Prime Minister Edi Rama, in an interview with ZDF, spoke about the protests, the clash between politics, nature conservation and investment, as well as Albania’s path toward the European Union.
Asked about the project for a tourist resort in Zvërnec, near the lagoon, and the lack of clarity over the investors and the role of the state, Rama said the issue has several simple explanations. According to him, the property is private, while the development of private property in Albania takes place through agreements between owners and interested investors. He added that there is still no final plan, as the entire process is being carefully monitored by institutions, with the aim of ensuring the project complies with the rules and standards important for the country.
Të lidhura
None found
Regarding claims that the state had changed laws to facilitate the investment by easing restrictions on nature protection, Rama said no changes had been made to allow construction in those protected areas where it is prohibited. According to him, protected areas in Albania have a special status and their protection is based on European Union categories and the principle of best practices. He explained that not all of these areas have the same level of protection from intervention and development, as different categories exist.
When it was mentioned that work had begun for several weeks in the center of the protected area, while according to him there was still no building permit, Rama said there is no building permit for that area. However, he stressed that Albanian law allows the fencing of private property and that a temporary permit may be granted for preparatory works, including the environmental impact assessment.
Asked how work could begin when property rights had still not been clarified and when Albania’s Supreme Court had overturned ownership recognition in at least two cases, sending the matters back to lower courts, Rama said anyone can make a claim, but a claim has legal value only when it is confirmed by the court. Until that moment, according to him, a claim cannot be enough to block everything until there is another ruling, because state institutions act on documents and not on claims. He added that as long as a property title is not yours, you cannot demand that the property not be developed solely on the basis of the claim that it should belong to you.
As for political transparency, Rama said it is fully visible. According to him, it is very easy to see, and it becomes invisible only to those who do not want to see it. In his capacity as Prime Minister, he said he does not tell stories to others, but rather it is others who tell stories.
He then gave his version of the issue, saying that there are different property titles and that there is an agreement between the owners and the investors, while the process has already begun. Rama added that Albanian authorities have demanded compliance with the rules and the carrying out of the environmental impact assessment, stressing that this part is based on facts, while the rest, according to him, remains at the level of interpretation.
Asked whether this meant that he continued to support the project, Rama replied that an investment worth more than four billion euros cannot simply be told no. He added that if the final outcome is not satisfactory, then the project will not proceed.
Speaking about the political dimension the issue has taken on and the daily protests against the lagoon project, the lack of transparency and corruption, described by protesters as the “Flamingo Revolution,” Rama said he has nothing against people who take to the streets in protest. His objection, in his own words, is to those who think they have the right to lecture others.
He stressed that citizens protest because they have that right and because they have their own concerns. According to Rama, they have the right to express their opinion, to protest, to criticize and even to oppose him.
Rama also added that, as can be seen, Zvërnec is no longer at the center of the protests and that this issue has been off the agenda for weeks. According to him, the flamingos remain as a symbol because they are a powerful symbol, but people also have many other reasons to take to the streets. He underlined that he understands them and that he was not referring to them.
Finally, the Prime Minister said the protest movement is divided into two parts. On the one hand, according to him, there are ordinary citizens, for whom he expresses great respect and whose concerns he tries to understand. On the other hand, he mentioned the organizers, those who direct and control the protests. It is precisely to them, Rama said, that he refers when he speaks about “lecturing,” stressing that these are two completely different things.
