People take part in a protest against a luxury resort, a plan by a company linked to U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, on an environmentally sensitive part of the Adriatic coast, in Tirana, Albania, June 8, 2026. [Florion Goga/Reuters]
A massive coastal development project linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump , is facing growing resistance from protesters in Albania.
Thousands protested peacefully in the Albanian capital Saturday evening, in one of the largest protests so far. Earlier in the day, several hundred people demonstrated in the town of Zvernec, while Albanian Australian swimmer Eva Buzo swam 15 kilometers (9 miles) around the disputed island to protest plans to develop the protected area.
The government says the development on the Adriatic coast would be transformational for the former communist nation as it seeks to enter the high-end tourism market and pushes for European Union membership.
But the venture, spanning an abandoned island and a nearby stretch of seafront on Albania’s southern coast, has drawn opposition from environmental campaigners and critics of longtime Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Kushner and Ivanka Trump found the site on a barefoot hike
The luxury project has two components: a coastal development in the Narta Lagoon area, which is a wildlife reserve, and a smaller resort on the nearby uninhabited island of Sazan, a communist-era military base.
The planned development of hotels, apartments, villas and a marina is linked to Kushner and Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump.
In an interview this week with US podcaster David Senra, Ivanka Trump said they discovered the site by accident. “We were on a friend’s boat, and we stopped for a swim. Effectively, that’s how we found it,” she said. “We swam to the island. We went on a hike, barefoot all the way up to the top, and we were just captivated.”
An investment firm linked to Kushner has been granted special investor status by Albanian authorities.
Harsh rule, pristine beaches
Albania has 450 kilometers (280 miles) of coast that remained largely underdeveloped during decades of harsh communist rule.
Protest groups fear the sections of that pristine coastline could be snapped up by powerful investors. And public anger grew after video showed an activist being dragged by a private security guard while demonstrating at the site.
The development is planned within a nature reserve and one of Albania’s most valuable biodiversity areas, a key stopover for migratory birds along the Adriatic coast.
Protesters have carried cardboard cut-outs of pink flamingos, one of the protected migratory bird species, at rallies in Tirana.
Since late May, excavators and other heavy machinery have entered the area, opening access routes, digging into the sand, clearing land among pine trees and installing fencing.
Environmental groups from Albania and elsewhere in Europe condemned the work, with one prominent local group charging that long-protected habitats are being “irreversibly destroyed.”
A multibillion dollar bonanza?
Albania’s state anti-corruption agency has confirmed it opened an investigation related to the project but has not disclosed details.
The government says the land earmarked for the project is privately owned. But competing claims have emerged questioning the privatization — a common type of legal dispute.
Rama has committed to the venture, saying it would align with Albania’s ambition to become a major global tourism destination.
“Albania should not be a country that fears an extraordinary project like this one, where exceptional partners have come together to invest 4 billion euros ($4.6 billion),” Rama said.
He added: “There is no chance for this investment to stop as long as I am here.”
However, the demise of a similar project in Serbia offers a cautionary tale. In November, Serbia’s Parliament passed a special law to enable the building of a luxury complex in the capital, Belgrade, to be financed by an investment company linked to Kushner.
The following month, Serbia’s prosecutor for organized crime charged four people , including a government minister, with abuse of office and falsifying of documents to help pave the way for the development.
Kushner later withdrew from the planned multimillion investment that would have replaced a sprawling bombed-out military complex, a designated heritage zone whose legal protection was lifted by the former officials now on trial.
[AP]
Read the full article at ekathimerini.com →📄Source document: Albanian Police Statement
9 reports
Proto ThemaIndependentCenter3 days agoAlbanian authorities have initiated legal proceedings against at least 35 protesters who blocked a highway leading from Tirana to the capital's airport during a demonstration against a luxury tourism project linked to Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner. The protests, which occur daily since May 30, oppose the development plan. According to an official statement, 16 citizens were charged following judicial investigations into the road blockages, while 19 others had already been charged and two remain at large.
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information without overtly biased language or selective sourcing. It reports on legal actions taken by Albanian authorities against protesters and provides details about the demonstrations and their connection to a U.S.-linked development project. There is no clear slan
Official sources cited
- government Albanian Police Statement
SKAIIndependentCenter3 days agoAt least 35 protesters have been charged with blocking a highway connecting Tirana to the capital's airport during a demonstration against an investment linked to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. The protests, which began on May 30, are part of ongoing opposition to a luxury tourist complex project associated with the U.S. president's daughter and her husband. Albanian police announced charges against 16 citizens following investigations into road blockages, while 19 others had already been charged, and two remain at large. A protest was held again without incidents.
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information about the protests, charges, and the nature of the demonstrations without overtly favoring any side. It includes details about the number of people charged, the timing of events, and the protesters' stated intentions, but does not use emotionally charged or立场
Official sources cited
- government Albanian Police Press Release
SKAIIndependentCenter5 days ago Albania: All is well with the investment of KushnerThe Albanian government assures the European Commission that a tourism investment plan worth €1.4 billion linked to Jared Kushner will comply with environmental standards and legal requirements. The European Commission has received assurances regarding full assessment of environmental impacts according to European standards. Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos emphasized that Albania's accession process includes continuous monitoring and evaluation of investments.
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information without overtly favoring any side. It reports on assurances provided by the Albanian government and mentions ongoing monitoring by the European Commission, maintaining neutrality in tone and content.
Official sources cited
- government Albanian Government
- government European Commission
Proto ThemaIndependentCenter7 days ago Protesters in Albania break down fencing at tourist site: anger persists over investment projectsProtesters in Albania have torn down fences at a tourist facility construction site. The unrest continues over investment plans.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on protests against investment projects without overtly favoring any side. It provides factual information about the event and does not include biased language or one-sided sourcing.
KathimeriniIndependentCenter8 days agoApproximately 200 protesters dismantled metal fences and wire mesh surrounding a plot along the Albanian Adriatic coast where luxury hotel construction has been planned in a protected area near Aulon. Protests have been ongoing for weeks against a tourism development plan by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on protests against a specific development project without overtly favoring either side. It provides factual details about the event and mentions the involvement of Jared Kushner but does not use loaded language or selectively present information to support one perspective over另一
ekathimerini.comIndependentCenter12 days agoA large-scale coastal development project in Albania, linked to Jared Kushner (son-in-law of former US President Donald Trump), faces increasing public opposition. Thousands of protesters gathered in the capital, Tirana, with additional demonstrations in Zvernec. Environmentalists and critics of Prime Minister Edi Rama oppose the plan, which involves developing a protected area including an abandoned island and a section of the Adriatic coastline. The Albanian government claims the project could boost high-end tourism and support EU integration.
Bias read (Center): The article presents both perspectives — the government's view that the project could benefit Albania economically and the opposition's concerns regarding environmental impact and governance. It does not favor one side through loaded language, one-sided sourcing, or omission of context. The framing,
Official sources cited
- court Protesters in Tirana and Zvernec
- government Albanian Government Statement
ekathimerini.comIndependentCenter12 days ago Commision has ‘raised concerns’ over Kushner-linked luxury resort in AlbaniaThe European Commission has expressed concerns to Albanian authorities regarding a proposed luxury resort project in Albania associated with Jared Kushner, who is the son-in-law of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Bias read (Center): The article presents a factual statement without overtly biased language or framing. It reports on the European Commission raising concerns with Albanian authorities about a development linked to Jared Kushner. There is no indication of favoritism toward any political side, and the tone remains non-
Official sources cited
- government European Commission Spokesman Statement
KathimeriniIndependentCenter12 days ago Commission: The EU has expressed concern in Albania about the resort linked to KushnerThe European Commission has expressed concerns to Albanian authorities regarding a luxury tourist resort project linked to Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, which is being developed in an environmentally sensitive area along the Adriatic coast.
Bias read (Center): The article presents a factual report on the European Commission expressing concerns over a development project connected to a prominent individual. It does not exhibit overtly biased language, one-sided sourcing, or editorializing. The framing remains neutral, focusing on the Commission's formal表态.
Official sources cited
- government European Commission Spokesperson Statement
- press release Reuters Report
ekathimerini.comIndependentRight12 days ago Rama vows to push on with Kushner-linked luxury resort despite protestsAlbanian Prime Minister Edi Rama stated that construction of a luxury resort linked to Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law, will continue despite widespread protests. The project has drawn opposition due to concerns about its environmental impact on a protected wetland area along the Adriatic coast. Protesters have used the flamingo as a symbol of their resistance.
Bias read (Right): The article presents the prime minister's statement without critical questioning or counterpoints from opponents. It emphasizes Rama's confidence in the project and frames the development as a positive contribution to Europe, while briefly mentioning protests but not providing detailed perspectives,
Official sources cited
- organisation Reuters/Florion Goga
GR