What is the link between the Trump family and tiny Albania along the Mediterranean Sea? Well, the connection is called Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of Donald Trump. His proposed luxury tourism development in Albania has become one of Europe’s most controversial travel projects, with growing opposition of local Albanians. Their resilience against Kushner’s project even received a boost from British-Albanian pop star Dua Lipa.
Backed by Kushner’s investment firm Affinity Partners, the estimated €1.6 billion (US$1.9 billion) project would transform Sazan Island, Albania’s only island, into a high-end Mediterranean resort. Plans also include the construction of up to 10,000 luxury villas on the nearby Zvërnec peninsula, creating what developers describe as a world-class tourism destination.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has hailed the development as the country’s largest-ever foreign investment, calling it “a gift to Europe” that will create jobs, attract affluent international visitors and accelerate Albania’s tourism growth.
But locals do not agree about the future “gift to Europe”. The project has also sparked weeks of nationwide demonstrations. Protesters argue the development threatens two of Albania’s most valuable protected natural areas and accuse the government of weakening environmental safeguards to fast-track the investment, especially following amended legislation voted in 2024 to allow construction in environmentally protect areas.
Albanians, taking part in demonstrations, are calling for greater transparency over the approval process and accuse the government of prioritizing foreign investors over public access to protected natural areas. The protests are turning into a broader anti-corruption movement and represent one of Albania’s largest waves of civic demonstrations in decades.
While there is no evidence Kushner or his partners were involved in the legal changes, critics say the move bypassed public consultation and undermined environmental protections.
Sazan Island, located at the entrance to the Bay of Vlora, and the nearby Zvërnec peninsula are indeed both uninhabited nature reserves within protected coastal ecosystems.
The sites are home to rare bird species -particularly flamingos-, marine habitats and sensitive Adriatic biodiversity. Members of the European Parliament have warned that Albania’s ambitions to join the European Union by 2030 could be jeopardized if environmental standards are not respected.
As protests entered their sixth week, Dua Lipa publicly praised what has become known as Albania’s “Flamingo Revolution.” Speaking with Albanian author Lea Ypi on her Service95 Book Club podcast, the singer said she found it “inspiring to see how much people really care.“
Lipa also questioned the government’s decision to remove environmental protections without broader public consultation. Although she has no involvement in the project itself, her comments have given fresh momentum to the protest movement.
Despite the mounting criticism, developers say the resort will be built responsibly, emphasizing environmental stewardship, job creation and long-term economic benefits for local communities.
The project has become a high-profile test of whether Albania can attract luxury tourism investment while preserving the natural assets that increasingly define its appeal as an emerging Mediterranean destination.
