TIRANA, Albania — For more than three months, Albanians have continued taking to the streets, turning what began as opposition to a controversial development project into a broader challenge to the country's political establishment.
For 97 consecutive days, demonstrators have sought to keep public attention focused on concerns ranging from development and environmental protection to corruption, government accountability and the concentration of political and economic power.
Their message has increasingly been distilled into a simple declaration:
“Albania is not for sale.”
From a Development Dispute to a Wider Movement
One of the issues fueling the demonstrations has been opposition to a major luxury tourism development associated with Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump.
The proposed development has generated controversy because of its scale, its connection to politically influential international investors and environmental concerns surrounding Albania's coastline and protected or environmentally sensitive areas.
For critics, however, the dispute has come to represent something larger than a single construction project.
Protesters argue that decisions involving Albania's land, natural resources and economic future should be made transparently and with meaningful public participation—not simply negotiated among governments, developers and wealthy investors.
As demonstrations have continued, some participants have expanded their demands to include the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, stronger anti-corruption measures, greater government transparency and broader political reforms.
Anger at Albania's Political Establishment
The protests reflect longstanding concerns about corruption and the relationship between political power and major business interests.
Supporters of the demonstrations say ordinary Albanians should have a greater voice when decisions are made involving public property, environmentally important land and major development projects.
Some social-media posts have described the demonstrations as an uprising against the “Epstein class.” That description should be understood as political rhetoric rather than a literal characterization of the movement.
The protests are not specifically about Jeffrey Epstein.
Instead, the phrase is being used by some activists as shorthand for an international political and economic elite they believe operates with privileges unavailable to ordinary citizens. Using that terminology without explaining the distinction risks misrepresenting what Albanians are actually protesting.
The Significance of 97 Days
What makes the Albanian demonstrations noteworthy is not simply their size or their demands, but their persistence.
Modern protest movements frequently explode into public consciousness after a controversial event, dominate headlines briefly and then gradually disappear. Maintaining political pressure for weeks or months is considerably more difficult.
Albanians involved in this movement have attempted to do exactly that.
For 97 days, demonstrators have returned.
That persistence sends a message to Albania's government and political establishment: protesters do not intend for their grievances to disappear when international attention moves elsewhere.
Whether the demonstrations ultimately produce the resignation of Rama, changes to development plans or broader political reforms remains uncertain. Protest movements do not automatically translate into political victories, and claims made by activists should be evaluated separately from established facts.
But sustained peaceful political participation has significance of its own.
“Albania Is Not for Sale”
At its core, the movement raises a fundamental question faced by countries around the world:
Who gets to decide what happens to a nation's land, resources and future?
Foreign investment can create jobs, infrastructure and economic opportunities. But development becomes politically contentious when citizens believe transparency, environmental safeguards or democratic accountability have been sacrificed in the process.
That is why the phrase “Albania is not for sale” has such resonance.
It represents more than opposition to one resort or one investor. For protesters, it has become a declaration that Albania's future should not be determined exclusively by politicians, billionaires or powerful international interests.
Ninety-seven days into their campaign, Albanians are still showing up.
Whatever the eventual political outcome, their persistence deserves international attention—and peaceful demands for transparency, accountability and meaningful public control over decisions affecting a country's future deserve to be heard.
