TIRANA, June 4 (BV)– Protests against a planned tourism development in Albania’s protected Zvërnec area have entered a new phase, with demonstrators turning their anger not only against Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government but also against the opposition Democratic Party and its longtime leader Sali Berisha.
For the fourth consecutive day, thousands of citizens gathered in Tirana to demand the cancellation of the Zvërnec project, which they say threatens one of Albania’s most sensitive coastal ecosystems.
The protest began in Skanderbeg Square before demonstrators marched along the main boulevard toward the Prime Minister’s Office. After several hours, groups of protesters moved through central Tirana and stopped outside the headquarters of the Democratic Party.
There, the crowd chanted “sold opposition” and “Rama in jail, Berisha in jail,” signalling deep frustration with both the ruling Socialist Party and the traditional opposition.
The protests were triggered by plans for a large-scale tourism project in the Zvërnec and Narta lagoon area, a protected coastal zone known for its biodiversity, wetlands and bird habitats.
Demonstrators accuse the government of favouring private investors at the expense of public land, local communities and environmental protection. They are demanding the immediate cancellation of the project, full transparency over property ownership and accountability for the use of force during earlier protests in Zvërnec.
Tensions escalated after reports that private security guards used violence against protesters near the project site. One citizen was filmed being dragged and punched, prompting public outrage and disciplinary action against local police officials in Vlora.
Prime Minister Edi Rama has rejected accusations that the government is giving away public land, saying the project concerns private property and a major foreign investment. He has offered to meet a group of up to 20 protest representatives for a public discussion on Zvërnec, transparency, property issues, foreign investment and environmental concerns.
Rama has described the planned investment as a €4 billion project that could place Albania in what he called the “Champions League of tourism.”
But protesters remain unconvinced. Their slogans now show that the Zvërnec dispute has moved beyond an environmental controversy and is becoming a broader expression of public anger toward corruption, elite deals and the perceived failure of both government and opposition to protect the public interest.
The demonstrations are expected to continue, with organisers warning that they will not stop until the project is cancelled.