Topline
Ongoing environmental concerns over Jared Kushner’s planned resort development in Albania could infringe on the Balkan country’s efforts to join the European Union, as European Commission officials in Brussels confirmed Tuesday they’ve warned the Albanian government the project could conflict with the EU’s environmental rules.
Key Facts
Kushner and his private equity fund Affinity Partners, along with wife Ivanka Trump, are negotiating with the Albanian government to build luxury resorts on the country’s island of Sazan, and on a separate area on the Albanian coast.
The project has sparked widespread environmental concerns and protests, given potential threats the resorts could cause to local wildlife and protected regions, which has caught the attention of the European Commission as Albania tries to secure EU membership.
European Commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercier confirmed at a press conference Tuesday that officials warned the Albanian government the project could conflict with environmental benchmarks any country seeking to join the EU needs to meet.
The European Commission has pointed specifically to changes Albania made in 2024 to make it easier for tourism development to take place on environmentally protected land—which helped enable Kushner’s construction—and Mercier said Albania must comply with EU rules, such as a directive to protect birds and wildlife areas.
Mercier claimed the Albanian environmental minister has suspended construction as it carries out an environmental impact assessment, but the Albanian government has disputed that account, telling Politico on Sunday that construction can’t be suspended, because no final plan has yet been approved and so construction has yet to begin.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has also vowed to move forward with the development despite the European Commission’s concerns, telling Reuters on Monday, “It’s going to be a beautiful project and we’re going to do it and we’re going to be proud to contribute to Europe.”
Crucial Quote
“Let me stress that Albania should refrain from action that could undermine the fulfillment of the closing benchmark, and we expect the Albanian authorities to act without delay,” Mercier told reporters Tuesday, referring to the benchmark Albania has to reach to meet the EU’s environmental standards and complete negotiations.
Chief Critic
Rama downplayed the European Commission’s environmental concerns to Reuters on Monday, claiming the resort development would be in line with environmental regulations and committing to a full environmental impact assessment. “We are very proud of what we have done for the wildlife in Albania,” Rama said. “The European Commission has no reason to doubt our firm will protect whatever has to be protected when it comes to wildlife and nature.” The PM has also stood firm in the face of protests against the Kushner project, which are increasingly now calling for Rama to resign. “I was voted in to make these things happen,” Rama said Monday about moving forward with the development project. “I’m not voted to be led by people that have a different idea of how to develop the country.”
What To Watch For
Kushner’s project is in very early stages and could take as long as 10 years to complete, after the project was given preliminary approval in December 2024—shortly after President Donald Trump’s reelection. If protests disrupt the project, it would follow Kushner’s other planned project in the Balkans, a Trump-branded property in Belgrade, Serbia, getting canceled in 2025, after government officials faced corruption charges linked to approving the development. (They have denied wrongdoing.)
When Could Albania Join The EU?
Albania could complete its negotiations with Brussels by 2027 and join the bloc by 2030, Rama previously predicted.
Key Background
Kushner’s $1.4 billion planned island and $4.7 billion coastal development deal come as the president’s son-in-law has increasingly been in touch with foreign governments through his Affinity fund, which was founded after Trump’s first term. His business dealings have raised concerns about governments trying to curry favor with the Trump administration, including in Albania, where the timeline of his project being approved directly after the election has raised eyebrows. Protests against Kushner’s planned luxury resorts—which the developer told The Guardian will be a “very high-end luxury product”—have ramped up in recent weeks as signs of construction in the area appeared, and after videos went viral showing private security guards being violent against protesters. (The Albanian government has suspended those firms, and one guard was arrested.) In addition to the concerns raised by the European Commission, an anti-corruption probe has also been opened into the project, also based around the changes to the 2024 law that the Commission has flagged as problematic. It’s unclear how long that investigation could take.
Further Reading
Why Jared Kushner And Ivanka Trump’s Albanian Resort Plans Are Under Fire (Forbes)