Zvërnec resort – A proposed island resort in Zvërnec has turned into a nationwide flashpoint in Albania, drawing claims about offshore-linked ownership and pressure on Prime Minister Edi Rama. Protesters who started with the dismantling of a fence now want a technical governme
The first barricade came down in Zvërnec, and it looked like a one-off act of anger. Then the same anger traveled—into Rrjoll, Librazhd, and finally Kakome Bay on the Albanian Riviera—where citizens tore down barriers they say represent abuse of power and the privatization of public spaces.
What began as resistance to a development tied to Zvërnec South Adriatic Development has now started pulling at the country’s political center. Albanian media reports say the development company is controlled through a network of Dutch-registered entities. while the ultimate owners have not been revealed. The involvement of Kastrati Group—Albania’s largest privately owned conglomerate—has also been reported. but its exact role is still unclear.
For now, the people at the heart of the story are silent. Zvërnec Adriatic South Development, Kastrati Group, and SPAK did not respond to requests for comment by the time this article was published.
Rama’s defense is not subtle. The government argues the development strategy is essential for transforming Albania into a high-end Mediterranean tourism destination. Prime Minister Edi Rama has framed the investments as part of long-term economic modernization. saying they will increase national revenue and international visibility. He also says the process is being misunderstood.
At first, Rama signaled a different posture. He initially proposed dialogue with protesters, but as resistance grew he abandoned that approach and shifted to discrediting the movement.
In a social media post, Rama dismissed what he called the protesters’ focus. “The problem is not the flamingos,” he said, describing the protesters. “The problem is that the flamingos refuse to listen to the facts. discuss solutions. and coordinate efforts with institutions and serious sources of expertise in order to protect everything that needs protection while allowing the right project to move forward. In doing so, they become tools of the crows and ravens that surround them.”.
The language has fed the fight. Protesters have been described in multiple ways as the public argument intensified—first with accusations that they were influenced by foreign interests. then as agents of external powers. Over time. criticism expanded outward to international media coverage. and more recently the protests have been framed as driven by influencers and algorithms rather than genuine civic mobilization.
That evolution matters because the protests themselves have become increasingly physical. Citizens say the dismantling of the fence at Zvërnec symbolized a broader pattern of public space being taken away. In Rrjoll and Librazhd, similar actions followed. On the Albanian Riviera, the most recent burst of disruption landed at Kakome Bay.
For nearly two decades, access to Kakome Bay had been restricted due to long-standing property disputes, preventing the public from freely reaching one of the country’s most scenic coastal areas.
The resort controversy has also pulled in international attention. Rama. in an interview with Albanian media. denied that Ivanka Trump’s remarks about Sazan were accurate or reflective of the actual investment process. He defended the proposed developments. dismissed concerns as misunderstandings. and said that in Albania islands cannot be privately given or taken in secrecy.
Protesters say the denials don’t end the problem. Earlier this week, calls spread for a nationwide mobilization of demonstrations to take place this Saturday. Now the demands are sharper: protesters are demanding a technical government and early elections.
Between Rama’s insistence that the project is part of economic modernization and protesters’ insistence that public space is being carved out behind closed doors. the dispute has stopped sounding like a single infrastructure disagreement. The protests have become a domino effect with a political end point—one that will test how Albania manages both high-end tourism ambitions and the public trust that makes those ambitions legitimate.
Albania protests Zvërnec resort Edi Rama Kastrati Group Dutch-registered entities SPAK Ivanka Trump remarks Kakome Bay technical government early elections Sazan Mediterranean tourism