For ten days, numerous demonstrations have shaken Albania on a daily basis. Many Albanians, both in the country and in the diaspora abroad, are increasing their rallies to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, in power since 2013 and increasingly criticized.
“L’Albanie n’est pas à vendre”
The starting point of these protests was the Albanian government’s plan to sell the island of Sazan and the neighboring peninsula of Zvernëc to the Trump Organization, a conglomerate headed by Ivanka Trump, daughter of Donald Trump, and her husband Jared Kushner. The latter’s project is to build a luxury hotel on the island, whose coastline is classified as a Marine Protected Area. For many Albanians, this project would sell part of its territory and dispossess the people of a public beach. To show their discontent, tens of thousands of people march every day in the streets of the capital Tirana with the main slogan “Albania is not for sale”. In reference to the pink flamingos present in this area, the movement took the name “Flamingo Revolution”.
For Sébastien Gricourt, director of the Balkan Observatory, this project is “the last straw. Edi Rama has been rejected by the population for several years already, many of his relatives are in prison for corruption cases. In addition to his departure, a change in governance is being requested. This hotel project has awakened a certain political consciousness among certain Albanians,” he explains.
Un frein à l’adhésion de l’EU
Albanians, particularly the youngest, are increasingly critical of Edi Rama. “They are more sensitive to the corruption of politicians than their elders, for whom it is more internalized. Most of those under 30 do not recognize themselves in the current political offering in Albania, where two parties dominate with no alternative,” adds Sébastien Gricourt.
A decision which could have serious consequences for Albania. While the country is a candidate to join the European Union, the project, which does not respect EU environmental standards, could be an obstacle to Albanian membership. European Commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercier urged the Albanian authorities during the week to “act without delay”, inviting the government to abandon the project in order to avoid compromising the country’s candidacy. But Edi Rama does not seem ready to back down “he wants to keep good relations with his ally the United States†concludes Christophe Gricourt.
