Albania resort dispute deepens as Rama defends Kushner-backed project

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Albania resort dispute deepens

Highlights

Prime Minister Rama claims Iranian hackers are inflaming protests against the Kushner-backed Sazan resort, insisting most local residents support the development.
The Sazan Real Estate Development project, involving a planned high-end resort near a protected bird sanctuary, has sparked Albania's largest demonstrations in decades over environmental and corruption concerns.
The European Parliament warns Albania to respect environmental standards, rule of law, and anti-corruption measures amid the project, as a delegation of MEPs prepares to visit this month.

Project status and protest claims

As reported by Financial Times, Rama says Iranian hackers are amplifying public anger over the resort plan backed by Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, while insisting support for the development remains strong among residents near the site. Speaking at a conference in Rome on Thursday, he says the island itself remains public property even though the coastal land tied to the project has already been purchased by investors.

Rama says there is no reason for environmentalists to be concerned and argues the development would leave the area with "25 per cent more green" than it has today. He also says Albania has faced cyber attacks from Tehran for the past three years and claims those efforts have now extended into the protest movement against the resort.

The planned development envisions a high-end resort on Albania’s only island, Sazan, alongside work on a nearby coastal area close to a protected bird sanctuary known for flamingoes. A spokesperson for the project says it is being developed by Sazan Real Estate Development, with the U.S. partners investing in private capacities rather than through Affinity Partners, the investment firm founded by Kushner.

Environmental pressure and wider political risks

Demonstrations begin several weeks ago after the developer fences off the coastal site opposite the island, and the movement has since grown into one of Albania’s biggest in decades. Protesters say the project reflects wider concerns about government corruption, with some calling for Rama’s resignation and accusing the authorities of prioritising wealthy foreign investors over local needs.

Petrit Hoxha, an engineering student who joins the protests in Tirana, says opponents do not want foreign partners to exploit Albania. Rama rejects the scale of the backlash, saying videos from protests elsewhere are being recirculated online as if they were filmed in Albania.

Tourism is taking a larger role in Albania’s economy, with the country receiving about 12mn foreign visitors last year, many from Italy seeking lower-cost Mediterranean holidays. But environmental damage along the coastline is increasingly upsetting locals, while the European parliament warns on Wednesday that Albania must respect environmental standards, rule of law, anti-corruption measures and transparency as it pursues EU membership; a group of MEPs is also due to visit the country later this month.

Our earlier article examined a draft European Commission package of banking reforms aimed at boosting competitiveness by letting EU banking groups manage capital and liquidity more flexibly across member states. It also outlined potential adjustments to certain mortgage and corporate lending rules and noted that the proposal could reopen sensitive debates around deposit insurance and crisis-management responsibilities within the banking union.

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