Inside the ‘Flamingo Revolution’: Albania in revolt at Kushner-Trump land grab
An ecocidal land grab by Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump in Albania has triggered a revolt. Ariela Zeneli, a member of left wing party Lëvizja BASHKË (Together Movement), spoke to Tomáš Tengely-Evans about what’s driving the ‘Flamingo Revolution’
Revolt runs through the streets of Albania as the “Flamingo Revolution” spreads through the Balkan country.
Hundreds of thousands march in the capital Tirana and other towns and cities. Police water cannons hose down protesters who, undeterred, hurl fireworks at the prime minister’s residence.
Chants of “Albania is not for sale” ring out in Tirana against prime minister Edi Rama’s plans to sell off part of the coast line to Donald Trump’s son in law and daughter.
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump want to turn the coastal area of Zvërnec into a playground for the superrich.
They would destroy the Vjosa-Narta Protected Landscape. The flamingo, one of the birds endangered by the Kushner-Trump development, has become a symbol of the “Flamingo Revolution”.
The sell-off was the trigger. But the revolt draws on a deep pool of anger—at corruption, authoritarianism and police brutality, neoliberal policies, and the government’s support for Trump and Israel’s genocide.
Protesters’ anger is aimed at the whole political class, with people demanding the imprisonment of Rama and Sali Berisha. Rama leads the Blairite-like Socialist Party while Berisha leads the main opposition party, the conservative Democratic Party.
Socialist Worker is planning a series of interviews and articles on the revolt in Albania.
TTE: Can you describe what the protests are like? Are they organised by one organisation or more spontaneous?
AZ: The protests initially began as a local reaction by residents of the Zvërnec and Pishe Poro-Nartë areas, who oppose the construction of a luxury resort in a protected natural area.
Initially, the protest was initiated by residents and environmental activists, among them the Lëvizja BASHKË (BASHKË Movement).
Due to its pristine nature and the lagoon that shelters migratory birds such as flamingos, the area holds the status of Protected Landscape. However, this has not stopped the government from approving “development” plans.
During the protest in the area, one of the protesters was dragged away by private guards, and the police present failed to protect the citizens.
The violence that occurred in that area on 30 May prompted a reaction and a citizen revolt.
It was precisely this violence that became the catalyst for the expansion of the protest. What started as a battle to protect a specific natural area gradually transformed into a broader form of resistance against the way public assets and territory have been managed.
Protesters see it as part of a broader system where the interests of the domestic oligarchy and foreign capital are intertwined to the detriment of the public interest
The protests have heard chants such as, “Rama in prison, Berisha in prison.” It shows that the dissatisfaction is not only directed at the current government, but at the entire political establishment of the last 35 years.
In this context, it is striking that the Democratic Party, as the largest opposition force, has not taken a clear stance against the project.
This has led protesters to present the conflict not only as a clash with a party. They see it as part of a broader system where the interests of the domestic oligarchy and foreign capital are intertwined to the detriment of the public interest.
With the slogan “Albania is not for sale”, we have demanded the cancellation of the project in Zvërnec, the resignation of Rama and the ban on policies that favour oligarchs and foreign investors connected to power to the detriment of the public interest.
We strongly criticise the lack of transparency on the project. On the one hand, the prime minister has defended the investment, saying that 4 billion euros will be invested there. On the other hand, he has stated that there is still no final project.
These statements are contradictory—Rama goes live every day with a new approach and it is clear that he is afraid. He has also called for negotiations, but the call to protest is, “Resign!”
For me, the protest is not simply an angry reaction to an opaque tourism plan or the next oligarch. It is against an economic model that accumulates through the expropriation of residents.
TTE: How widespread are the protests? Is it mainly in Tirana or other cities and towns too?
AZ: The protest has had the greatest reach and participation in Tirana, where the main rallies have been organised and where public attention has been focused.
But the reaction has not been limited to the capital. There have been efforts to organise in other cities, such as Vlora and Durrës, indicating that the cause has found support beyond the area directly affected by the project.
The issue has also begun to mobilise the Albanian diaspora, with initiatives and organisations reported in Italy, Germany and Britain.
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A protest is also planned for on Saturday 6 June in front of the Albanian Embassy in London. It shows that concern about this project and the way public assets are managed in Albania is also resonating with Albanians living abroad.
In this way, the protest is gradually taking on a national and international dimension, transcending the boundaries of a local conflict over a single tourist development.
TTE: What would the impact of the Kushner-Trump luxury resort be?
AZ: In the case of Pishë–Poro–Narta, the draft decision allows for accommodation facilities for agritourism, camping sites, renewable energy installations and fish farming centres. And, with approval from the National Territorial Council, it would include the construction of urban areas and highways.
This would have a major environmental impact on the sensitive ecosystems of the Narta area, which is well-known for its biodiversity and ecological importance.
TTE: Did the protests explode out of nowhere or has anger been building up against the government for some time?
AZ: No, these protests did not erupt suddenly and cannot be understood only as a reaction to the project in Zvërnec and Nartë.
Anger towards the government and the political class in general has been accumulating for years due to many problems in Albania.
These include corruption, emigration of the younger generations, social inequalities and the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few people.
In recent years there have been a series of conflicts over large development projects.
TTE: Is it young people or a mix of ages?
AZ: The protest has included a mix of age groups, but it should be noted that the participation of young people has been more present.
TTE: Are the trade unions involved and are there any calls for strikes as well as protests?
AZ: In Albania, the relationship with trade unions is somewhat problematic, as the two main trade union confederations are perceived as close to the major political parties.
This has prevented them from playing an active role in the protests against the project in Nartë and Zvërnec. As a result, the mobilisation has been led mainly by residents, activists and civic organisations.
TTE: How would you characterise Edi Rama’s government?
AZ: Economically, the government’s policies are neoliberal. There is a blind faith in the free market—in wild privatisations, in Public Private Partnerships.
Property during this decade has been taken from ordinary people and given to oligarchs through a special law—called the Strategic Investors Law.
Politically, the government has been characterised by the V-Dem Institute as an electoral autocracy. According to this, there is political pluralism but there is no rule of law, there are institutions but they are controlled by the party in power.
-Could you say a bit about Lëvizja BASHKË?
Lëvizja BASHKË (Movement Together) was founded on 18 December 2022. It was on the initiative of activists and members of the Political Organisation, a group that has been operating since 2011.
The Political Organisation used the Red Robin as a symbol of freedom and resistance. The robin represents the movement’s worldview in a “frosty Albania” which is quickly depopulating from emigration, especially among the young. To be red robins “is to stay here in Albania, to resist, to live vigorously and sing, by working day after day, every day for a fairer and more democratic society”.
We are a left wing, progressive political party. Initially, we have functioned as a grassroots movement and have helped in several causes. These included labour causes where we have helped miners, oil workers and construction workers in protests.
The student cause began as an initiative of students and professors of public universities to oppose reforms in higher education. And it later extended to the many problems that students face in their daily lives.
We have helped in various social causes—from the draft law for the recognition of the living wage, for quality public transport, against the destruction of the Vjosa River and environmental protection, and for gender equality.
Lëvizja Bashkë was first elected to the Albanian parliament in the 2025 parliamentary elections, with Redi Muçi becoming a member of parliament.
Previously, the party had participated in the 2023 Albanian local elections in Tirana. Party leader Arlind Qori ran for mayor of Tirana, receiving nearly 5 percent of the vote, and Mirela Ruko was elected a member of the municipal council.