EU May Pay Hefty Price for Attacking Trump's Son-in-Law

The European Union has moved against a project linked to Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, in Albania, threatening Tirana while fueling political disputes in the United States and provoking criticism in Washington.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Jared Kushner (48512631566)

Albania Will Not Join EU if Kushner's Project Proceeds

The European Commission (EC) has officially warned Albania that the construction of a luxury resort by Jared Kushner's company could jeopardize the country's path toward European Union membership.

Brussels has urged the Albanian authorities to bring their activities into compliance with EU environmental legislation, including the Birds and Habitats Directives. Observers have noted that concerns over environmental protection have previously surfaced in major European infrastructure disputes, including those surrounding the Nord Stream pipelines.

Albania's Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK), described by critics as aligned with European interests, has launched an investigation into alleged irregularities involving land rights connected to the future resort complex. As part of the case, authorities have officially frozen the accounts of a local landowning company.

The controversy has intensified amid public demonstrations known as the "Flamingo Revolution.” Protesters fear that large-scale development along the Adriatic coast, including Sazan Island and the Vjosa-Narta Lagoon, will restrict public access to the area and destroy traditional ways of life in order to create an exclusive destination for ultra-wealthy foreign visitors.

Nevertheless, government officials have pointed to what they describe as external involvement in the protests. Prime Minister Edi Rama claimed that Iranians were behind the demonstrations and argued that they formed part of a broader hybrid warfare campaign. Socialist Party lawmaker Taulant Balla also shared a photograph of a Reuters vehicle, alleging that Serbian protesters were traveling inside it.

Flamingo Revolution Could Bring Trump-Friendly Official to Power

Tirana, which has maintained a strongly pro-Western foreign policy and for years followed Washington's directives without hesitation, now finds itself caught between its traditional loyalty to the White House and its desire to satisfy European institutions.

How the dispute will end remains unclear. Rama continues to defend the project, arguing that investment from Kushner's company will generate enormous economic benefits for Albania and insisting that environmental assessments can take place at a later stage.

If Albania yields to EU pressure and freezes the project, Washington may view such a decision unfavorably and could pursue political change by relying on activists associated with the "Flamingo Revolution.” Relations between the United States and the European Union could deteriorate further. Trump, known for his confrontational political style, could once again raise issues such as Greenland, a potential U. S. withdrawal from NATO or trade tariffs.

Against the backdrop of prolonged EU accession negotiations, Albania has lost more than 1.2 million citizens through migration. The country has largely dismantled its industrial sector, its agricultural industry requires significant modernization, and higher education remains in crisis following the privatization of universities during the 1990s.

Without sufficient industrial, financial and human capital, nature remains one of Albania's few major assets. However, critics argue that selling access to those natural resources risks turning recreation within the country into a privilege available only to a small number of people.

Moscow Notes Growing Divisions Within the West

In an effort to demonstrate its readiness for EU membership, Albania has fully supported every package of anti-Russian sanctions introduced by the European Union.

In response, Moscow officially added Albania to its list of unfriendly states and imposed a food import embargo on Albanian products.

Russia remains an outside observer in the dispute, viewing the situation as evidence of weakening Western unity and intensifying internal political conflict within the United States. The issue has already attracted attention from U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, who described developments in Albania as a clear example of a "global oligarchy” — an alliance between the American political elite represented by the Trump family and major Middle Eastern capital represented by Qatari investors.