Albanian protesters flood streets demanding prime minister's resignation amid corruption accusations
The government of Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama is under increasing pressure as Albanians continue taking to the streets to call for his resignation, as well as the leader of the opposition, Sali Berisha, faulting them and their parties for some thirty years of corruption ever since the end of the communist regime in 1991.
The catalyst for the protests first began over a multi-billion-dollar luxury resort plan by Jared Kushner and his business partners pursuing the creation of two resort properties through investment firm Affinity Partners that will add around 10,000 hotel rooms and villas to Albanian coastal lands.
One planned location, the abandoned Sazan Island, is the home of a former Soviet military base. The other property in Zvërnec is said to be home to the Vjosa-Narta protected landscape where monk seals and flamingos make their homes and sea turtles nest.
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Agim Nesho, former Albanian ambassador to the U.S. and the United Nations, told Fox News Digital that, "Unlike some of the misinformation in the media, the protests in Albania are not against the family of President Donald Trump and foreign investors like Jared Kushner. These investors are bringing in $4 billion dollars into Albania that will create jobs and opportunity for our youth.
"They are building on private land whose protected status was revoked years ago by Rama and his oligarchs. Global investors have standards and demonstrate accountability, and there is a hope they will show more care and consideration for the environment than Edi Rama and the business interests around him, who would instead build there on their own," he said.
Nesho claimed that "After 12 years and at least three stolen elections, including last year’s parliamentary election which was not recognized by the United States, and which handed Rama a supermajority that can change laws and the constitution, Rama’s days now look to be numbered."
Eric Czuleger, Editor-in-Chief of The Under Report, has lived in Albania for five years and has documented the growing protests. He told Fox News Digital that "Rama’s government has never been under such direct pressure from the Albanian people and his response is instructive. First, he denied the existence of the protests, claiming that they were a couple hundred people with an axe to grind. When they grew, the international media forced the domestic media [to] stop its blackout. Suddenly, the protests were a ‘hybrid war’ spurred on by Iran and Russia."
The protests, which began in May, have not swayed Prime Minister Rama’s support for planned investments. The Rama government sent a lengthy response to Fox News Digital on behalf of the prime minister directed at "all interested foreign parties and individuals, who have spread all kinds of misinformation and launched all kinds of baseless attacks all over the globe against a highly ambitious project with the potential to become another role model for how next-generation tourism destinations can be built."
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His statement added that "Sazan Island is state property and has never been intended, nor requested, to be sold." He also said that the "area in Zvërnec is privately owned land," and explains that additional claimants to the land have taken their claims to court.
In an effort to clear up misconceptions, Rama's statement said that "the project must undergo not merely an ordinary Environmental Impact Assessment, but an In-Depth Environmental Impact Assessment." Rama also claims that the project location "has no connection whatsoever with the Vjosa Delta," and says that claims that protected status labels were removed from development areas to allow for investment "is one of the greatest falsehoods inflated beyond all imagination."
Irrespective of Rama’s defense of the projects, on Wednesday, the European Parliament urged the Albanian government to stop construction on protected lands, Politico reported. They also called for a moratorium on further permits and construction in protected areas.
A source familiar with the situation with the luxury resort project told Fox News Digital that some of what is circulating online about the project is fabricated and doctored, and that some disinformation has emerged from outside the country.
Asher Abehsera, Chair of Sazan Real Estate Development LLC, told Fox News Digital that "for four years, we have worked toward creating a world-class destination on the Albanian coast—one rooted in thoughtful design, environmental stewardship, and long-term economic opportunity. Our goal is simple: celebrate Albania’s natural beauty, create jobs, and build something future generations can be proud of." Abehsera said that the project's "future will ultimately be determined by Albania and the Albanian people."
As the protests continue, Czuleger said that Albanians are both "concerned that nothing will happen" and "concerned that something bad could happen" if the Rama government does step down. "If leadership doesn’t change now, then people wonder if the corruption will ever stop," he said. "If leadership does change then it’s possible someone worse comes in." Czuleger said that "protesters are tired," and "the news cycle is moving on." Noting that the "only thing that will bring a change to the administration is patience, pressure, and a clarification of the movement’s goals."
Albanian actor and artist Florjan Binaj told Fox News that the protests "are the biggest protests that have ever happened in Albania since 1991." He called the protest atmosphere "amazingly powerful.
Binaj said that he plans to join the protests for "as long as [he] can," noting that "the protesters want Rama’s resignation" to pave the way for an alternative government.
Nesho added," The protesters have risen up due to the fact that one of the poorest countries in Europe can count billions and billions in corruption by a government that holds itself accountable to no one. It is difficult for the protesters to compromise and negotiate with PM Rama under these circumstances. The only path is resignation of the government and early elections under international monitors."
The Rama government did not respond to direct questions about protesters’ concerns.