FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The multi-billion-euro project by Donald Trump's son-in-law has sparked a wave of outrage in the country. Activists accuse the government of giving away strategic territory in exchange for political and personal gain. This unregulated exploitation clearly shows the harmful influence of global power games.
What is driving thousands of Albanian citizens to protest, with a participation and mobilization of young people not seen in Tirana's squares for years? A 1.4 billion euro project, intended for the construction of a luxury resort on the island of Sazan, has brought to light a series of interconnected causes: national problems, which could easily find the same negative phenomena at a global level.
Starting on June 1, the streets of the capital, as well as those of other important Albanian cities, were filled with protesters to oppose, in a clear and concrete way, the suppression of freedom of expression, the subjugation of their country to a foreign government, as well as decisions imposed from above, made for profit, which negatively affect the environment.
Therefore, once again, the direct, but often overlooked, connection between environmental exploitation, democratic rights, and the secret games of those in power is clear.
The protests, which began with an environmental focus, began on May 23 at construction sites where construction work for the resort had begun. As early as 2024, the Albanian parliament had approved a series of amendments to the legislation on the country's protected areas, significantly reducing their protection.
These were changes made specifically to then allow Jared Kushner's company, Donald Trump's son-in-law, to build this resort with a devastating ecological impact, which would damage the biodiversity of one of the areas with the highest natural value in Albania.
In fact, the island is part of a protected area, populated by sea turtles, seals, curly pelicans and pink flamingos, which later became a symbol of the protests, called the "Flamingo Revolt".
A revolt that erupted after a video circulated online showing a peaceful protester being forcibly dragged away by private security guards from Kushner's company, while state police watched without intervening.
Despite this, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama claimed that there was no agreement with Kushner, while the works had begun without any official project being presented, showing a serious lack of transparency towards citizens.
Rama also dismissed ecological concerns, considering them an obstacle to the country’s development. But who would really benefit from this “development”? Given the number of people who took to the streets, certainly not Albanian citizens, who, instead of this kind of investment, hope for investments that create jobs in their country, which has seen 1.2 million citizens emigrate in the last 30 years.
Furthermore, the lack of protection of areas that should be preserved as precious ecosystems slows down the country's integration into the European Union, which is also desired by citizens.
"Albania is not for sale!" is one of the most used slogans these days, a clear accusation against the prime minister who has given up Albanian territory in exchange for benefits and better relations with the American president, whom protesters consider responsible for starting a war, supporting a genocide, and limiting democracy and respect for human rights in his own country.
Moreover, some believe that the choice of this territory is not accidental: the island of Sazan has always been considered a strategic geopolitical point, since from there maritime traffic in the Adriatic can be monitored.
We, as Italians, cannot help but understand the protests in Albania and empathize with the protesters, recognizing that the dynamics against which they are mobilizing are not far from those present in our country.
In fact, the Meloni government is complicit, among other things, in not investing in social welfare, but in arms companies and the fossil fuel industry, which exacerbate wars and the climate crisis; in drastically limiting the right to protest and dissent through the new security decree; and in a clear relationship of subservience to Trump.
The formula seems to be always the same, everywhere: to go against the will of the people in the name of oppression and indiscriminate exploitation of the environment for personal gain and the excessive luxury of the few.
In this reality, characterized by a dystopia that they have built, we want and must overthrow it, rebelling and keeping in mind what already seems like the utopia of a democracy, of social and climate justice./ Adapted from "Pamphlet" by "Fridays For Future Italia"
Ka një fenomen shumë të rrezikshëm që po ndodh sot: kush bërtet më shumë, shpallet më i ndershmi. Kush baltos më fort, quhet patriot. Kush akuzon më rëndë, quhet i pastër. Kush bën titullin më të egër, quhet mbrojtës i vendit. Kush hedh baltën më larg, quhet zëri i popullit. Kjo nuk është ndershmëri. Kjo është industri zhurme. Deri dje, shumë nga këta që sot janë bërë roje të Nartës, nuk kishin shkuar as ta shihnin lagunën. Nuk pyetën kur kanalet ishin të bllokuara. Nuk pyetën kur kishte mbeturina. Nuk pyetën kur kishte erozion, përmbytje, tharje, ndotje dhe braktisje. Nuk pyetën as si jetonin njerëzit aty, nëse kishte mbetur kush për të jetuar përveç disa pleqve dhe disa familjeve të harruara. Sot, papritur, të gjithë u bënë ambientalistë, juristë, gjeopolitikanë, ekspertë të lagunave, mbrojtës të flamingove dhe shpëtimtarë të Shqipërisë. Pse sot? Sepse sot ka emër të madh. Sepse sot ka Kushner. Sepse sot ka Trump. Sepse sot ka mundësi për klikime. Sepse sot mund ta kthesh një problem lokal shqiptar në betejë globale kundër Trumpit, kundër Amerikës, kundër Izraelit, kundër qeverisë, kundër kujtdo që të duhet për narrativën tënde. Dhe këtu fillon mashtrimi. Sepse Narta nuk u degradua sot. Laguna nuk u tha sot. Kanalet nuk u bllokuan sot. Mbeturinat nuk u hodhën sot. Fshati nuk u zbraz sot. Varfëria nuk lindi sot. Braktisja nuk filloi sot. Por sot u zbulua si temë, sepse sot vlen politikisht. Ky është problemi: mjedisi përdoret si armë, jo si kauzë. Banorët përdoren si dekor, jo si njerëz. Laguna përdoret si flamur, jo si sistem që duhet shpëtuar. Dhe kush bërtet më shumë, merr medaljen e moralit. Nëse e doni vërtet Nartën, mos flisni vetëm kundër projektit. Flisni edhe për gjendjen reale të saj. Kush do t’i hapë kanalet? Kush do t’i pastrojë mbeturinat? Kush do ta ndalojë tharjen? Kush do ta menaxhojë erozionin? Kush do t’u japë jetë njerëzve që jetojnë aty? Kush do të sjellë punë, shërbime, infrastrukturë, mirëmbajtje dhe dinjitet? Sepse të thuash “mos prek asgjë” është e lehtë kur jeton larg. Është shumë më e vështirë të thuash si do të jetojë ai që ka mbetur aty. Unë nuk them që projekti duhet të kalojë pa kontroll. Përkundrazi: VNM e pavarur, model hidrodinamik, transparencë prone, akses publik, taksa, banesa sociale, punësim lokal, monitorim mjedisor dhe garanci për lagunën duhet të jenë kushte të panegociueshme. Por nuk pranoj moralin e atyre që heshtën kur zona po vdiste ngadalë dhe u zgjuan vetëm kur kuptuan se mbi këtë histori mund të ndërtohej një kauzë e madhe politike. Patriotizmi nuk është kush bërtet më shumë sot. Patriotizmi është kush ka guxim të thotë të vërtetën e plotë. Dhe e vërteta e plotë është kjo: Narta nuk ka nevojë as për histeri kundër zhvillimit, as për beton pa kontroll. Ka nevojë për rigjenerim real, shkencë, transparencë, ekonomi lokale dhe përgjegjësi. Kush kërkon këtë, është serioz. Kush vetëm bërtet, po përdor Nartën për betejën e vet.