Albania PM Rama: Protests a stage for anti-Trump forces

Albania PM Rama: Protests a stage for anti-Trump forces July 5, 2026For the first time in his nearly 13 years as prime minister of Albania, Edi Rama is under serious pressure. For over a month now, thousands of Albanians have been taking to the streets daily, demanding his resignation. The demonstrators accuse Rama and his government of cronyism and corruption, with many saying that for a long time now, the Albanian government has been making decisions that will help it stay in power, rather than in the interests of Albanian citizens. The protests are often directed specifically at Rama and his policies, with demonstrators outside his office in the capital, Tirana, shouting "Rama, resign!" Protests 'wonderful example of freedom' But somehow Rama remains comparatively unfazed by it all. In an interview with DW on the sidelines of the r26 Business and Innovation festival held in Bochum, Germany, in early June, Rama insisted "there is not a breakdown of trust in Albania." He doesn't see the protests as a problem for his country, rather they are "a beautiful example of freedom, of democracy in action." In fact, the protests indicate just how far Albania has come in recent decades, since the end of the Soviet era. During Albania's dictatorship, people were killed for protesting on the streets of Tirana where they are now gathering. Discontent with Albania's political establishment has been simmering but these protests were first sparked by anger at the planned construction of luxury resorts in the area of Vjose-Narta. This stretch of the Adriatic coast is home to rare animals like flamingoes and the Mediterranean monk seal and also serves as a resting place for millions of migratory birds every 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 the inhabitants of Vjose-Narta. On the uninhabited island of Sazan and along the coastline, there were plans to build several luxury resorts. Among the investors involved is 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 gone into developing the area. "My fight is to bring in Albania foreign direct investment," Rama explained. "Developments that will be not simply great for Albania, but it will be a gift to Europe." The development project was first announced in 2024, and initially drew complaints mostly from environmentalists. The current protests only started about a month ago when a previously public part of the coastline was fenced off. This led to protesters saying that Rama had prioritized the interests of foreign investors over his own citizens. Accusations about privatization But Rama rejects this. "There is no privatization of public space," he told DW. "There is not. It's a lie." Rama is known for a rather confrontational attitude with the media and in the interview with DW, he says he doesn't need to guarantee that public places won't ever be made private because the question is flawed. Anyway there is nothing to indicate that something like that is planned, he adds. There is a heated debate in Albania at the moment that asks what exactly necessary investments into the country's future look like, and where that would amount to the sell-off of the country's unique natural assets. One of the central slogans of the current protests is, "Albania is not for sale!" Over the past few years, tourism has become an increasingly important part of Albania's national income. The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates that tourism could even account for about a quarter of Albania's gross domestic product, or GDP, if all of the indirect products are also taken into account, such as tourism's impact on the construction industry and supply chains. Rama is keen to emphasize how important numerous construction projects, initiated during his nearly 13 years as prime minister, have been for the development of the tourism sector in Albania. Albania needs investment "The transformation of public space and 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 today is welcoming 12 million tourists, thanks to that effort," he boasts. Still, much of the construction planned for this stretch of Albania's coastline was actually likely only made possible by a February 2024 amendment to a local law on protected areas. The amendment now allows for "strategic investments" and luxury hotels, as well as any necessary infrastructure, inside nature reserves. Environmental activists have criticized the government for this, saying it has created a lever with which it can override conservation rules whenever it wants. In its latest progress report on Albania, the European Commission also warned that this law had led to the deterioration of nature conservation in Albania. But Rama sees things differently. "Yes, we have made changes in the law. But we didn't change the substance of the law and our changes are not in breach of European standards," he told DW. The law is also likely to be assessed again in line with Albania's accession talks for EU membership, Rama added. In fact, Rama thinks that much of the criticism coming from abroad regarding environmental impacts in his country has less to do with Albania itself and more to do with one particular person: US President Donald Trump. The fact that the US president's son-in-law wants to invest in Albania seems to bother a lot of people, he notes, and he believes Albania has become a stage for anti-Trump forces to voice their opinions. Nonetheless, Rama also believes it is important to listen to the protesters at home, who he describes as "people from all ways of life that have their own points of view, and they want their voices to be heard." This story was originally published in German.