Albanian protests intensify over $1.4 billion luxury resort plan on Sazan island and Zvernec peninsula
Nightly demonstrations across Albania have continued for weeks as citizens oppose a $1.4 billion development project proposed by Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner on protected coastal land.
Albanian authorities have approved a $1.4 billion luxury-villa project on Sazan island and the adjacent Zvernec peninsula, a plan promoted by Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner. The development would involve thousands of villas in an area designated as the Vjosa Narta protected river delta and lagoon, home to numerous bird species, including flamingos.
Since late May, protesters have gathered nightly in Tirana, with estimates of up to 100,000 participants on some evenings. Demonstrations have been described as the largest sustained civil unrest since the fall of communism in 1991. Activists from the environmental group EcoAlbania and other civil-society organisations have highlighted concerns about ecological damage and the sale of protected land.
"The main reason why Albanians are protesting is basically an economic model of very autocratic ruling of one man, Edi Rama, who is surrounded by a group of economic oligarchs," said Redi Muci, a member of parliament for the left-wing Lëvizja Bashkë party.
"One of the most popular slogans in this protest has been ‘Albania is not for sale,’" added party leader Arlind Qori.
Prime Minister Edi Rama, who has championed the project as part of a broader strategy to attract foreign investment and accelerate Albania’s EU accession, dismissed the protests as driven by anti-Trump sentiment. In an interview, he suggested that without the involvement of Kushner, the issue would receive little attention.
Legal actions have been taken against two Syrian investors linked to the project, whose bank accounts were frozen by the Albanian public prosecutor on grounds of lacking legitimate ownership of the land. The government also reversed a 2024 law that had previously prohibited construction in vulnerable ecological zones, clearing the way for the development.
Local residents of the Zvernec peninsula, many of whom have lived on the land for generations, have contested the sale in courts for two decades. They argue that the project threatens their livelihoods and the integrity of the protected ecosystem.
Tourism officials note that Albania has experienced a rapid rise in international visitor numbers, with a 56 percent increase in 2023 compared with 2019. While officials see tourism as a growth engine, many protesters stress that development should not compromise protected natural areas or local communities.
The protests have remained largely peaceful, with families and children participating, and have drawn attention from the European Union, which has expressed concern over the environmental implications of the plan.