The "flamingo revolution" has exploded in Albania

A popular mobilization of this magnitude had never been seen in Albania since the days of the earthquakes that led to the fall of the communist regime in 1991. But now is the time for  “Flamingo Revolution”: the name given to a protest movement that arose at the end of May 2026, initially against construction and tourism projects planned in protected natural areas, but within a few weeks the mass mobilization transformed into a broader civic movement, with demands for greater transparency, the fight against corruption, and political reforms.

The name derives from the pink flamingos They live in the Narta Lagoon, one of the country's main wetlands. This habitat has become a symbol of the protest because it is among the areas affected by controversial tourism development projects. The flamingo was adopted as the movement's emblem through social media and subsequently by the protesters themselves. 

The protests were sparked primarily by opposition to major tourism investments in the Zvërnec area and on Sazan Island, including a luxury resort project associated with interests linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump. Protesters argue that these developments threaten ecosystems of great natural value and denounce a lack of transparency in the decision-making processes of the government led by Edi Rama. 

As the days passed, the movement expanded its demands:

• protection of protected natural areas
• review of the rules that would facilitate building development in these areas
• greater transparency in investment management
• fight against corruption

Among the leaders of the “flamingo revolution” are Eljan Tanini, one of the promoters of the first environmental mobilizations in the area of ​​Narta and Zvërnec, and Adriatik Lapaj, leader of the political movement Albania Becomes ("Albania Becomes"). Behind them is a universe of different environmental groups, civic associations and local collectives from the Narta Lagoon area who have played an important organizational role, without any one of them assuming the exclusive leadership of the movement.

In Tirana, among protesters holding up signs with a photo of Prime Minister Rama dressed as a flamingo, Tanini, one of the protest leaders, drew the line with these words: “This is not simply a battle to save birds and trees, but above all a fight against a power that decides who can control our territory by marginalizing local communities.”

Image source: AP Photo/Euronews

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