Albania's government faces mounting public backlash over its support for a luxury resort project linked to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, with daily protests erupting in Tirana. The project, planned for a five-mile stretch of beachfront in Zvérnec along the Adriatic coast directly opposite the uninhabited island of Sazan, has been granted preliminary approval despite the area being part of the protected Vjose-Narte ecological zone. Thousands have taken to the streets chanting "Edi Rama out!", directing anger at Prime Minister Edi Rama for enabling the development through a 2024 law that removed environmental protections. Protester Eden Hosha said the construction began without public consent, with large trucks entering the protected area and disrupting sensitive habitats.
Ivanka Trump described discovering Sazan Island during a swim while on a boat trip years ago, saying the experience stayed with her and her husband. In a podcast with David Senra, she stated they now own both the island and the five-mile beachfront, calling the development "the culmination of all of my experience in real estate." Environmentalists, however, dispute claims of ecological sensitivity, noting plans for tall buildings and up to 10,000 rooms. Taulant Bino, head of the Albanian Ornithological Society, identified 250 bird species in the Narte Lagoon and warned construction threatens breeding grounds and could harm amphibians and reptiles. A road built for construction equipment has already cut through the protected wetlands. Environmental groups have filed legal challenges to halt the project, citing the area's designation for conservation and traditional fishing. The government's reversal of protections has intensified criticism that public land is being handed to foreign private interests.
The approval of a Kushner-linked resort on ecologically protected land exposes a direct conflict between Albania's government and its citizens' environmental and territorial rights. Prime Minister Edi Rama changed the law to allow luxury construction in a zone previously reserved for conservation and traditional use. This shift benefits private foreign investors while sidelining local communities and scientific warnings about ecological damage. The protests are not just about a resort—they reflect deepening distrust in state decisions that override public and environmental interests.
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