German media: Dua Lipa criticizes Rama's government for legal changes in protected areas

World-famous Albanian singer Dua Lipa's support for the protests against the Rama government has attracted the attention of international media.

In an article published by Berliner Zeitung, the German newspaper analyzes the role of the Albanian artist in raising awareness for the environmental cause, the protests that have been going on for two months in Albania and abroad, the debates on legal changes for protected areas, as well as the ongoing investigations into the properties involved in the multibillion-dollar project.

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Albania's flamingo revolution is gaining prominent support: Pop star Dua Lipa has expressed her support for weeks of protests against Jared Kushner's multi-billion dollar luxury resort. Kushner is married to Ivanka Trump and is therefore the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.

“I find it very inspiring to see how many people are interested in this issue,” Lipa said on her podcast “Service95 Book Club.” There, she spoke with Albanian author and political scientist Lea Ypi about the protest movement and the country’s political development.

Dua Lipa was born in London to Kosovo Albanian parents and spent part of her youth in Pristina. Her statement was met with enthusiasm by protest organizers. The singer is an idol, especially for many young Albanians, Aleksander Trajce of the conservation organization PPNEA told The Guardian.

Dua Lipa criticizes the law change

The 30-year-old’s criticism is mainly directed at the actions of the Albanian government. In December 2024, parliament changed legal regulations, thus facilitating construction projects in ecologically sensitive areas. “What I find really disturbing is the principle that the government can simply change the law to bypass environmental protections without any public consultation,” Lipa said. There is no evidence that Kushner was involved in the change.

According to Lipa's platform, Service95, the conversation also touched on who benefits from Albania's economic development and how citizens can control political power. The current demonstrations are the most significant since the end of communism.

Flamingos become a symbol of resistance

The project, backed by Kushner’s investment firm Affinity Partners, envisions luxury hotels and resorts on the currently uninhabited island of Sazan and along the coast near Zvërnec. The region is part of the ecologically valuable Vjosa-Nartë wetlands, home to flamingos, Mediterranean seals and sea turtles.

Flamingos have become a symbol of resistance. Demonstrators march through Tirana carrying large, inflatable flamingo figures. Their banners carry slogans such as “Albania is not for sale” and “I don’t want an Albania like Dubai.”

The protests began in late May, after barbed wire fences were erected and construction equipment appeared at the planned site in Zvërnec. Several people were injured in clashes with private security forces. For more than six weeks now, thousands of people have been demonstrating regularly against the project and the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama.

The government wants to move forward with the luxury project

Rama defends the project as a historic investment and an opportunity for Albanian tourism. “There is absolutely no chance that the investment will stop as long as I am here,” the prime minister said in June. The protests are now also directed at him personally.

The project's developers insist they are acting responsibly. Their goals are environmental protection, new jobs and long-term benefits for the local population. However, environmentalists doubt that a tourist complex of this size is compatible with the protection of the wetland.

The European Commission has also called on Albania to comply with European Union environmental regulations on the project. The country is a candidate for EU membership and aims to join the EU by 2030.

Investigations at resort properties

Further political dynamite comes from an investigation by the Special Prosecution Office of Albania (SPAK). They suspect a Miami businessman of forging title deeds for properties that were later sold for approximately 110 million euros to a company involved in the resort. The prosecutor's office has frozen the money in a notary's escrow account.

The businessman denies the allegations. There is no allegation of wrongdoing against Kushner, the project developers or other investors in this context. According to a Reuters investigation, there is also no evidence that they were aware of the suspicious circumstances at the time of the purchase.

The protests are endless. “This is the 45th day of our protests and there is no sign that they will stop,” said environmentalist Trajce. With Dua Lipa, the movement has now found its most prominent supporter to date.