Thousands Protest Kushner-Linked Luxury Resort Project in Albania

Thousands of people gathered in Albania’s capital, Tirana, this week to protest a proposed €1.4 billion luxury resort development linked to Jared Kushner’s investment firm, Affinity Partners. Demonstrators marched under the slogan “Albania Is Not For Sale,” accusing the government of prioritizing foreign investment over environmental protection and public access to coastal areas.

The project would include development on Sazan Island and near the environmentally sensitive Vjosa-Narta wetland, home to flamingos, sea turtles, seals, and other protected species. Environmental groups argue the construction could damage fragile ecosystems and have criticized what they describe as a lack of transparency and public consultation.

Prime Minister Edi Rama has defended the investment, saying the project “could boost tourism and economic development”. Government officials insist environmental impact assessments are being conducted and that any construction must comply with Albanian and European environmental regulations. Developers have similarly stated that the project “will focus on responsible environmental stewardship”.

The controversy has expanded beyond environmental concerns. Albania’s anti-corruption prosecutors have opened an inquiry into legislative changes affecting protected areas and the approval process surrounding the development. Critics argue the dispute has become a broader debate over governance, transparency, and how Albania balances foreign investment with the protection of its natural heritage.

ONEST Take

This is not only an Albanian environmental story. It is also a Trump-era ethics story.

Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law, has no official White House position, yet he has reportedly been involved again in sensitive foreign policy discussions, including around the Middle East and Russia. At the same time, his investment firm, Affinity Partners — backed by major Gulf sovereign wealth funds — is pursuing luxury resort projects abroad, including on Albania’s Sazan Island, a former military base, and near protected coastal ecosystems.

That overlap matters. A private investor with close family access to the president is seeking to turn strategically and environmentally sensitive land into a playground for the wealthy, while operating adjacent to U.S. diplomacy without the formal accountability of public office.

For Albanians, the slogan “Albania Is Not For Sale” is about more than one resort. It is a warning about what happens when national assets, protected land, and foreign political money begin to blur.