Dutch member of the European Parliament Tineke Strik accused Albania's government of hurrying procedures for a Jared Kushner-linked resort before European Union environmental standards would apply, The Guardian reported Monday.
The luxury development is planned in the Vjosa-Narta landscape near Zvërnec. Albania's government passed a law permitting strategic investors to build in parts of the area that had been environmentally protected. The Guardian reported that the proposal could include up to 10,000 villas and that ancient dunes and forest were destroyed to make way for access roads.
Strik alleged that the government was seeking to complete the process before Albania became bound by EU standards. She argued that the project would benefit Kushner at the expense of Albanian residents and the environment. The resort is linked to Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Prime Minister Edi Rama has argued that the development could strengthen Albania's economy. His position puts the project's potential economic benefits at the center of a dispute over construction in a landscape where parts of the land previously had environmental protection.
Environmentalists initially led peaceful opposition to the resort. The current student-led unrest is a later phase and has included violent clashes, The Guardian reported. Students have also raised concerns about university conditions and corruption, as described in earlier EconoTimes coverage of the demonstrations.
Rama said he would hear from young demonstrators, while critics said he had not addressed those who opposed the resort earlier, according to The Guardian. In a Facebook post covered previously by EconoTimes, Rama said peaceful protest was a right but violence was a crime.
Albania hopes to conclude its EU accession talks by the end of 2027, The Guardian reported. Strik's allegation centers on whether procedures for the resort will be completed before the EU environmental standards she cited become binding.
