TIVAT, Montenegro — Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has dismissed growing protests against a planned luxury resort as a politically charged campaign fueled by critics of U.S. President Donald Trump, insisting the project poses no risk to flamingos and other wildlife.
Albanians took to the streets in recent days to protest plans by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to develop a luxury resort on Albania’s unspoiled Sazan Island and the Zvërnec coastline near Vlora. The movement has been dubbed the “flamingo revolution” by civil society and international media, as the area is an important habitat for the charismatic pink birds.
But in an interview with POLITICO, Rama defended Kushner’s planned resort, saying his policy of attracting foreign investment to develop Albania’s tourism industry was the right one. He dismissed international criticism, claiming the protests were not as widespread as had been reported.
“If it was not Jared, they would not give a shit about what is happening in Albania,” said Rama on the sidelines of the EU-Western Balkans summit in Tivat, Montenegro.
