For the first time in his nearly 13 years as Albania’s prime minister, Edi Rama is under serious pressure. For more than a month now, thousands of Albanians have been taking to the streets daily demanding his resignation.
Protesters accused Rama and his government of cronyism and corruption, with many saying that for too long, the Albanian government has been making decisions that will help it remain in power rather than in the interests of Albanian citizens.
Protests are often directed specifically at Rama and his policies, with protesters outside his office in the capital Tirana shouting, “Rama, resign!”
Protests ‘amazing example of freedom’
But somehow Ram remains comparatively unfazed by all this. In an interview with DW on the sidelines of the R26 Business and Innovation Festival held in Bochum, Germany, in early June, Rama insisted, “Trust in Albania is not broken.”
He does not see the protests as a problem for his country, but rather they are “a beautiful example of freedom, of democracy in action.”
Indeed, the protests indicate how far Albania has come in recent decades, since the end of the Soviet era. During the dictatorship of Albania, people were killed while protesting in the streets of Tirana, where they are now gathering.
Dissatisfaction with Albania’s political establishment is growing but these protests were first sparked by anger over the planned construction of luxury resorts in the area of Vojvos-Norta. This stretch of the Adriatic coast is home to rare animals such as flamingos and the Mediterranean monk seal and also serves as a resting place for millions of migratory birds each year. The untouched nature of the area is what makes it so attractive to foreign developers and the demonstrations have been nicknamed the “Flamingo Revolution” in honor of Vajros-Narta’s residents.
On the uninhabited island of Sazan and along the coastline, there were plans to build several luxury resorts. Investors involved include US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his investment company, Affinity Partners. It was expected that more than €4 billion ($4.6 billion) would have been spent developing the area.
“My fight is to bring foreign direct investment into Albania,” Rama explained. “Developments that will not only be great for Albania, but that will be a gift to Europe.”
The development project was first announced in 2024, and initially received complaints mostly from environmentalists. The current protests began about a month ago when a previously public part of the beach was closed. Due to this, the protesters said that Ram has given priority to the interests of foreign investors over those of his own citizens.
allegations regarding privatization
But Ram rejected it. “There is no privatization of public space,” he told DW. “No. That’s a lie.”
Ram is known for his confrontational attitude with the media and in the interview with DW said that he does not need to guarantee that public spaces will never be made private because the question itself is flawed. He further said, anyway, there is nothing to suggest that anything like this is planned.
There is a heated debate going on in Albania at the moment, asking what exactly the necessary investments in the country’s future will look like, and where that would mean selling off the country’s unique natural assets. A central slogan of the current protests is, “Albania is not for sale!”
Over the years, tourism has become an important part of Albania’s national income. The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates that tourism could account for almost a quarter of Albania’s gross domestic product or GDP, if all indirect products are also taken into account, such as the impact of tourism on the construction industry and supply chains.
Rama wanted to emphasize how important the many construction projects initiated during his nearly 13 years as Prime Minister are for the development of the tourism sector in Albania.
Albania needs investment
“The transformation of public space and the transformation of urban spaces has been part of my path [as mayor of Tirana, as minister of culture and then as prime minister] And Albania is welcoming 12 million tourists today, thanks to that effort,” he claims.
Nevertheless, most of the construction planned for this stretch of Albania’s coastline was actually only made possible by a February 2024 amendment to a local law on protected areas. The amendment now allows “strategic investments” and luxury hotels as well as any necessary infrastructure inside nature reserves.
Environmental activists have criticized the government for this, saying that it has created a lever with which it can abolish conservation rules whenever it wants. In its latest progress report on Albania, the European Commission also warned that this law has led to a decline in nature conservation in Albania.
But Ram sees things differently. “Yes, we have made changes to the law. But we have not changed the substance of the law and our changes do not violate European standards,” he told DW. Rama said the law is also likely to be re-evaluated in line with Albania’s accession negotiations for EU membership.
In fact, Rama feels that most of the criticism coming from abroad regarding environmental impacts in his country has less to do with Albania and more to do with one particular person: US President Donald Trump.
He said that the fact that the US President’s son-in-law wants to invest in Albania is troubling to many people and he believes that Albania has become a platform for anti-Trump forces to express their opinions.
Yet, Ram also believes it is important to listen to protesters at home, whom he describes as “people from all walks of life who have their own viewpoints, and they want their voices to be heard.”
This story was originally published in German.