Tens of thousands of Albanians have taken to the streets of Tirana to oppose a luxury tourism project in a protected area, promoted by Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law. They demand the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, who links the protests to an alleged rejection of Trump and refuses to step down. Citizens denounce environmental damage and the privatization of public spaces.
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The project, which includes high-end hotels and villas on the Ionian coast, has been processed with a level of opacity reminiscent of certain practices in the tech sector. While the local community demands transparency and environmental impact studies, the Albanian government accelerates permits as if it were a software update. Without independent audits or effective public consultations, the plan advances ignoring coastal protection regulations, setting a dangerous precedent for other vulnerable areas.
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It turns out that to build a luxury complex on protected land, you only need to be the son-in-law of a former president and have a prime minister willing to ignore local laws. While Albanians chant slogans against Rama, Kushner is probably already designing the hotel spa on his iPad. In the end, the only ecosystem that seems protected is that of offshore accounts, much more resilient than any Mediterranean wetland.