. Years of government corruption under Prime Minister Edi Rama, unchecked tourism development, frustration over Albania’s sluggish economic growth—it remains one of Europe’s poorest countries—and a widespread perception that the nation serves the interests of a wealthy few rather than its citizens have pushed many Albanians to their breaking point.
Protesters are now demanding the resignation—and even imprisonment—of both Prime Minister Edi Rama and opposition leader and former Prime Minister Sali Berisha, the two longest-serving political figures since the fall of the communist regime in 1991.
‘A Protest Against the Entire System’
“Young people and citizens here aren’t protesting only against Rama and Berisha—they’re protesting against the entire system,” said Francesca Moutso, a civil society activist who joined demonstrations in Tirana, holding up a flamingo-themed poster while calling for both politicians’ imprisonment. “This is a protest against the post-dictatorship system—and all the negative models it has normalized in this country.”
Protesters hold banners and signs during an anti-resort demonstration in Tirana, Albania. (REUTERS)
Olsi Nika, an Albanian biologist who led the campaign to designate the Aoos River as a national park, says the movement runs far deeper than anger at foreign investors. “This isn’t about opposing Jared Kushner,” he explains, noting Albania’s long history of ignoring environmental standards and pointing to systemic political corruption.
Prime Minister Rama, for his part, appeared strikingly unapologetic in an interview with POLITICO, asserting that foreign real estate developers like Kushner matter more to Albania than Albanians themselves. “Foreigners are the top priority… because foreigners bring money into the country for Albanians,” said the former professional basketball player.