Albanian Trump resort threatens EU accession over environmental law change
A $4.7 billion Trump family resort project in Albania faces mass protests and a warning from the European Parliament that it could derail the country's EU accession bid.
The Albanian parliament's decision to fast-track a $4.7 billion luxury resort backed by Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner has triggered mass protests. The ongoing demonstrations, now in their sixth week, also pose a direct threat to the country's European Union membership bid.
The development spans 1,400 acres on Sazan, Albania's only island, and the Zvernec peninsula, including plans for 10,000 villas. In December 2024, lawmakers amended strict environmental protection legislation to clear the way for the project, removing public consultation requirements in the process.
The abrupt legislative change sets a contentious precedent for how Albania manages foreign direct investment in protected ecological zones. The site sits within the Vjosa-Narta delta, recognised as one of Europe's most important coastal ecosystems and home to 70 endangered species including the monk seal and loggerhead sea turtle.
Environmental organisations claim bulldozers and barbed wire fences were deployed to the Zvernec peninsula before proper permits or environmental impact assessments were secured. The construction has driven tens of thousands into the streets of Tirana in a movement dubbed the "Flamingo Revolution."
The dispute has drawn international scrutiny, with singer Dua Lipa voicing her support for the demonstrators on her podcast. "What I actually find concerning is the principle that the government could just change the law to remove the environmental protection without any kind of public consultation," she said.
Prime Minister Edi Rama has defended the project as a transformative economic engine for Albanian tourism that supports its EU ambitions. He forcefully dismissed accusations that he orchestrated the deal, telling critics: "People say I’m the one in charge of all this. I tell them, ‘f* you.’ It’s as simple as that. It’s not up to me to prove I’m not the Godfather, it’s up to them to prove I am the Godfather."
Despite the government's economic arguments, the political fallout risks overshadowing the investment. Members of the European Parliament have warned that the development puts Albania's accession talks in jeopardy unless the government changes course.
Dutch MEP Tineke Strik, who headed a European Parliament fact-finding mission to the Balkan nation, issued a stark warning to Rama. "If Rama is really serious about his EU ambitions, he should step back from this trajectory and say to the Trump clan: ‘Sorry, the EU is my first priority’," she said.
