European Parliament urges Albania to halt construction on protected lands

Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government is under increasing pressure as Albanians continue to take to the streets to demand his resignation and opposition leader Sali Berisha blames them and their party for nearly three decades of corruption since the end of communist rule in 1991.

The catalyst for the protests was first sparked by Jared Kushner and his business partners’ multibillion-dollar luxury vacation plan, through investment firm Affinity Partners, to create two resorts that would add nearly 10,000 hotel rooms and villas to Albania’s coastal regions.

One of the planned sites, the abandoned Carp Island, is home to a former Soviet military base. The other property in Zvërnec is said to be home to the Vjosa-Narta reserve, where monk seals and flamingos make their homes and sea turtles nest.

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Agim Nesho, former Albanian ambassador to the United States and the United Nations, told Fox News Digital: “Contrary to some misinformation in the media, the protests in Albania are not against President Donald Trump’s family and foreign investors like Jared Kushner. These investors are bringing $4 billion to Albania that will create jobs and opportunities for our youth.”

“They are building on private land whose protected status was revoked years ago by Rama and the oligarchs. Global investors have standards and are showing accountability, and there is hope that they will put more care and consideration into the environment and build on Edi Rama’s own rather than Edi Rama and the business interests around him,” he said.

Nesho claimed: “After 12 years and at least three stolen elections, including last year’s parliamentary elections that were not recognized by the United States and gave Rama a supermajority that could change the laws and the constitution, Rama’s days now appear to be numbered.”

Eric Czuleger, Editor-in-Chief Incomplete ReportHe has lived in Albania for five years and has documented the growing protests. He told Fox News Digital: “Rama’s government has never come under such direct pressure from the Albanian people, and its response is instructive. First, it denied the existence of the protests, claiming that they were a few hundred people crushed with an axe. “As they grew, the international media challenged the local media. [to] stop it from darkening. “The protests suddenly became a ‘hybrid war’ instigated by Iran and Russia.”

Protesters hold banners as they gather in front of the Albanian Prime Minister’s Office to demonstrate against the construction of a luxury resort on the southern coast of Albania near a protected natural area in Tirana on June 10, 2026. (Adnan Beci / AFP via Getty Images)

The protests that started in May did not affect Prime Minister Rama’s support for the planned investments. Rama’s government sent a lengthy response to Fox News Digital on behalf of the prime minister, addressing “all relevant foreign parties and individuals who are spreading all kinds of misinformation and launching all kinds of baseless attacks around the world against a highly ambitious project that has the potential to become another role model for how the next generation of tourism destinations can be built.”

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“Sazan Island is state property and was never intended or requested to be sold,” the statement said. He also said that “the area in Zvërnec is privately owned land” and explained that other claimants to the land were also taking their claims to court.

In order to clear up misunderstandings, Rama’s statement stated that “the project must go through not only an ordinary Environmental Impact Assessment, but also an In-Depth Environmental Impact Assessment.” Rama also claims that the project location “has no connection with the Vjosa Delta” and says that claims that protected status labels have been removed from development areas to enable investment are “one of the biggest lies, inflated beyond all imagination”.

Protesters, their faces covered with images depicting Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama (right) and Albanian opposition leader Sali Berisha, gather in front of the Albanian Prime Minister’s Office in Tirana on June 12, 2026. (Adnan Beci / AFP via Getty Images)

Regardless of Rama’s defense of the projects, the European Parliament on Wednesday called on the Albanian government to halt construction on protected lands. Politico reported. They also called for a moratorium on construction and other permits in protected areas.

A source familiar with the situation regarding the luxury resort project told Fox News Digital that some of the information circulating on the internet about the project was fabricated and doctored, and that some disinformation emerged from outside the country.

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“For four years we have worked to create a world-class destination on the Albanian coast 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,” Asher Abehsera, President of Sazan Real Estate Development LLC, told Fox News Digital. Abehsera said that the project’s “future will ultimately be determined by Albania and the Albanian people.”

As the protests continue, Czuleger said Albanians are both “worried that nothing will happen” and “worried that something bad might happen” if Rama’s government resigns. “If the leadership doesn’t change now, then people will wonder whether the corruption will stop,” he said. “If the leadership changes, it’s possible someone worse will come in.” Czuleger said “protesters are tired” and “the news cycle continues.” 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 were “the largest protests in Albania since 1991.” He described the protest atmosphere as “incredibly powerful.”

Binaj said he plans to attend the protests “as long as they last.” [he] He noted that “protesters want Rama’s resignation to pave the way for an alternative government.”

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama speaks at a press conference following the EU-Albania Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels, Belgium, on May 26, 2026. (Daniel Gnap/NurPhoto)

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Nesho added: “The protesters rioted because of the fact that one of the poorest countries in Europe can count billions and billions of dollars in corruption with a government that does not hold itself accountable to anyone. Under these conditions, it is difficult for the protesters to compromise and negotiate with Prime Minister Rama. The only way is the resignation of the government and early elections under international monitors.”

Rama’s government did not respond to direct questions about the protesters’ concerns.