Albanian Leader Compares ‘Fascist’ Protestors Of Kushner-Trump Project To Nazis As He Doubles Down

BreakingBusinessAlbanian Leader Compares ‘Fascist’ Protestors Of Kushner-Trump Project To Nazis As He Doubles DownByAlison Durkee,Forbes Staff. Alison is a senior news reporter covering US politics and legal news.Follow AuthorJun 15, 2026, 12:24pm EDTToplineAlbanian Prime Minister Edi Rama slammed protesters in the country for having a “fascist mentality” over the weekend, as the leader doubled down in his defense of Jared Kushner’s plans for luxury resorts on the country’s coasts in the wake of growing environmental protests.Protesters participate in a demonstration in Tirana, Albania, on June 14.NurPhoto via Getty ImagesKey FactsProtests in Albania have been going on for more than two weeks as Albanians rally against Kushner’s planned resort development in Albania’s Sazan Island and on the Albanian coast, which has raised environmental concerns about the construction taking place on protected land and how it will impact wildlife.The protests—dubbed the “Flamingo Revolution”—have also more broadly targeted Rama’s leadership, and the prime minister has long defended the Kushner development project against the protests, claiming the construction does not pose an environmental risk as the protesters claim.Rama doubled down on his defense on his podcast over the weekend, arguing that while there are “many” protesters “with good intentions,” there are some who have a “fascist mentality,” as translated by Euronews.He described that “mentality” as being one “that says: ‘Albania belongs to Albanians,’ meaning that everyone else is not welcome” and likened it to Nazi Germany, saying it was “just as Germany was once said to belong to Germans and later became Europe’s black sheep for many years.”The PM also posted a lengthy defense of the two Kushner developments on social media, arguing the government is handling ongoing negotiations in a “dignified and professional” way and that officials are not putting Albania up “for sale” as protesters claim, because the projects are ei...