Breaking his silence to the international press regarding the explosive “Flamingo Revolution” sweeping Albania, Prime Minister Edi Rama fiercely defended his administration’s choice to greenlight a $1.4 billion luxury ecotourism development led by Jared Kushner.
Speaking directly to a delegation of European Union journalists on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, Rama dismissed the ongoing domestic protests as a politically charged media circus. He insisted that the mega-resort slated for the pristine Zvërnec coastline near Vlora and the strategic Sazan Island will be judged strictly on its measurable economic and ecological results—not on the polarization surrounding the name of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
“It’s Not About Trump”: Rama Rejects the Political Labeling
Rama was quick to point out that the global frenzy surrounding the development is entirely fueled by Kushner’s marital ties to Ivanka Trump, rather than genuine environmental concern.
“The reason why the world is so excited about this is because of Trump, because I do not believe that the flamingos in Albania would have caused such a massive stir,” Rama remarked to the EU press corps. “But this has nothing to do with Trump. When Jared Kushner and Ivanka came here initially, it wasn’t even clear if Trump was going to prison or to the White House.”
For his administration, Rama asserted, the developers were approached strictly as high-value institutional investors looking to inject unprecedented capital into the Albanian riviera.
┌────────────────────────────────┐
│ RAMA'S DIPLOMATIC DEFENSE │
└───────────────┬────────────────┘
│
How the Prime Minister responds to conflicting labels:
│
┌────────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────┐
▼ THE LEFT-WING CRITICISM ▼ THE RIGHT-WING CRITICISM
┌─────────────────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│ • Accusation: "Rama is a tool │ │ • Accusation: "Rama is selling │
│ of George Soros and globalist │ │ state assets to buy favor with│
│ Western elites." │ │ Jared Kushner & Trump." │
└─────────────────────────────────┘ └─────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ RAMA'S COUNTER-STANCE │
├───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ "Figure it out yourselves! I am the │
│ Prime Minister of this country, and │
│ I want projects based purely on facts"│
└───────────────────────────────────────┘
“Let the Project Answer the Critics”
Addressing the intense domestic pushback—which has seen nine consecutive nights of protests on Tirana’s main boulevard and warnings from the European Commission over environmental law rollbacks—the Prime Minister stayed firm on his results-driven doctrine.
He noted that the final verdict on the luxury resort will be delivered through its real-world implementation, leaving the door slightly open for modifications if environmental audits demand them.
“The answer will be provided through the project itself,” Rama concluded. “If the project delivers the right answers, it will proceed; if it does not, it will have to be changed. Everything must be based on clear analysis and measurable outcomes, not on partisan perceptions.”
Despite Rama’s efforts to calm the waters with EU media, opposition groups and grassroots environmental coalitions have vowed to expand the “Flamingo Revolution,” demanding that the Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK) completely invalidate the 2024 protected area law amendments that allowed Kushner’s firm, Affinity Partners, to claim the territory.
