The European Commission has weighed in on Albania’s so-called ‘Flamingo Revolution’, a series of protests that erupted over a luxury resort project linked to US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
According to a recent article by POLITICO Brussels, the Commission has cautioned Albania that the project could put Tirana on a collision course with the European Union’s environmental rules, ‘jeopardizing its ability to close the green Chapter 27’ in its accession talks.
‘Albania should refrain from actions that could undermine the fulfilment of the closing benchmarks,’ a Commission spokesperson told POLITICO, adding that Brussels expects Albania to align fully with EU environmental rules and legislation. According to the spokesperson, the Commission has already contacted Albania’s Minister of Tourism and Environment, Sofjan Jaupaj, regarding the issue. He reportedly informed Brussels that construction on the project has been suspended and that an environmental impact assessment will be carried out in consultation with civil society.
The controversy centres on a proposed luxury tourism development backed by Jared Kushner’s investment firm Affinity Partners, which plans to build high-end resorts on the former military island of Sazan and in the nearby Portonovo–Zvërnec area along Albania’s southern Adriatic coast. Critics argue that the project threatens some of the country’s most sensitive ecosystems, including the Vjosa–Narta wetland, a habitat for flamingos, sea turtles, seals, and hundreds of bird species.
Environmental groups have also raised concerns about a lack of transparency in the planning process, alleged shortcomings in public consultation, and legislative changes that made it easier to build in previously protected areas.
The dispute sparked what has become known as the ‘Flamingo Revolution’, a wave of demonstrations that began in late May and rapidly spread from the coastal villages of Zvërnec and Nartë to Tirana and other Albanian cities. Protesters have adopted the flamingo as a symbol of resistance and have carried inflatable pink flamingos during marches.
While the movement initially focused on environmental concerns, it has gradually evolved into a broader expression of dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government, with some demonstrators demanding Rama’s resignation and accusing his administration of corruption and favouring investors and businessmen linked to the government. Protest slogans have included ‘Albania is not for sale’ and calls to halt the project entirely.
The Rama government has strongly defended the development, arguing that it represents a strategic investment that could transform Albania into a leading high-end tourism destination. Officials maintain that no final project has yet been approved, that environmental impact assessments are still being conducted, and that any eventual construction will have to comply with both Albanian and EU environmental regulations.
Rama has repeatedly accused critics of spreading misinformation and exaggerating the project’s environmental consequences, while also suggesting that international media attention has been amplified because of Kushner’s connection to the Trump family.
The scale of the protests has itself become a political controversy. Environmental organizations, opposition activists, and several international media outlets have described the demonstrations as involving tens of thousands of participants and evolving into one of the largest civic mobilizations in Albania in recent years.
Rama, however, has dismissed what he called an ‘engineered digital hysteria’, claiming that turnout never exceeded 8,000 people even at its peak and that recent demonstrations attracted only around 2,000 participants. The prime minister argued that social media, manipulated images, anonymous accounts, and international reporting had created a perception of a ‘mass uprising’ disconnected from the reality on the ground.
Despite the growing controversy, Rama remains one of the most electorally successful leaders in the Western Balkans. His Socialist Party secured a fourth consecutive term in the 2025 parliamentary election with more than 50 per cent of the vote, extending its uninterrupted hold on power since 2013.
According to a March 2026 poll, both Rama’s governing party and the opposition have lost support since the election. The Socialist Party was polling at 45.7 per cent—6.5 percentage points below its 2025 result—yet it remained comfortably ahead of the main opposition force led by former prime minister Sali Berisha.
Albania has been an official candidate for European Union membership since 2014 and formally opened accession negotiations in 2022. The country has made steady progress in areas such as judicial reform and anti-corruption measures, and Brussels currently considers Albania one of the frontrunners among the Western Balkan candidates. Tirana aims to conclude accession negotiations by the end of the decade, making compliance with EU environmental legislation a particularly sensitive issue as it seeks to close negotiating chapters and maintain momentum in the accession process.
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