Albania convulsed by mass protests over Kushner-Trump resort project on military base
Thousands of Albanians are staging sustained demonstrations against a $1.6 billion luxury resort development linked to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump on a former military site, with protests spreading to the diaspora in the US and drawing concern from the EU. Prime Minister Rama is dismissing the protests while the government proceeds with the project.
Why it matters
The clash crystallizes a tension at the heart of Albania's EU accession bid—accelerated under Rama with positive recent signals from Brussels—between courting large foreign investment and meeting EU environmental and transparency standards. The Kushner connection ties domestic Albanian politics to the Trump administration, making a local zoning fight a test of governance, rule of law, and how Tirana balances Western capital against accession obligations.