Why Jared And Ivanka’s Island Project Could Ruin Albania’s Bid To Join EU

BreakingBusinessWhy Jared And Ivanka’s Island Project Could Ruin Albania’s Bid To Join EUByAlison Durkee,Forbes Staff. Alison is a senior news reporter covering US politics and legal news.Follow AuthorJun 09, 2026, 12:13pm EDTToplineOngoing 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.Albanians protest outside the Prime Minister's Office in Tirana, Albania, on June 8.NurPhoto via Getty ImagesKey FactsKushner 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, becau...