Thousands of Albanians have protested in Tirana against a planned luxury resort on Sazan Island linked to the family of Donald Trump [1, 2].
The demonstrations highlight growing tension over environmental preservation and foreign land ownership in Albania. Opponents said the project threatens an ecologically protected coastal zone and lacks necessary transparency [2, 3, 4].
The development is estimated to cost 1.4 billion euros [2]. It is led by Affinity Partners, an investment firm owned by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of Donald Trump [2, 3]. Some reports also link Ivanka Trump to the support of the hotel complex [3].
Protests have occurred for several consecutive days this week, with a fourth day of demonstrations reported on June 4 [1, 4]. The planned site on Sazan Island is described as an old communist military base [1].
Demonstrators in the capital city of Tirana said the project represents the exploitation of Albanian land by foreign interests [3, 4]. The island's status as a protected area has made the development a focal point for environmental activists, and local citizens [2, 3].
While the project promises significant investment, critics said the environmental cost is too high. The scale of the luxury complex, combined with the high-profile nature of the U.S. investors, has fueled the public outcry [2, 4].
“Thousands of Albanians have protested in Tirana against a planned luxury resort on Sazan Island.”
This conflict underscores the friction between high-value foreign direct investment and national environmental sovereignty. By targeting a site with both ecological importance and a communist military history, the project has become a symbol of perceived foreign exploitation, potentially complicating future US-Albanian economic relations.
