(Adnkronos) – In Albania, protests are intensifying against the construction of a luxury resort, a project supported by Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, after opponents rejected the prime minister’s offer to “discuss solutions.” Yesterday, for the third consecutive day, thousands of people took to the streets in Tirana, some waving inflatable flamingos in protest against fears of environmental damage, as calls to block the project grow. Protests are also planned in the south of the country, where construction work recently began on the $1.6 billion complex in an area long considered one of the most environmentally sensitive in the Mediterranean.
“From beginning to end there has been a total lack of transparency,” said Aleksandr Trajce, executive director of the country’s main environmental organization, the Protection and Conservation of the Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA). “We have not seen any public consultation or public documentation regarding the permits, so now what we are saying is: if they remove the bulldozers, take down the fence and restore the habitats to how they were before, then we can start talking about it.” Prime Minister Edi Rama, who has defended the project as a milestone in the small Balkan country’s transformation from a Stalinist state to a luxury tourist destination, proposed a meeting with protesters on Tuesday in an attempt to unblock the situation. However, the socialist leader reiterated his position: “There is absolutely no chance that investments will stop as long as I am here.”
As Albania’s oldest environmental organization, PPNEA raised the alarm when warnings emerged about the risk of destruction of a region characterized by unique biodiversity and cultural heritage. Earlier this year, Ivanka Trump made a surprise visit to the country with a team of architects, visiting the site earmarked for development by her husband’s investment firm, Affinity Partners. The resort is set to cover an area that includes not only the uninhabited islet of Sazan, Albania’s only island, but also the wetlands and coastal habitats of the surrounding marine national park. These waters represent one of the last refuges for the Mediterranean monk seal and, according to BirdLife International, are home to over 200 bird species, many of which are at risk of extinction, including flamingos and Dalmatian pelicans.
