Ivanka Trump 'found' a 1,400-acre Mediterranean island. Now a planned $1.4B resort has sparked mass protests in Albania and a corruption probe

Anti-government demonstrators often carry inflatable pink flamingos, one of the species at risk if the resort plans go forward. But the protests shifted in the ensuing weeks from simply aiming to block the luxury developments to an anti-government corruption movement.

“The demonstrations are huge because people are tired of this injustice,” protester Lizander Saraci told The Guardian. “They’re tired of all the corruption. One of our slogans is ‘stop the dictatorship of dirty money’ because we’ve learned from experience that similar projects only ever benefit a wealthy few.”

In addition to the protests, organizers this weekend presented a list of demands that includes the resignation of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, the formation of a transitional government, a new constitution and renewed environmental protections.

Rama, for his part, told the Financial Times that “I’m not the Godfather” when addressing corruption allegations. He also argued the protests are only happening because Trump and Kushner are involved, saying otherwise, “nobody would give a s— about flamingos, about Albania, about nothing.”

Origins of the project

The controversy comes as Trump and Kushner continue to move forward with a years-long plan to build a luxury resort on Sazan Island.

Speaking with podcaster David Senra, Ivanka Trump, President Trump’s eldest daughter, described how she first “found” Sazan Island while vacationing on a friend’s boat.

The group swam to Sazan and hiked barefoot across the island. She said she was so “captivated” by the experience that it remained top of mind ever since.

“We developed the opportunity to help realize its potential and transform it, but with a lot of restraint and care because the land is so beautiful,” she said, adding that the project was the “culmination” of her real estate experience.

Since 2024, Kushner has worked with Albanian government officials to obtain development rights, according to The New York Times. The resort is set to be built on Sazan Island, a former Cold War-era military base that’s now abandoned.

Kushner’s private equity firm, Affinity Partners, is providing financial backing for the Albanian development.

Part of the Zvernec Peninsula has also been set aside for a second project. Environmental groups have raised concerns because the area includes wetlands that are home to flamingos, pelicans and sea turtles. If completed, the developments, then over 10,000 hotel rooms will be built alongside seaside villas.

Formerly part of the Soviet-aligned Eastern bloc, Albania remains one of southern Europe’s poorest countries, with a poverty rate of about 20%. Although it is not a member of the European Union, the country hopes to join by the end of the decade.

Protests grow against the Kushner-linked projects

The projects drew the support of Rama, who has promoted them as an opportunity to encourage foreign investment in the country.

“The fact that such a renowned American entrepreneur shows his interest in investing in Albania makes us very proud and happy,” a spokesperson for Rama told The New York Times last year.

He’s also shared his desire to “make Albania a country that [is] a destination to be envied in the region, and this project is part of this effort.”

Opposition to the resort projects, however, has continued to grow. Environmental organizations have warned about their impact on flora and fauna, while critics accuse the government of approving the projects to curry favor with members of the Trump family.

Anti-government demonstrations have featured tens of thousands of protesters chanting “Albania belongs to Albanians!” Public outrage grew after a viral video showed Albanian police dragging away a protester from the construction site in late May.

Albania’s anti-corruption officials from Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) have frozen assets tied to the project and have opened an investigation into how the project secured development rights on a protected island.