Started in Albania as a local protest in the locality of Zvërnec-Portonovo, linked to the environment, the flamingo revolution has spread to the whole country in a few weeks, especially after the discovery that Donald Trump’s daughter and son-in-law, with his company Affinity Partners: Jared Kushner, are behind the construction of a tourist resort in a protected area. This is the island of Saseno, where during the communist regime of Enver Hoxha more than 3,600 bunkers and underground tunnels were built to resist a possible nuclear attack: nature here has taken over, hosting biodiversity, hosting protected animals such as sea turtles Caretta caretta and becoming one of the most important migratory stops in the Mediterranean for pink flamingos and other species.
Since May, thousands of Albanians have taken to the streets every evening at 6pm, carrying inflatable flamingos and signs reading “Albania is not for sale”. Led by Gen Z, the protests have taken on a more general character in recent weeks, from the request for the Prime Minister’s resignation to the desire to put a stop to corruption.
How the flamingo revolution began: the crux of tourism
Imagine finding yourself along a strip of pristine coastline. A small corner of paradise in the Mediterranean Sea where flamingos, migratory birds and sea turtles have found refuge for centuries. At a certain point, however, you hear the noise of the trucks. Workers arrive and begin to enclose the area with a barrier. The message is clear: a construction site will open here. This is exactly what the inhabitants of the locality saw Zvërnec-Portonovo in April 2026. Without any warning, a natural paradise has become a maximum security area. But why? To understand this we need to take a step back.
Albania today is a country in very strong transition. It has one of the lowest GDPs in Europe, but a very clear objective: to join the European Union by 2030, thanks to an average growth of almost 4%. To give a boost to the economy, Prime Minister Edi Rama has bet everything on one card: tourism and the arrival of foreign capital. The numbers proved him right: between 2021 and 2025 attendance literally doubled, going from 5 to 11 million.
A boom like this, however, inevitably attracts large international speculators. And this is where they come in Ivanka Trump and her real estate investor husband Jared Kushner. Through his investment fund (Affinity Partners), Kushner has set his sights onSaseno island and on the nearby protected strip of land in Zvërnec. The two Qatari brothers were also involved in the deal Moutaz And Ramez Al-Khayyat, a sign of an interest that involves several countries.
The goal? Create an ultra-luxury mega-resort. Estimated value of the investment? The beauty of 1.4 billion dollarswith an induced potential that according to some estimates would be close to 5 billion in total. What caught the couple’s attention with the natural beauty of the island was a yacht trip in the area.
The Albanian government gave the immediate green light, convinced that this project will bring the country into the world’s elite tourism. But citizens are not of the same opinion. Which is why, for some time now, they have begun to protest against the sell-off of the country’s natural beauty.
Protest explodes: the role of Gen Z and political dissatisfaction
The situation in Albania had already been tense for months. In February the executive led by the socialist Rama, in power since 2013, was in fact the subject of heavy protests due to a scandal linked to corruption and public procurement. His deputy, Belinda Balluku, was forced to resign.
The fuse was reignited on May 30, 2026, when violent clashes broke out between local activists and private security agents guarding the construction sites. The next day, the anger moved to the capital, Tirana. The streets filled up and the main slogan became one, shouted out loud: “Albania is not for sale”. A few days later, something strange happened in the parades: thousands of pink flamingo-shaped balloons appeared. It is the official baptism of the “Flamingo Revolution”.
It is above all the boys who are leading the revolt Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2010). It is not a simple environmental protest, it is a profound generational criticism that challenges both the government and the opposition, united in supporting the project. The kids ask:
- Government resignation;
- New technical government that ensures greater transparency;
- Abolition of various building violations, including the Zvernec project;
- Transparent elections adapted to the most advanced standards.
On Wednesday 10 June, the demonstration with the most popular participation so far was recorded in the capital. Despite this, the Albanian Prime Minister said he was determined to continue on his path, asserting that “while the whole world is developing tourism and the economy by attracting foreign capital, we cannot oppose it”.
Where is the island of Saseno located and why is it protected
To understand the enormity of the real estate project, we must move toSaseno island (Sazan in Albanian). We are talking about a small rock of just 5 square kilometers located in a super strategic position (about 150 km from Tirana), right where the Adriatic Sea meets the Ionian Sea, enclosing the city of Vlora.
Controlled for several centuries by the Serenissima, or the Republic of Venice, it was officially part of Italy until 1947, when it was ceded to Albania with the Treaty of Paris. For a long time, Saseno was a substantially uninhabited place. During the Cold War, Enver Hoxha’s communist regime transformed it into a giant secret military fortress: over 3,600 bunkers, fortifications and underground tunnels designed to resist a possible nuclear attack.
But precisely this forced isolation has generated an ecological twist. Since man could not set foot there for decades (except for military purposes), nature took over. When the island was partially reopened in 2015, scientists and biologists discovered a treasure trove of pristine biodiversity. This is why today Saseno is super protected:
- The National Marine Park: The waters surrounding the island are part of the Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park, Albania’s only marine protected area.
- Unique flora and fauna: The island is home to rare reptiles, intact Mediterranean flora and submerged reefs which are a paradise for dolphins, whales and the very rare Mediterranean monk seal, a species at serious risk of extinction, but also sea turtles such as the Caretta caretta.
- A migratory corridor: Together with the nearby Vjosa-Narta lagoon, which is home to the island, it acts as a “highway” and a vital resting point for thousands of migratory birds, including pink flamingos, which have become the symbol of the protest.
The (alleged) conspiracy between Israel and the new Hormuz and the royal investigation
In such a tense climate, conspiracy theories have found fertile ground on the web. In a very short time, a sensational rumor spread: Israel would be taking over the island of Saseno with Kushner’s help to transform it into a “new Hormuz”or a secret military outpost in the heart of the Mediterranean. The rumor heated up people’s feelings to such an extent that on June 3, demonstrators attempted to storm the Kombëtare stadium during the Albania-Israel friendly football match.
Those who support this thesis combine clues that struggle to fit together. It is true that Jared Kushner is Jewish and has acted as a mediator in the Middle East, and it is true that Tirana and Tel Aviv signed an important military cooperation agreement in November 2025. But there is an abyss from here to hypothesizing the transfer of a sovereign island for war purposes.
The real game, however, risks being played on another scenario. And it’s not about geopolitical conspiracies, but about the environment and justice. There SPAKthe Albanian special anti-corruption prosecutor’s office, opened a formal investigation into the project. Under the magnifying glass of the magistrates are the laws approved in 2024, which suddenly “loosened” environmental constraints on the country’s protected areas just as Kushner presented his plans.
The Prosecutor’s Office wants to see clearly on three points:
- Lightning Approvals: Building permits granted in record time.
- Suspicious property titles: possible land fraud.
- Environmental damage: The project is located in the Vjosa-Narta lagoon, a very sensitive ecosystem protected by international conventions.
The case has become so serious that it has attracted formal warnings from Brussels: The European Union has reminded Albania that respect for the environment and the rule of law are fundamental requirements if it wants to join the EU by 2030.
In short, the game around the island of Saseno is far from over. This time aggressive geopolitics has nothing to do with it: the future of this corner of the Mediterranean will be decided by the magistrates, the environmental treaties and, above all, the young Albanians who don’t want to give up their flamingos.
