FLASH
Shkruar nga Vittorio Bonanni
From flamingos to the fight against corruption: month-long protests shake Rama's system, Albania on the verge of early elections...
This is not the first time that Albania has been shaken by historic protests. The first was in 1991, when, after the fall of Enver Hoxha's regime and the establishment of pluralism, tens of thousands of Albanians flocked to the coast of Puglia in overloaded boats.
Then came the drama of 1997, when a great economic agony, the bankruptcy of "pyramid firms" based on the "Ponzi" scheme, led to the bankruptcy of hundreds of thousands of citizens. This provoked an armed uprising that cost the country thousands of deaths.
The socialist government of Bashkim Fino (under the presidency of Sali Berisha) did not take any responsibility, while the early elections were won by Fatos Nano, ending the revolt.
After decades of rotating between Democrats and Socialists in an environment of corruption, Albania has embarked on a project to join the European Union. This goal remains elusive due to persistent corruption, a lack of rule of law, and a tendency to build luxury resorts in protected areas - a policy that violates EU principles.
Prime Minister Edi Rama's indifference to the environment has caused massive protests against the 2024 plan since the end of May. This plan foresees the construction of luxury villas on the island of Sazan and in Zvërnec (Nartë lagoon) by investor Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law.
The project spans hundreds of acres and is valued at over five billion euros by Atlantic Incubation Partners, a company affiliated with Kushner's Affinity Partners. The symbol of the protest is the pink stork or flamingo.
"This animal is among the protected species in the Vjosa River National Park, which includes Sazan and Narta, where monk seals and sea turtles find refuge," explains Giorgio Fruscione, a researcher at ISPI.
"But the protest is multidimensional. Because in addition to the environment, it challenges Rama's domestic politics and has a geopolitical dimension, showing how the administration
"Trump uses the Balkans to combine diplomacy with private interests," he emphasizes.
This situation stems from a mismanaged private economic model in post-communist Albania, characterized by chaotic tourism and the adoption of special laws without public debate. The essence of the clash is endless wealth in the face of staggering inequality. To lay the foundations for this project, in March 2024 the law on protected areas was amended, introducing “tourism of excellence” to make the legal framework less restrictive for developers.
The government granted the company Strategic Investor status through accelerated procedures. However, according to a BIRN investigation, the implementing company “Zvërnec South Adriatic Development” is registered in the Netherlands through a trust structure that hides the ultimate beneficiaries.
Moreover, among them are individuals with criminal proceedings or ownership disputes. The project also involves Qatari tycoons, such as the Al-Khayyat brothers of Power International Holding.
The mobilization that began for the protection of nature quickly turned into a “thermometer” of general dissatisfaction with the prime minister. Gentiola Madhi, a researcher at the Balkan Observatory, states that the protests began in May in the Vjosa-Nartë area, where excavators and barbed wire appeared without any transparency.
Local NGOs and citizens rose up against Kushner's mega-investment, which became a symbol of Rama's policies. The 2024 law that reduced restrictions on protected areas was even defeated by the European Parliament during discussions on EU enlargement in the Balkans.
According to Beatrice Manaresi, a contributor to Orizzonti politici, the opposition is about the risk that areas of high public value will quickly become exclusive destinations without public control.
Similar problems exist in Dardhë i Librazhd with a hydroelectric dam that limits water. Urban planner Doriana Musai emphasizes: “Citizens want to participate in decision-making before the project is implemented.”
Thus, the environmental protest became the "wick" of dissatisfaction with the lack of transparency, ridiculous prices for land concessions, low quality of life, and rising prices from luxury tourism.
Arlind Qori, leader of the left-wing movement "Together", explains that the meeting points between environmentalists, liberals and conservatives keep people together against the economic oligarchy. The protest is also supported by the diaspora. According to INSTAT, between 2021-2025, about 130 thousand citizens from a population of only 2.5 million emigrated.
Rama, in power for 13 years, claimed to the Financial Times that the demonstrations were amplified by actors linked to Iran. Although Albania harbors opponents of Tehran and suffered a cyberattack in 2022, it is implausible that such a massive revolt would be directed from abroad.
According to Fruscione, the protests erupted on the eve of the EU-Balkans summit in Tivat, where Albania's European future was reaffirmed, which must be fully aligned with EU environmental legislation. But if Rama is gambling with the country's European integration to please the Trump family, the situation could lead to his resignation and early elections./ Pamphlet from "Terzo Giornale"
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