Foreign resort plans fuel Albanian protests as Dua Lipa intervenes
Singer Dua Lipa's public backing of 46-day protests in Tirana highlights a growing clash between foreign luxury tourism investments and local environmental protections in Albania.
Pop star Dua Lipa has publicly backed nightly protests in Tirana that have been ongoing for 46 consecutive days. The demonstrations were triggered by plans from Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner to build luxury resorts on protected lands along the Adriatic coast.
Since late May, tens of thousands of Albanians have taken to the streets in what activists call the "flamingo revolution." The movement originally focused on the Zvernec Peninsula and Sazan Island, but has since expanded into broader anti-government demonstrations demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Speaking on her podcast, Dua Lipa addressed the core grievance driving the unrest. "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.
For European investors and tourism operators, the dispute underscores a volatile regulatory environment in one of the continent's fastest-growing travel markets. The government's decision to strip protected status from environmentally sensitive areas has created deep uncertainty over how land use laws are applied to foreign capital.
Urban planner Artan Kacani noted that the current development model is actively squeezing out local businesses. He warned that luxury resorts are being built at the expense of smaller family-run hotels and restaurants, which are being cleared to make way for larger developments.
Public frustration over economic priorities was further inflamed this month when the government allocated an emergency €4m to save a Kanye West concert in Tirana after poor ticket sales. Rama defended the public expenditure as an "investment" that would provide "global marketing" for Albania.
Activists hope Dua Lipa's intervention will force the government to answer for its economic and environmental decisions on an international stage. Aleksandër Trajçe, executive director of the Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania, described her comments as "a breath of fresh air" that exposed the lack of transparency surrounding the resort project.
The sustained civic mobilisation is already breaking records in Albania. It also unfolds against a backdrop of severe political strain, highlighted by the pre-trial detention of Tirana mayor Erion Veliaj on corruption and money laundering charges.
