Dua Lipa confronts the government: Laws cannot be changed without public consultation

Protests in Albania against a project to build a luxury resort in a protected coastal area have been spotlighted by France 24. According to the outlet, the project is linked to the names of Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, the daughter and son-in-law of former US President Donald Trump.

According to the French report, the resistance movement has been ongoing since the last week of May, turning into a powerful expression of revolt against the way the government manages transparency and protected natural spaces.

A significant voice to this protest has been given by world music star Dua Lipa. During an episode of her podcast Service95 Book Club, in a dialogue with Albanian writer Lea Ypi, she expressed that she shares the same concern as the citizens gathered in the streets. “What really troubles me is the possibility that the executive could amend legislation to strip an area of its environmental protections, without any process of public discussion,” she stressed, adding that this is not just a battle over a construction, but a signal of a deep structural problem that demands a development model in favor of the community.

The France 24 article brings details that the plans for this hotel were initially published in 2024, but the hottest wave of reactions came when barbed wire fences and bulldozers appeared on the beaches, precisely in the last days of May. The anger against this initiative has now expanded, turning into a broader arena of opposition to corruption, where calls for the removal of Prime Minister Edi Rama have become part of daily slogans.

The statements of the 30-year-old singer, originally from Kosovo, were welcomed by environmental activist Besjana Gurri. She considered Lipa’s words as an “impactful message” for the Albanian authorities, expressing her conviction that this support will give a powerful international echo to this fight and will amplify the voices of protesters who come down to Tirana every day.