The European Commission has weighed in on Albania\u2019s so-called \u2018Flamingo Revolution\u2019, a series of protests that erupted over a luxury resort project linked to US President Donald Trump\u2019s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.<\/p>\n
According to a recent article by POLITICO Brussels, the Commission has cautioned Albania that the project could put Tirana on a collision course<\/a> with the European Union\u2019s environmental rules, \u2018jeopardizing its ability to close the green Chapter 27\u2019 in its accession talks.<\/p>\n \u2018Albania should refrain from actions that could undermine the fulfilment of the closing benchmarks,\u2019 a Commission spokesperson told POLITICO, adding that Brussels expects Albania<\/a> to align fully with EU environmental rules and legislation. According to the spokesperson, the Commission has already contacted Albania\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n The controversy centres on a proposed luxury tourism development backed by Jared Kushner\u2019s investment firm Affinity Partners, which plans to build high-end resorts<\/a> on the former military island of Sazan and in the nearby Portonovo\u2013Zv\u00ebrnec area along Albania\u2019s southern Adriatic coast. Critics argue that the project threatens some of the country\u2019s most sensitive ecosystems, including the Vjosa\u2013Narta wetland, a habitat for flamingos, sea turtles, seals, and hundreds of bird species.<\/p>\n Environmental groups have also raised concerns<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n The dispute sparked what has become known as the \u2018Flamingo Revolution\u2019, a wave of demonstrations that began in late May and rapidly spread from the coastal villages of Zv\u00ebrnec and Nart\u00eb to Tirana and other Albanian cities. Protesters have adopted the flamingo as a symbol of resistance and have carried inflatable pink flamingos during marches.<\/p>\n While the movement initially focused on environmental concerns, it has gradually evolved into a broader expression of dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Edi Rama\u2019s government, with some demonstrators demanding Rama\u2019s resignation and accusing his administration of corruption and favouring investors and businessmen linked to the government. Protest slogans have included \u2018Albania is not for sale\u2019 and calls to halt the project entirely.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Rama has repeatedly accused critics of spreading misinformation and exaggerating the project\u2019s environmental consequences, while also suggesting that international media attention has been amplified because of Kushner\u2019s connection to the Trump family.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Rama, however, has dismissed what he called an \u2018engineered digital hysteria\u2019, 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 \u2018mass uprising\u2019 disconnected from the reality on the ground.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n According to a March 2026 poll, both Rama\u2019s governing party and the opposition have lost support<\/a> since the election. The Socialist Party was polling at 45.7 per cent\u20146.5 percentage points below its 2025 result\u2014yet it remained comfortably ahead of the main opposition force led by former prime minister Sali Berisha.<\/p>\n