For more than three years, Jared Kushner has been trying to build a chain of luxury hotels and resorts in a part of Eastern Europe that rarely attracts American investors. In Albania, that effort has turned into a political flashpoint. Over the past two weeks, thousands of people have protested daily, Albania’s anti-corruption and organized-crime body has opened a land-deal probe, and the European Commission has warned Tirana that the project could complicate the country’s bid to join the European Union.
The main site is a protected coastal area in Zvernec, where Kushner and his partners plan hotels, villas and other buildings as part of a $5 billion development. A second component is Sazan, a former military island across the bay, where an ultra-luxury resort is planned. Prime Minister Edi Rama has repeatedly defended the project, saying it would bring economic benefits to one of Europe’s poorest countries. But protesters, who have made the site a symbol of anger over corruption, unchecked power, environmental damage and construction sprawl, call their campaign the “Flamingo Revolution.”
Asher Abehsera, Kushner’s partner leading the project, said he respects Albanians’ right to protest and promised “dialogue with the public.” He said many objections were raised before the company revealed detailed plans. A video of private security allegedly forcing a protester to the ground, after the site was fenced with barriers and barbed wire, intensified the backlash. Abehsera called the footage “shocking” and said putting up the fence was a mistake, blaming an outside contractor.
The project has also exposed Albania’s long-running land-ownership disputes. Residents and others say the land belongs to them, and one claimant, 61-year-old Petrak Blio, said he has fought for more than 20 years to recover family land from 1933: “I don’t want to build a resort. I just want to get my land back.” The anti-corruption body is reviewing the title transfers, though prosecutors say they are not investigating the development group. The Zvernec project is still in planning, environmental studies are being prepared, and no final deal has been completed for Sazan.
