Key facts
- MEPs have warned Albania that its EU accession talks are at risk due to a planned luxury resort backed by Jared Kushner.
- The project is slated for environmentally protected areas along Albania's coast and on Sazan island.
- MEPs have called for an immediate halt to construction and the withdrawal of legislation that facilitated the project's permits.
- Protests, dubbed the 'flamingo revolution,' have erupted in Albania against the resort plans.
- The environmental damage caused by preliminary works on the Zvërnec peninsula is cited as a violation of EU directives.
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have issued a stern warning to Albania, stating that its European Union accession talks are in jeopardy if the government proceeds with plans for a luxury resort backed by Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law.
Tineke Strik, a Dutch MEP leading a European Parliament fact-finding mission to Albania, expressed grave concerns, describing the €1.4bn real-estate venture as a move that would 'wreak havoc on virgin coastline' and that Albania's leadership was 'playing with fire.' The project, intended for environmentally protected areas on Sazan island and the Zvërnec peninsula, has sparked significant domestic opposition, leading to protests known as the 'flamingo revolution' and calls for the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Strik emphasized that if Rama is serious about his EU ambitions, he must abandon the current trajectory and prioritize EU membership over the project. She noted that the planned construction in such a fragile area poses an 'immense threat' and would create significant problems during negotiations, particularly concerning Chapter 27, which covers EU environmental policies. Preliminary works on the Zvërnec peninsula, including the destruction of forests and dunes, have already caused considerable damage and are in violation of EU directives, according to Strik.
The European Parliament has previously voiced its disapproval, passing a resolution that endorsed the demonstrators and called for an immediate halt to construction in protected zones. MEPs also demanded the withdrawal of legislation that allowed 'predatory capitalists' to obtain permits as strategic investors in ecologically unique regions. Strik was alarmed by the environment minister's implication that works would continue until Albania was obliged to comply with EU standards, calling it 'not a way of loyal cooperation.' She urged the EU Commission to strongly follow up on these concerns with the Albanian government.
Despite the controversy, EU membership remains a highly popular goal in Albania, with an estimated 92% of citizens supporting it. Prime Minister Rama has vowed to secure Albania's entry into the bloc by 2030, a timeline that now appears uncertain if he insists on proceeding with the Kushner-backed development.