FLASH
Shkruar nga Robert C. Austin
The Flamingo Revolution: The Clash That Is Challenging Albania's Old Model
Should a revolution have a color? Is the Flamingo Revolution in Albania a belated attempt to end permanent post-communism?
Since May, the pink flamingo has become a symbol of peaceful resistance, led largely by young people, against a closed luxury resort, supported by Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. But it also symbolizes the fact that most Albanians will only be able to see the resort from behind the fence, getting a glimpse of what they will never have. Albanians have spent decades on the other side of the fence, watching how others lived. That was the communist era in more ways than one: The West was inaccessible, while communist leaders lived in a neighborhood off-limits to citizens.
Revolution or not, a clash is taking place in Albania between the old order and the new, as well as between the bad habits that have survived the collapse of the one-party system. The biggest clash is related to the question of what Albania, which is finally on the verge of membership in the European Union, should be like when it achieves what has been more than a century-long effort to emerge from the periphery.
In 2024, Mrs. Trump and Mr. Kushner disembarked from a friend’s yacht and discovered the largely deserted island of Sazan, as well as the gorgeous coastal area of Zvernec, which they saw as a modern-day Shangri-La. Sazan, Albania’s only island and home to flamingos and many other species of fauna, is a former military base built by the communist regime with help from the Soviet Union. (When Soviet leader Nikita S. Khrushchev first saw it in 1959, he imagined a submarine base and lots of bombs, but no sun loungers.)
Then, in early 2026, convoys of black SUVs arrived and a giant tourism project in a protected area was announced. In May, bulldozers arrived, and although protesters faced violence, they did not retreat. Within days, their numbers had reached tens of thousands. Prime Minister Edi Rama, in a mostly arrogant tone, initially said the protests were being instigated by Iranians, then blamed social media algorithms, but refused to acknowledge that opponents of the project had any valid arguments. This week, he brought the rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, to Tirana in the hope of drawing attention to the protests.
Protesters are coming together for a variety of reasons. Some oppose the project for straightforward reasons, believing that the land has been illegally acquired and that the rightful owners have been defrauded by corrupt courts and oligarchs who have used forged property documents. Land ownership remains an unclear issue in Albania due to the legacy of communist nationalization.
Others are outspokenly opposed to foreign owners taking control of what is considered Albania's most valuable region. While most protesters are opposed to the country's deeply flawed democracy, corruption, a prime minister in his fourth term and a divisive opposition leader, Sali Berisha, who has steadfastly refused to make way for younger generations since losing power in 2013.
Two major issues worry Albanians, and the dominant political figures are responsible for them. The population decline is a serious problem, as young and educated people have left in surprising numbers. Meanwhile, when Albania began its chaotic exit from communism, the regime left behind only one precious asset: a largely untouched Adriatic coastline. More than thirty years later, this asset has been severely damaged by uncontrolled and unplanned development. The handover of this area to the "oligarchs", through what many consider collusion, has crossed all limits for many citizens.
On the other hand, Mr. Rama sees this investment as a catalyst that could spur the construction of more five-star resorts and make Albania finally a destination taken seriously by the world.
If Mrs. Trump and Mr. Kushner had arrived ten or more years ago, the situation would have been different. Albania was then offering public property for one euro, looking for serious foreign investors. At that time, no one wanted to challenge the United States or its Qatari partners. People could easily be convinced that a hotel would change everything. Most likely, no one cared about flamingos then. But this time they came too late.
As for President Donald Trump and his MAGA movement, they are considered toxic in most of Europe. Albania was the last bastion where almost unconditional obedience to the United States was seen as a badge of honor. Now things have changed and the name Trump is associated with controversy. Protesters are turning to Europe, and the European Union’s regulatory authority for environmental standards has become part of their effort to convince Europe that Albania belongs there.
It has been a very long wait. In fact, it is to the credit of Mr. Rama that Albanians today can see a different future. / Adapted from "Pamphlet" by " The Globe And Mail "
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