Albania is promoting a major tourism development planned in the environmentally protected Narta Lagoon and surrounding area.
There is a proverb in Greece that says, “Give a peasant trust and he will climb into your bed,” to warn against those who exploit generosity. Today, this proverb describes the case of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who has consolidated control of the country for four terms since 2013.
[Rama] claimed that he was unaware of the existence of a Greek population in the area who were seeking recognition and restoration of property lost during the communist regime.
On 30 May 2026, violent incidents broke out in Zvernets, near the city of Vlorë in Albania, following protests by residents, environmental organizations and community groups against a major tourist development planned in the environmentally protected Narta Lagoon and the surrounding area. According to reports, a private security company guarding the site clashed with protesters when they attempted to breach the project's perimeter fence. Security personnel reportedly attacked protesters and injured a Greek citizen, who later said that he holds legal property titles and that the Albanian authorities erected a fence without informing the landowners about their properties.
The Greek Foreign Ministry demanded an investigation and accountability from the Albanian authorities. It also linked the protection of the rights of the Greek ethnic minority in Albania and respect for the rule of law to Albania’s European integration process. Nevertheless, Rama’s response was provocative. The Albanian prime minister not only tried to downplay the seriousness of the incidents, but also claimed that he was unaware of the existence of a Greek population in the region demanding recognition and restitution of property lost during the communist regime. He accused Greece of being behind the protests.
Property rights are a Pandora’s box in Albania. A striking example is the case of Fredi Beleri, the elected mayor of Himare, who was arrested two days before the May 2023 municipal elections on trumped-up charges of vote-buying. Despite his arrest, he narrowly won the mayoralty over the candidate supported by Rama’s Socialist Party. Because he was imprisoned, he was not allowed to take the oath of office as mayor and was subsequently sentenced to two years in prison, which led to the annulment of his election victory.
Beleri’s ordeal, which ultimately led to his election as a member of the European Parliament on the New Democracy ticket after his release, was linked to attempts by Albanian authorities to appropriate and confiscate properties belonging to members of the Greek minority in the area, many of whom hold title deeds dating back centuries. In both Himare and Zvernet, the expropriation of Greek community property is a common denominator.
The Rama government considers the area a “strategic” investment zone and has reportedly amended environmental legislation… to facilitate development.
Zvernec, however, is unique. It is one of the most pristine and environmentally sensitive areas of the Adriatic coast and is part of a protected marine park. Despite this, the Rama government considers the area a “strategic” investment zone and reportedly amended environmental legislation almost overnight to facilitate development. Although media reports have connect the company of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, with plans for a massive $4 billion tourism project, Kushner may simply be a puppet used by Rama to imply his own impunity, weaken the local opposition, discourage dissent, and create the impression that anyone opposing the project is not just facing Tirana but also American interests.
The European Commission sent message to Albania that respect for the rights of Albania’s Greek minority, freedom of assembly and the preservation of environmentally sensitive areas affect Albania’s accession path to the European Union. It is obvious, however, that such reactions do not particularly worry the Albanian prime minister. Rama’s self-confidence stems from the relationships he has cultivated with figures such as Kushner, Open Society Foundations chief Alex Soros and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who uses Albania as a central hub as he seeks to expand Turkish influence throughout the Balkans.
In this context, a statement heard in the US Congress fits perfectly: "Washington's silence against Erdogan signals to other would-be dictators,” like Rama, “that they can pursue their ambitions” and not pay any cost for it.
- Christos Konstantinidis is a journalist, editor-in-chief of Geopolitico.gr, co-owner of PontosVoice.com and member of the International Strategy Institute.
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Photo By © European Union, 2026, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=145955057, https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/
