Hundreds of people [1] protested in Zvernec on Monday against a planned luxury tourist resort linked to Jared Kushner [2].
The demonstrations highlight a growing conflict between the Albanian government's push for foreign investment and local concerns over environmental degradation and corruption. Because the project involves high-profile U.S. figures, it has become a flashpoint for accusations of cronyism within the administration.
Protesters gathered in the village on Albania's southern Adriatic coast to denounce the development. Local residents said they fear the project will cause significant environmental damage and view the venture as a corrupt, foreign-backed deal [2, 3].
"The community feels betrayed by a deal that benefits a foreign billionaire," Arben Hoxha, a local activist, said [2].
Reports on the specific U.S. connections vary. The New York Times linked the resort to Jared Kushner [2], while other reports cited local sources connecting the project to Ivanka Trump [1].
Prime Minister Edi Rama dismissed the opposition. He characterized the backlash as "hysteria fueled by political opponents," he said [4]. Despite the gatherings in Zvernec, Rama maintained that the government would not halt the development.
"We will not be intimidated. The project will go ahead," Rama said [5].
Local activists argue that the project prioritizes the interests of international investors over the needs of the Albanian people. They contend that the lack of transparency regarding the deal's terms suggests a pattern of government misconduct [3].
“"We will not be intimidated. The project will go ahead."”
This conflict underscores the tension in Albania between rapid economic modernization through luxury tourism and the preservation of coastal ecosystems. The involvement of the Kushner family adds a layer of geopolitical scrutiny, as critics use the project to argue that the government is more interested in prestige and foreign alliances than in sustainable local development.
