At a time when the protest against the government has entered its 60th day, Prime Minister Edi Rama has chosen to speak to one of the most renowned international journalists, Lindsey Hilsum of the British network Channel 4.
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In an interview focused on the latest political developments in Albania, the daily protests in front of the Prime Minister’s Office and the debates over investment projects in coastal areas, Rama defended the government’s stance, describing the protests as a sign of a more democratically advanced society.
The Prime Minister was asked by Hilsum about the message conveyed by the protesters who gather every evening in front of his office, about the much‑debated projects in Sazan and Zvërnec, about the involvement of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump in these initiatives, and about the concerns raised by the European Commission regarding environmental standards.
Rama insisted that no actual construction project has started in any of the areas, arguing that the works carried out so far are only related to preliminary preparations and site access. He stated that the projects will undergo environmental assessments and the relevant procedures before any final decisions are made.
Later, Rama also spoke about the first meeting with Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, describing the circumstances under which the interest in investing in Albania arose.
According to him, the project represents an extraordinary development opportunity for the country and must be judged on the facts.
As for the European Union’s concerns, the Prime Minister stated that any project developed in Albania must comply with European standards, linking this also to the country’s EU integration process.
The full interview:
Lindsey Hilsum: Protesters have been out every evening for almost 60 days. How do you feel that night after night you have protesters outside your office?
Edi Rama: It is a wonderful thing for the country, for society, because precisely on this boulevard, not so long ago, about 15 years ago, people were killed with real bullets while protesting peacefully. I have reflected a great deal on this protest. And I have come to the conclusion that for the people it is not about the facts, and rightly so, but about the higher expectations that bring them onto the streets. And that is fine.
Lindsey Hilsum: So it is not a bad thing?
Edi Rama: It is fantastic. That is why I said it is fantastic. I understand them.
Lindsey Hilsum: Have these protests made you reconsider any of your policies?
Edi Rama: Which policies?
Lindsey Hilsum: The policies regarding the project in Sazan and Zvërnec, from where this whole story started, because of the threat to the flamingo habitat and other habitats there.
Edi Rama: No. No project has started.
Lindsey Hilsum: But I have seen it.
Edi Rama: No.
Lindsey Hilsum: Then what did I see? Should I not trust my own eyes?
Edi Rama: I will tell you what you saw. But no project has started. And, to start with Sazan, which you included in your question, in Sazan there is neither a project nor an agreement. Including Sazan in this discussion is completely unnecessary, because we still have nothing in Sazan.
Lindsey Hilsum: But Mr Kushner and Ms Trump have linked the two projects together, haven’t they? They said both projects are connected.
Edi Rama: Yes, the idea is connected…
Lindsey Hilsum: Then explain it to me, because I went to Zvërnec and saw the site where the project had started…
Edi Rama: No project has started in Zvërnec.
Lindsey Hilsum: Then what did I see? The fences and all that?
Edi Rama: Let me explain. It is not the start of the project. These are just preparations to carry out the preliminary works before the permit is granted, which will be based on the environmental impact assessment, geological, hydrological and other studies.
Lindsey Hilsum: But usually the environmental assessment is done before the bulldozers go in, because bulldozers can damage the environment. Normally some scientists are sent to study the area.
Edi Rama: The bulldozers were used to open the road for the community, so that people can pass through private property and not be prevented from moving. No…
Lindsey Hilsum: But people used to pass along that sandy road before. They were not blocked before. They were blocked afterwards, because the fence was put up.
Edi Rama: I understand. Now, if you want the facts, I am telling you the facts.
Lindsey Hilsum: Mr Kushner has said that you were on a yacht with them when they discovered the island in 2020.
Edi Rama: I was invited to join some people on a yacht that stopped in Albania to refuel, on its way to Montenegro.
Lindsey Hilsum: It was Nat Rothschild’s yacht.
Edi Rama: Yes. I was invited and I went. There I met Jared and Ivanka. I do not know if they had heard of Albania before, but I can say with certainty that they did not have any concrete interest in Albania. They were very interested in the history and the place where they were. That is the first point. The second point: a few months later, in Davos, I met Jared and he expressed an interest in exploring the possibility of investing. Naturally I said “yes”. How could I have said “no”? I said “yes”. For me this is the most normal thing. This will be one of the most extraordinary developments to happen in Europe for a long time. Not many extraordinary things have happened in Europe recently.
Lindsey Hilsum: Why is it so extraordinary?
Edi Rama: Because it will not be what people mistakenly imagine. And not what you mistakenly imagine.
Lindsey Hilsum: I am not imagining. I have seen what Jared Kushner posted on Instagram and some of the project plans. I understand that those are not the final plans.
Edi Rama: What was published on Instagram was only a preliminary presentation. The project has evolved. Now top‑level architects and landscape designers known for their work in wetland areas are involved. At the same time, we are independently carrying out the environmental impact assessment. So the project does not aim to destroy that beautiful place. It aims to regenerate it.
Lindsey Hilsum: The European Commission has expressed concern. Albania’s membership in the European Union is very important to you. The Commission is concerned about environmental laws and the 2024 changes that create a kind of exemption for strategic investments. Do you think you might reconsider this?
Edi Rama: Listen. It is very good that the Commission is concerned. It cannot be otherwise. And, by the way, we are negotiating to become members of the European Union. Therefore the very idea that we could move ahead with a project, or with any project, that does not comply with European standards is absurd. I am only saying this: about this project, calm down, speak with facts, comment on the facts and look at the facts. Do not get too emotional saying everything is catastrophic.
Lindsey Hilsum: It seems as if these accusations have touched you personally.
Edi Rama: No, no, I am not hurt.
Lindsey Hilsum: Yet you seem to take it very personally.
Edi Rama: Listen. Everything is personal. Anyone who does their job with passion experiences it personally. But I am not hurt. On the contrary, this has helped me. As I said earlier, for me the June protests, not the current one, were at the same time a confirmation that the country has reached another level and, on the other hand, a very clear mirror to see what we must reflect upon.
