TIRANA – Albania’s Special Anti-Corruption Prosecution Office (SPAK) is investigating a luxury tourism project in Albania linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, Politico reports.
The project concerns the uninhabited Adriatic island of Sazan and parts of the Vjosa-Narta protected landscape, an environmentally sensitive coastal area.
SPAK confirmed that it had opened an investigation into changes made in 2024 to the area’s protected status and land ownership, which paved the way for possible tourism development.
Kushner’s investment company, Affinity Partners, announced plans in 2024 to develop the area into a luxury resort. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama recently confirmed in an interview for Politico that talks between the government and Kushner over the project are still ongoing. The planned development is expected to include around 10,000 hotel rooms.
Albanian Prime Minister has denied that the project would affect a protected wildlife reserve, saying that the final proposal has not yet been submitted and that the environmental impact study has not been completed. He told lawmakers that the project is part of his broader ambition to turn Albania into a leading tourism destination in the region.
However, the project has triggered protests by citizens and environmental groups. Demonstrations began after large fences topped with barbed wire were put up near the proposed development site in Zvernec, in souther Albania, blocking access to the beach for local and tourists.
Tensions escalated after footage emerged showing private security guards allegedly assaulting and dragging a protests near a cliff, while threatening other who were trying to remove the fences and stop construction.
The violence has also fueled large protests in Tirana. Under the slogan “Albania Is Not for Sale,” protesters are calling for the project to be canceled and for Rama to resign.
Gresa Hasa, doctoral researcher at the Faculty of Law and the Center for Southeast European Studies at the University of Graz, wrote on Facebook that thousands of people have taken to the streets over the past tow days, while demonstrations are expected to continue during the weak.
“For two days, thousands have taken to the streets, and demonstrations are set to continue tomorrow and throughout the entire week. Mainstream media is not covering the protests, but people are organizing through social media. Public support is also growing, with artists, intellectuals, and other prominent figures openly standing with the protesters”, Hasa stated.
She assessed that for the first time, former Prime Minister Sali Berisha has not tried to co-opt the movement.
“Because the project is linked to the Trump family, and Berisha has increasingly aligned himself with Trump-style politics, he has publicly backed the investment and is unable to oppose it. As a result, many have turned against him as well”, Hasa said.
Kushner’s company withdrew from a controversial project at the former General Staff complex in Belgrade in December 2025, after the plan triggered strong public opposition and legal proceedings against Serbian officials over the removal of the site’s cultural heritage protection.
