EU Warns Albania: Kushner-Linked Elite Resort Threatens Environment and EU Hopes
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The European Commission has cautioned Albania that a luxury resort project tied to Jared Kushner, emblematic of unchecked capitalist interests, may violate vital EU environmental protections and undermine Albania’s path to EU accession.
The European Commission has issued a stark warning to Albania over a proposed luxury resort on the southern coast, a project entangled with the interests of former U.S. president Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. This development, driven by the profit motives of global elites, stands in direct conflict with EU environmental standards and threatens to stall the closure of Chapter 27 in Albania’s accession negotiations.
Commission officials emphasized that Albania must not bow to corporate pressure or undermine essential benchmarks for EU membership. They urged the government to act decisively, including repealing recent amendments to the Law on Protected Areas and scrapping the law on so-called 'strategic investments'—measures that have opened the door to exploitation by foreign capital.
Albania’s environment minister, Sofjan Jaupaj, was compelled to assure Brussels that construction at the site has been halted and that a genuine environmental impact assessment, with meaningful civil-society participation, will be conducted.
Meanwhile, grassroots protests have entered their seventh day, with citizens demanding the cancellation of the project that threatens a precious wildlife zone—home to flamingos, seals, and turtle nesting sites. In a rare move, the anti-corruption prosecutor has launched an investigation into the suspicious changes to the area’s protected status and land ownership, reflecting widespread public distrust of government collusion with wealthy interests.
Prime Minister Edi Rama, dismissive of the unrest, claimed that EU leaders are not paying attention and suggested the project would be ignored if not for its ties to Kushner—downplaying the legitimate concerns of his own people.
Albania, a leading candidate for EU membership alongside Montenegro, aspires to join the bloc by 2030, with technical negotiations scheduled to conclude by the end of 2027. But unless the government prioritizes people and planet over profit, these hopes may be dashed.
