Albania Protests Intensify Over Kushner's $1.4 Billion Coastal Project
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 2
Albania Protests Intensify Over Kushner's $1.4 Billion Coastal Project
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 2
Protests spread in recent days from Tirana to Albanian coastal towns over Jared Kushner-linked plans to build luxury properties on an ecologically sensitive stretch of coast, with another demonstration set for Tuesday night in the capital.
The backlash centers on a $1.4 billion hotel complex on an offshore island and a second project on a peninsula with sensitive wetlands, reviving concerns about conservation and transparency.
Prime Minister Edi Rama has defended the developments as a way to expand Albania's tourism economy and draw foreign investment, calling them a bid to create a premier Mediterranean destination.
Opponents say the projects have become a wider outlet for anger in one of Europe's poorest countries, while Rama rejects claims Kushner received favorable treatment because of his ties to President Trump.