One of them is the German newspaper “Der Standard”.

“Surveillance of the population, intimidation and abuse of public structures. The country is not yet free,” writes from Tirana, Adelheid Wölfl for “Der Standard”.

Full article:

The boss not only controls the affairs of the country, but also those of the capital, Tirana. Since the mayor, Erion Veliaj, has been imprisoned since February 2025, Edi Rama also took political control of the metropolis. Officially, the city is administered by politician Megi Fino, but it is Rama who pulls the strings.

This is particularly true when it comes to large-scale construction projects: giant towers, often half empty and placed so close to historic buildings that they destroy the city’s appearance. In February 2025, the anti-corruption prosecution office SPAK ordered Veliaj’s arrest. He is accused of embezzling 1.1 million euros through 9 public contracts or construction permits. He denies all charges.

Detailed profiles of the population

Local elections will be held in Tirana next May, and it will then become clear whether the current movement for democracy, which demands accountability, transparency and respect for the law from the ruling socialists, has also changed the political landscape in Albania. So far, there are no significant opposition parties that support the democratization of society.

This is also related to the electoral law, which was changed in 2008 by the two main parties – the Socialists and the Democratic Party – in such a way that the two large parties are favored at the expense of smaller parties.

The Socialist Party has created a system that in Albanian has been called “patronazhistë” (clientelist). Party members, officials and public sector employees are required to create detailed profiles of citizens – including information on their employment status, voting behavior, political orientation and personal circumstances. In 2021, these personal data of approximately 900,000 citizens were made public.

Lack of historical knowledge

This surveillance system shows that state institutions serve the ruling party, but also reveals the extent to which the old structures of the most brutal communist dictatorships in Europe continue to exist. Jonila Godole from the “Institute for Democracy, Media and Culture” in Tirana emphasizes that many young Albanians lack the historical knowledge to understand current power mechanisms in connection with the communist past.

“They barely learn in school what happened here. Only 4 pages in the history book are dedicated to the 45 years of dictatorship,” Godole says. She notes that victims of the dictatorship, such as political prisoners, are barely remembered. “To this day, there is no state national museum in an authentic place of suffering,” she laments.

Thousands of executions

During the dictatorship, approximately 6,000 people were executed, tens of thousands were imprisoned, and up to 1 in 3 Albanians was under regime surveillance. Thousands of victims are still considered missing. “There was no political will to come to terms with the dictatorship. What has been done is just a façade,” Godole tells “Der Standard”.

From 1991 to 1996, more than 35 former officials were arrested, but they were declared innocent after the Socialist Party came to power. Some even continued to have successful careers. Gramoz Ruçi became Interior Minister during the dictatorship in 1990, thus becoming head of the notorious secret police, the Sigurimi. Critics accuse him of being responsible for the shooting of 4 demonstrators during protests on April 2, 1991.

When Ruçi was elected Speaker of Parliament in 2017 during Rama’s governance, Rama dismissed the criticism, declaring that the new Speaker was a highly experienced member of parliament, fully suitable for this position.

Godole believes it is essential that the judiciary this time takes decisive action against politicians involved in illegal activities and that the mistakes of the 1990s are not repeated. The last hope for many of the demonstrators is SPAK, the Special Prosecution Office against Corruption, created a few years ago with the help of the USA and the EU. Indeed, several cases against politicians are currently underway, stemming from SPAK investigations.

Youth no longer afraid

Nevertheless, according to many critics, the current government has become increasingly corrupt and disconnected from the realities of people suffering from excessive real estate prices and a lack of educational and career opportunities. “Young people here have nothing left to lose,” Godole explains.

Many young people still want to stay in Albania. Unlike their parents and grandparents, these people, who were not socialized under a communist dictatorship, can no longer be controlled through fear. “They are rebelling against the arrogance of the political class,” Godole says. Rama, who presents himself abroad as a modern artist, is in fact acting with increasing authoritarianism at home and now represents a backward-looking policy.

“The façade has been destroyed,” Godole says. Traditional media are also suffering a massive loss of credibility because they initially did not report on the daily protests.

Fear in the administration

“Boycott the media!” read posters. But Rama’s socialists still maintain strong control over a segment of society. Those who work in the administration fear they will lose their jobs if they protest. And business owners, not wanting an unexpected visit from the tax authorities, are also holding back.

One woman who dared to turn her back on Rama and the socialists is MP Marjana Koçeku. On June 14, 2026, she announced her resignation from the Socialist Party and has since been an independent member of parliament. Koçeku shared on social media a photograph of a flamingo, the symbol of the movement for democracy. But Koçeku’s case also shows what awaits those who leave the regime.

On June 17, Koçeku wrote that her family had been threatened by the criminal group “Bajri” in Shkodër. She warned that she would react if something happened to her family. She criticized a political system built over decades on fear, submission and alienation.

The old ghosts of the repressive communist era have returned, even though Rama wanted to give the Socialist Party a new face. The prime minister, who wanted to go down in history as a reformer, has apparently been haunted by his past. Rama’s father, Kristaqi, was in the People’s Presidency during the dictatorship and thus was part of the “Old Regime.” And the son apparently cannot see how outdated his style of governance is for the young protesters.

The post “Youth no longer afraid” / 44 days of revolt demanding Rama’s resignation, “Der Standard” echoes the popular protest in Albania! appeared first on Albeu.com.

In the article, ORF writes that the demonstrators, who have taken to the streets every day for weeks, are denouncing corruption in the country and demanding the resignation of the Rama government.

The Austrian broadcaster points out that the project envisions the construction of hotels, villas, a marina and around 10,000 rooms for tourists, while opponents view it as a threat to the natural reserve.

ORF further stresses that during the clashes in front of Parliament, police used tear gas and water cannons, while there were also arrests and injuries.

ORF also mentions the Albanian Helsinki Committee, which has called for an independent investigation into allegations of excessive use of force by the police.

ORF Full Article:

“The Flamingo Revolution” in Albania continued over the weekend. Tens of thousands of people once again protested against the massive construction project by the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, in an environmentally protected area. There has also recently been anger over police violence against demonstrators.

Saturday’s rally in Albania’s capital, Tirana, was, according to the AFP news agency, the largest since the demonstrations began at the end of May. The “flamingo protests” began as an environmental movement against the construction of the tourist resort in the Zvërnec nature reserve on Albania’s southwestern coast, an important breeding site for flamingos.

The protests have now also turned against the Albanian government. Demonstrators, who have taken to the streets every day for weeks, are denouncing corruption in the country and demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama.

The Albanian government has long sought to boost its economy through tourism. However, demonstrators accuse the Albanian government of backing foreign investors such as the Kushner family. Their banners often read: “Albania is not for sale.”

10,000 rooms in a nature reserve

Kushner and his wife Ivanka Trump are involved in the construction project. The Trump family has invested heavily in luxury projects around the world. The construction project is expected to be gigantic; one of Kushner’s companies plans to invest 1.4 billion euros. The large-scale project will include hotels and private villas, a marina, restaurants and entertainment facilities. A total of 10,000 guest rooms are planned. The protest began after construction fences secured with barbed wire and excavators suddenly appeared on a beach in Zvërnec.

Escalation in front of parliament

On Thursday, many demonstrators gathered in front of parliament for the second time this week to block members of parliament from entering the building. Police used tear gas and water cannons. Demonstrators threw eggs, stones and other objects and tried to break through the police cordon. Police reported that 15 officers were injured and 25 demonstrators were arrested. Nineteen demonstrators remain in custody.

Human rights activists are calling for an investigation.

The Albanian Helsinki Committee (AHC), a human rights organization, expressed concern on Saturday over the escalation of the situation at the protests. The AHC said that acts of violence by individuals cannot justify the disproportionate use of force by the police. Human rights activists explained that police used tear gas without warning and beat people lying on the ground.

“This is unacceptable and requires an immediate, independent and effective investigation.”

The post “The Flamingo Revolution” Does Not Back Down / Austria’s Public Broadcaster Echoes Protests in Our Country: Citizens Accuse Rama of Corruption appeared first on Albeu.com.

Al Jazeera also goes on to cover the July 4 protest, describing it as the largest since the beginning of the movement.

The article also stresses that dissatisfaction has been fueled by earlier political developments. It also mentions the arrests of protesters during clashes with police in front of Parliament.

The Al Jazeera article:

A court in Albania’s capital, Tirana, has released 19 protesters detained during a violent demonstration against a resort linked to the family of US President Donald Trump.

According to the lawyer, the protesters released on Sunday were jailed for “refusing to obey police orders, organizing illegal demonstrations and disturbing public order.”

Two of them will be placed under house arrest and 12 must report to judicial police once or twice a month, lawyer Dorian Matlija said. The other five will face no charges. Dozens of supporters gathered outside the court chanting “Free the boys” and greeted the announcement with cheers.

Since May, Albania has seen nightly demonstrations, initially over a luxury coastal tourism project linked to Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, in a protected natural area. The gatherings have since evolved into broader protests against the government and corruption.

Demonstrators have chanted “New Albania” and “Edi Rama, resign,” referring to the prime minister. The protests escalated last Thursday when hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside parliament for the second time in a week to confront politicians and block the entrance. Police used tear gas, pepper spray and water cannon to disperse them.

Some protesters tried to break through the police cordon and threw eggs, stones and other objects. Fifteen police officers were injured, while 25 demonstrators were arrested. Thursday’s violence stood in sharp contrast to the overwhelmingly peaceful daily gatherings that have drawn thousands of people into the streets since the start of the movement.

Dozens of thousands of people chanting “Free the boys” gathered again on Saturday evening in Tirana in the largest protest since the movement began. The planned resort was first revealed in 2024, but the latest protests began after barbed-wire fences and bulldozers appeared on the beaches at the end of May.

Opposition to the project has become a flashpoint for frustrations over perceived corruption, with demands now including the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama. Earlier this year, violent clashes broke out as protesters demanded the resignation of Rama’s deputy, Belinda Balluku, over corruption suspicions. Balluku was dismissed, but distrust remains.

The post Al Jazeera: Protesters Demand Prime Minister Rama’s Resignation! The July 4 rally, the largest since the movement began appeared first on Albeu.com.

In a report dedicated to the “Flamingo Revolution” under the title: “Miserable wages, corruption and the high cost of living: Why Albanians are protesting against Edi Rama”, the outlet presents the voices of the protesters, who have not held back their dissatisfaction with the government.

“Born as the ‘Flamingo Revolution’ against a luxury resort linked to Kushner, the protests in Tirana have turned into a vessel collecting much broader discontent”, Il Fatto Quotidiano begins its article this way.

The Italian daily emphasizes low wages and the protesters’ demand for profound change.

The article:

Born as a mobilization of young people from the “Flamingo Revolution” against a luxury resort linked to interests close to Donald Trump’s son-in-law and daughter, the protests in Albania have become the expression of wider discontent: low wages and pensions, corruption, and the rising cost of living.

“I am more than angry. I am furious. I work as a car painter, but with 500 euros a month, what can I do?”

This is how 63-year-old Gjergji speaks, with the Albanian flag draped over his shoulders, a few steps away from Skanderbeg Square, the center of the protests.

He lived in Italy for twenty years before returning to Albania. Like many other workers, he earns between 400 and 500 euros a month, while prices continue to rise.

“Shopping here costs more than in Italy,” the outraged resident says.

Miserable wages and minimum pensions are fueling anger in the streets of Tirana.

“In 1991 I saw the protests after the fall of communism, but not like these. This is extraordinary,” he adds.

For weeks, every evening, tens of thousands of people have returned to protest peacefully in central Tirana.

“After 22 days we are still here and we are more numerous than before,” a young organizer says from the stage.

Many protesters come from the diaspora and are giving new energy to the movement.

When we ask Gjergji what the difference is compared with the past, he replies:

“The young people. We trust them. Those in government are corrupt.”

From the stage, there is also talk about the European Union and the obstacles preventing Albania from becoming part of it, including corruption and organized crime.

Joining Europe remains a central objective, but for many people the first step is clear: the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama.

“We must become more and more numerous,” the protesters repeat as they chant “Revolution.”

Along the illuminated streets of the city center, adults, young people and the elderly gather every day at seven in the evening to march once again.

A constant presence that has turned the protest into a daily gathering, with participation steadily increasing.

Amid the noise of chants and flags, the message remains the same: a profound change that, according to those in the square, can no longer wait.

The post Foreign media echo mass anti-government protests in Albania: Miserable wages and corruption, why Albanians are protesting against Edi Rama appeared first on Albeu.com.

What Shkurti never imagined was that plans to build a mega-resort on Sazan — one of two luxury complexes on Albania’s southern coast backed by Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner — would spark a revolt, an uprising that has shaken the Balkan state in a surge of disgust over the perceived excesses of “a rotten oligarchic class,” just as it hopes to conclude EU accession talks.

“Am I outraged? Of course I am,” said the cartographer as the outline of the uninhabited rock came into view from a speedboat heading toward its shores. “Sazan is our only island. It is a little paradise that holds a special place in the hearts and minds of Albanians. For some rich couple to come, develop it, and then deny us access would be a crime.”

Since the fall of communism more than three decades ago, Albania has not been gripped by such collective fury. At 32, Shkurti, whose family emigrated to the US when she was 11, is typical of the tens of thousands of people, both inside and outside the country, who have taken to the streets in what has become known as the “flamingo revolution” because of the threat the proposed resorts pose to wildlife and the delicate ecosystems in these areas.

“This government no longer represents us,” she said. “It has chosen to represent oligarch investors like Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. These protests will not stop, even if they are no longer exclusively about them.”

Every day, she said, friends from Albania’s diaspora were flying in to join the rallies. At the largest gatherings so far, thousands of people assembled in Tirana over the weekend, many of them traveling from the US and other parts of Europe to add their voices to the wave of dissent.

In a country with almost no tradition of civic unrest, the protests — leaderless and non-partisan — have caught officials in Tirana and the EU by surprise. Increasingly, demonstrators are targeting a political establishment blamed for the country’s chaotic transition from repressive Stalinist rule. Fears of a crisis are growing.

Amid daily calls for his resignation, Prime Minister Edi Rama has chosen to respond with nervousness, humor, and barely concealed anger. But the veteran Socialist, previously praised in Brussels for his visionary policies and an artist with a cheerful streak in more peaceful times, has also refused to back down. Elected to a fourth term last year on a promise to bring the once-isolated country into the EU, he has described the 1.4 billion euro investment as vital if Albania is to become the Mediterranean’s “most attractive high-end tourist destination.”

“You have to ask where all this is going,” said Afrim Krasniqi, director of the Albanian Institute for Political Studies, who does not rule out the possibility that demonstrators could adopt “more radical” protest measures. “Apparently, the government will not believe that all these people in the streets are against it. This lack of dialogue, this lack of empathy, this refusal to want to find a solution, is dangerous.”

Three weeks have passed since the first protests erupted after bulldozers began clearing swathes of forest and ancient dunes to make way for construction in a protected conservation area across the water from Sazan.

The Pishë Poro-Nartë reserve, home to one of Europe’s last wild rivers, includes much of the Zvërnec peninsula, whose sandy shores protect an inland lagoon that is a major migration route for hundreds of rare birds and more than 70 endangered species.

Tensions escalated here — the first site planned for development — when opponents confronted private security contractors who had hastily erected a fence to keep the public out. In the chaos that followed, as demonstrators tried to climb the barrier, a local landowner was filmed being dragged by guards, his handcuffed body scraping across the rocky ground as horrified witnesses looked on. Police officers controversially chose not to intervene.

In a podcast released the next day, Ivanka Trump spoke enthusiastically about the real estate venture and “this beautiful peninsula with a lagoon on one side and the ocean on the other” that she and her husband, as lead investors in the project, intended to transform. “It is massive in scale,” she said of the plans to develop Sazan, a former Soviet-era military installation whose green landscape of wild figs and flowers is dotted with abandoned buildings once used by personnel and their families. “Not only the island, but we also have 8 kilometers of coastline opposite it,” the US president’s daughter said excitedly, referring to the shoreline visible from the scenes of violence this month.

“People got very angry,” said Kostantin Xhaho, an environmentalist based in Vlorë. “After all, Sazan is a historic monument. I have friends who grew up in those buildings, and both the island and Zvërnec are important habitats for flamingos, monk seals, and sea turtles. This idea of building a 10,000-room resort on the peninsula triggered what I think you would call an explosion.”

The prospect of what critics condemned as “the worst kind of global elite” plundering natural reserves in a country that remains one of Europe’s poorest quickly turned into deep anger over destruction that highlighted other inequalities as well.

The development was granted preliminary approval after the Albanian parliament changed strict laws protecting environmentally sensitive areas — although there is no evidence that Kushner played any role in the change. Indicative of the perceived lack of transparency surrounding the project, opponents claim the investors remain a mystery, their identities hidden behind a multilayered shell company in the Netherlands. Ongoing court cases over property disputes in Zvërnec have also played a role in the public anger.

“What we want is a new Albania,” said Justina Prenga, 24, who recently traveled from the northern city of Shkodër to join protesters in the capital, where cries of “Rama ik” (Rama resign) are heard every night outside the shuttered 1930s building housing the prime minister’s office. “We are Generation Z and we are saying ‘enough is enough’; our country is not for sale.”

She said the protests had gone “far beyond” the Kushners, even though her friends did not know “whether to laugh or cry” when they heard Trump’s “Christopher Columbus-style” account on the podcast of discovering Sazan. “We want this project stopped, but really, it is about everything that is wrong with Albania. Sali Berisha should also resign. He made our country what it is today, so he too should go to prison,” she said of the main opposition leader, a former president and prime minister who was once barred from entering the UK because of his alleged links to crime and corruption.

Wrapped in a giant red-and-black Albanian flag, Lizander Saraci agreed. A risk manager at a private bank, he is typical of an older generation that has also joined the movement.

“More than 30 years have passed and our hospitals are still terrible, our education system is terrible, there are no jobs, and everyone is leaving,” said the father of two, who often attends rallies with his children. “The demonstrations are large because people are tired of this injustice. They are tired of all the corruption. One of our slogans is ‘stop the dictatorship of dirty money’ because we have learned from experience that similar projects benefit only a wealthy few.”

Last week, the European Parliament also weighed in. In a resolution, MEPs backed the protesters, calling on the government to halt further construction in protected areas. Some criticized the “predatory capitalists” who had exploited legislation allowing strategic investors to fast-track similar projects — a law Brussels has called unfair and has long asked Tirana to repeal. EU officials say that without an agreement on environmental laws, accession negotiations cannot be concluded. “We expect Albania, a year and a half away from this goal … to have aligned with these [EU] standards,” Silvio Gonzato, the EU ambassador to Albania, told the Guardian.

Again, Rama held his ground in response to the EU parliament’s vote, vowing to continue the development of Zvërnec “based on an environmental impact assessment in line with European Union standards.”

He has repeatedly called what is Albania’s largest-ever investment “a blessing” that will not only provide badly needed jobs but “ultimately result in approximately 25% more trees and green spaces.”

Last year, the country of 3 million people attracted about 12 million tourists, many of them drawn as much by its natural beauty as by its affordable prices. “This is also about direction,” Shkurti said. “Do we really want this kind of development when, clearly, the infrastructure can barely cope?”

But Rama has his supporters. Albert Pushka, owner of a newly opened fish restaurant outside Vlorë, is so enthusiastic that he has named the venture Ivanka. Asked about the development, Walter Dimraj, 48, gave a Trump-like thumbs-up and said: “Albania must grow. It must seize this chance. If we do not do it, the Greeks will.”

Elpiniqi Merkuri, a psychologist who heads Vlorë’s municipal council, is convinced the resort will help boost confidence at a time when the older generation still “cannot find the courage” to speak about the brutality of the past. “People tend to feel calmer and more optimistic when they see development, new opportunities, and well-designed environments,” she said, as cows and sheep wandered around the area where construction workers had recently begun work.

Standing near the salt fields overlooking the lagoon, Ledi Selgjekaj wishes she could agree. The young ornithologist has been coming here for the past five years, rising at dawn to monitor the behavior and breeding patterns of shorebirds.

“At that time, construction had just begun on the new international airport of Vlorë,” she said, looking through binoculars across the marshes toward its tower. “And then we began seeing ecological corridors being disrupted and jackals and other predators targeting wildlife in the lagoon.”

Flamingos and their egg-filled nests were particularly affected, she said. “The airport, once it starts operating, will be a catastrophe. If these resorts go ahead, it will be unbelievable.” / The Guardian

The post We Want a New Albania / The Guardian Echoes the Civic Revolt Against Rama: Citizens’ Uprising Has Shaken the Country, Demonstrators Without Political Parties! “Elites” Accused of Corruption appeared first on Albeu.com.