'Flamingo Revolution' takes off as thousands demand Albanian PM's resignation Flamingos have become a national symbol of protest, triggered by opposition to a luxury development.1 day agoWorld

First they protested about flamingos, now the crowd on the streets below Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s office has begun to chant about schools, jobs and living standards as well – and wants him to resign.

The pink migratory birds became the symbol of Albania’s nightly rallies because they flock to Narta Lagoon, a protected area near the coastal city of Vlora.

A group of international investors – including US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner – want to develop a luxury resort nearby, and the government has granted them “special investor” status.

Small-scale local protests about the potential environmental impact went national a month ago, when a video of private security guards beating up a protester spread on social media. The incident has been confirmed by the prime minister.

Anger has now spread, bringing in wider concerns about the way Albania is developing – and how it is governed.

“I’m here for our schools,” a young protester called Helena tells the BBC.

“I’m here for our hospitals, I’m here for our infrastructure, I’m here for my family that’s outside [Albania], and wanted to be here. And for all of that, I’m mostly here for myself, because I want to stay in my country, and I don’t want to leave.”

Rama and his Socialist Party have now been in power for 13 years. Much has changed in Albania in that time.

The skyline of the capital, Tirana, has been transformed, with a plethora of towers mostly designed by international architects. At the same time, the tourism industry has boomed – transforming the country’s international image and accounting for more than a fifth of GDP.

Perhaps most impressively of all, Albania has made significant progress towards membership of the EU. From a standing start in 2022, it is on course to complete accession negotiations by the end of next year. Of the six countries in the Western Balkans, only Montenegro is further ahead – and it has been in talks for a decade longer.

But that does not cut much ice with prominent protester Fatos Lubonja. The writer and human rights activist served 17 years in a forced labour camp during the rule of the notorious communist dictator, Enver Hoxha.

Now, he alleges, the current government is propped up by “oligarchs, organised crime, the media and corrupt internationals” – and the building boom is little more than money laundering.

“We want to push justice to investigate,” he says, gesturing to the towering new buildings surrounding Tirana’s central Skanderbeg Square.

“If you see all these skyscrapers, it comes out that this is a plan by organised crime, plus oligarchs, plus functionaries of the state.”

Taking a quiet moment in his office in the middle of the afternoon – before the nightly protests begin – Rama characterises the protests as a sign of a healthy, democratic society.

But several of his closest political allies have come under investigation by Albania’s anti-corruption prosecutors (SPAK), including his former deputy and the mayor of Tirana.

So should Albanians also be concerned about the integrity of the prime minister?

“I’ve said it since day one: I want a justice that doesn’t look left, doesn’t look right, but looks straight,” Rama says. “Justice that cannot be bought, cannot be pressured and cannot be remotely controlled.

“And I have said also that this is the biggest contribution the Socialist Party will give to this country, because it will not contribute just by making reforms, but by giving its own skin for the country.”

But the youngest member of Albania’s parliament has decided that working with the Socialist Party is no longer the answer. Rama hand-picked 25-year-old Marjana Koceku as a candidate for last year’s elections after she established a reputation as an environmental campaigner in the northern county of Shkoder.

Now she has quit the party, saying her youth meant she “couldn’t just stand there and clap the government and pretend like nothing is happening”. She adds that Rama is a big part of the problem.

“He doesn’t inspire people anymore – and I think that this brought him to a huge crisis of legitimacy. It took me some time to realise that beyond these beautiful facades that look so nice and shiny, the reality is not the same. And people are realising it every day more and more.”

For the moment, it seems there is a stand-off. The protesters are not going anywhere – and neither is Rama. So, flamingos are likely to remain a familiar sight on the streets of Tirana.