Albania warned EU accession at risk over Jared Kushner-backed resort plans

MEPs have warned Albania that EU accession talks are at risk if the government does not “change course” over plans for a luxury resort backed by Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.Tineke Strik, the Dutch MEP heading a European parliament fact-finding mission to the Balkan nation, said Albania’s leadership was “playing with fire” by pursuing the €1.4bn (£1.2bn) real-estate venture that would, she said, wreak havoc on virgin coastline.Opposition to the project has spurred a wave of unprecedented unrest known as the “flamingo revolution” amid mounting calls for the resignation of the Albanian prime minister, Edi Rama.Interviewed by the Guardian, Strik said: “If Rama is really serious about his EU ambitions, he should step back from this trajectory and say to the Trump clan: ‘Sorry, the EU is my first priority.’“Right now, they’re endangering a process that is so dear to them … they’re playing with fire.”Not since the collapse of communism more than 30 years ago has any policy attracted such overwhelming support from Albanian citizens as EU membership: an estimated 92% back the goal.Rama, who won a historic fourth term in office last year, has vowed to get Albania – one of the poorest countries in Europe – into the 27-member bloc by 2030.Protesters gather at Skanderbeg Square in Tirana on Tuesday, the 31st day of protests over the planned tourism project, with calls for the resignation of the Albanian prime minister, Edi Rama. Photograph: Olsi Shehu/Anadolu/Getty ImagesBuoyed up by progress made in completing often complex negotiations, he had set the goal of December 2027 to wrap up an accession process. EU officials had welcomed the self-imposed deadline, although they described it as ambitious.That timeline could now be in jeopardy if Rama insists on pressing ahead with the Kushner-backed project to develop what were once environmentally protected areas in the country’s south.Kushner has spoken of creating a mega resort on Sazan, Albania’s only island, while also building along a slice of pristine shoreline on the Zvërnec peninsula opposite, billing it as the sort of place he would happily enjoy with family and friends.Alarmed by the scale of the project – and the protests it has prompted – the European parliament made its distaste clear last month. In a resolution, MEPs not only endorsed the demonstrators but called for an immediate halt to construction in protected zones. They also demanded the withdrawal of legislation that allowed “predatory capitalists” to obtain permits as strategic investors in regions regarded as wildlife safe zones and ecologically unique.Speaking at the end of a four-day trip which included visits to the areas earmarked for development, Strik said: “If they go ahead, they’ll have a big problem with the EU during the negotiations – especially on chapter 27 where they have to meet all the benchmarks of EU environmental policies. The planned construction of such large-scale real estate in such a fragile area is an immense threat.”A beach on Sazan island. Photograph: Atdhe Mulla/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesThe MEP emphasised that works already carried out on the Zvërnec peninsula – including the destruction of forests, ancient dunes and the construction of a 7km-long gravel-topped road – had caused considerable damage and were in clear violation of EU directives.The visiting parliamentarians were “encouraged and reassured by the Albanian people” who, Strik said, were out on the streets defending European values and demanding accountability.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionBut they had been left less than impressed by government officials, she said, citing talks with the environment minister, Sofjan Jaupaj, who had implied that the works would continue until Albania was obliged to comply with EU standards.She also voiced concern over allegations of corruption that had clouded the issuance of construction permits and sale of land plots in Zvërnec. Opponents have decried the lack of transparency and public debate around the project.The Zvërnec peninsula has already been damaged, said Tineke Strik, the Dutch MEP heading a European parliament fact-finding mission on the issue. Photograph: Adnan Beci/AFP/Getty Images“I left today’s meeting with the impression that they intend to continue with this project before they have to be aligned with EU law and this, of course, is not a way of loyal cooperation,” she said.“They cannot say now: ‘We can do more damage and then we’ll see at the end of next year where we stand.’ That’s not a way to go and we will call upon the EU commission to follow this up very strongly with the Albanian government.”Albania has won widespread support from Euro-MPs for its candidacy, and the GreenLeft MEP said she was very much in favour of the tiny Balkan state joining the bloc. “I come away with the feeling that the Albanian people really want to become members of the EU, in fact they already feel they belong there,” Strik said.Flamingos at the Vjosa-Narta protected area of Zvërnec. Photograph: Florion Goga/ReutersShe said the daily demonstrations were not only about the threat to the environment but had grown into a much wider movement about basic rule of law.“Albanians are protesting every day because they want to have a proper democracy, which really strengthens my trust in the process and in their desire for accession.“What I am not so sure about is whether the government of Albania is taking at all seriously the concerns of the Albanian people, of us [MEPs] and the European Commission – which is why I have called on it to change course and take its citizens seriously.”