Flamingo Royale may sound like the latest James Bond film, but on Albania’s Adriatic coast, it is the name of a real-life standoff between pink birds and the luxury resort ambitions of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of Donald Trump.
Tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Tirana carrying inflatable flamingos to oppose the project, which is backed by Kushner’s investment firm Affinity Partners. Environmental groups warn that the development threatens one of Albania’s most fragile coastal ecosystems, which is home to migratory birds, dolphins, sea turtles, monk seals and flamingos.
“Albania is not for sale!” chanted demonstrators in the capital, where rallies escalated into clashes with the police. Others gathered outside the office of Prime Minister Edi Rama, calling for his resignation and shouting “revolution”.
@politiplot 🚨 BREAKING: Albania’s Anti-Trump Protests Have Now Entered Day 11. What began as opposition to the Trump family’s proposed luxury development project has turned into nearly two weeks of sustained demonstrations. First came the deal. Then came the backlash. Now comes Day 11. The question is whether the pressure changes anything, or whether the standoff gets even bigger from here. #albania #flamingorevolution #jaredkushner #sazanisland #fyp ♬ They Don't Care About Us (Remastered Version) – Michael Jackson
For environmentalists, the issue goes beyond flamingos. Joni Vorpsey, of the NGO Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania, describes the area as “like being in a fairytale”, a “magical hub”, warning construction could “wipe out that part of nature” and “open the gate” for development across the protected coastline.
At the heart of the dispute lies Sazan Island, a former secret military base used by the Soviet Union and communist Albania for submarines and other military purposes. Cold War bunkers are still scattered across the island today.
Unveiled in 2024 by Affinity Partners, the plan would transform Sazan Island and part of the Vjosa-Narta coastal area into a luxury destination complete with hotels, villas, and a marina. Vorpsey said that, from the renderings posted on Instagram by Kushner himself, “everything seems terrible”.
Rama insists the investment is too important to abandon. “There’s no chance this investment would be stopped as long as I am here,” he says, arguing that a tourist spending $2,000 a night ultimately benefits “the cook, the driver, the fisherman, the farmer” and local businesses. He has dismissed the protests as exaggerated.
Ivanka Trump, who has been involved in promoting the project alongside her husband, described discovering the island during a boat trip. “We swam to the island. We hiked barefoot all the way to the top and were captivated by it,” she recalled. A spokesperson for the project’s developer, Sazan Real Estate Development, said the team’s focus is “responsible stewardship and environmental enhancement”.
Here's Ivanka Trump with the first level of cover story for their purchase of Sazan Island in Albania, just across from the heel of Italy. It's a result of 'a lot of reflection on how I want to live', says Ivanka.
— David Miller (@Tracking_Power) June 2, 2026
And the second level of cover story?
'The island hosts 3,600… pic.twitter.com/70bPwNuWi8
These promises have not convinced everyone. “We are a small country, and we cannot allow Albania to become a new Dubai,” said Eva Kushova, of the Albanian non-profit Destination Management Organisation. “Albania should first serve its own people,” she added, echoing more than 40 environmental groups who wrote to the government in January demanding the project be suspended.
Land disputes here often trace back to the collapse of communism, and this deal is no exception. Anti-corruption prosecutors have opened an investigation into land titles linked to the area and frozen the bank accounts of a company involved in the deal. The financing structure has also come under scrutiny, including reported links to Qatari investors connected to the wider development.
For its part, the White House has tried to distance itself from the deal. Spokesperson Anna Kelly said Kushner is a “volunteer” whose private business “has nothing to do with the administration”.
This controversy comes at a time when Albania is moving closer to the European Union (EU). During a recent visit, European Council President António Costa praised Tirana’s progress towards membership. However, accession will also require the country to align with EU environmental standards.
Albania’s pink flamingos have become unexpected representatives in the fight between luxury tourism and the protection of one of Europe’s last wild coastlines.
