Weeks of anti-government protests in Albania, initially sparked by opposition to a luxury tourism development near protected wetlands, have evolved into the most significant grassroots challenge to Prime Minister Edi Rama in years, exposing broader anger over corruption, environmental degradation and economic inequality, according to a comment from Warsaw-based think tank the Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW).

The demonstrations, dubbed the “Flamingo Revolution”, began on May 30 near the village of Zvërnec, where activists sought to halt construction linked to a luxury resort project near the Vjosa wetlands, an ecologically sensitive area that is home to hundreds of bird species, including flamingos.

What started as a local environmental protest quickly spread to Tirana and other Albanian cities including Vlorë, Durrës and Korçë, while members of Albania’s large diaspora staged parallel demonstrations abroad.

According to the OSW, the movement signals “a break with the stagnation that has characterised Albania’s civil society in recent years”, with protesters increasingly targeting the political establishment as a whole rather than a single policy dispute.

Demonstrators are now calling for Rama’s resignation, corruption investigations and what they describe as a fundamental overhaul of an economic model dominated by oligarchic interests and organised crime.

The project at the centre of the unrest has attracted international attention due to links to investors associated with the family of US President Donald Trump. Though investment vehicles linked to the president’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner have reportedly stepped back formally, the couple is believed to remain involved privately.

The resort, estimated to cost at least $1.4bn, has become symbolic of what critics call Albania’s increasingly tourism-dependent growth model. Protesters argue large-scale luxury developments enrich elites while offering limited benefits to ordinary citizens and doing little to reverse emigration among young professionals.

“The protesters have also criticised the government’s emphasis on developing tourism,” the report said, arguing its “large scale and increasingly luxury-oriented character” has accelerated environmental harm.

Albania, with a population of roughly 2.8mn, receives more than 12mn visitors annually, making tourism a major pillar of economic growth.

Investigations by Albania’s anti-corruption prosecutor, SPAK, have added to the controversy. Although authorities reportedly unfroze investor funds after determining their origins were legitimate, investigators are now examining land transactions surrounding the project amid allegations of speculative purchases and possible money laundering.

The protests also reflect deeper frustrations over governance. OSW pointed to “mass emigration of young and educated people, pervasive corruption, vote-buying in elections and persistent rule-of-law concerns” as major drivers of public anger.

Rama’s government initially dismissed the demonstrations, but as international scrutiny intensified, the prime minister responded with accusations of foreign interference.

OSW said Rama “continued to reject the protesters’ demands and to look for those responsible beyond Albania’s borders”. According to the report, he first accused Greece of fomenting unrest to weaken Albanian tourism, before later suggesting Iran was behind the protests in retaliation for Tirana’s support for US-Israeli military actions and its hosting of Iranian dissidents. The report noted Rama “has not presented any evidence to support these claims.”

European institutions are also paying closer attention. The protests have received support from members of the European People's Party and the European Democratic Party, while the European Commission has reportedly warned the development could complicate Albania’s EU accession path. Environmental compliance is particularly sensitive because Chapter 27 of accession talks covers climate and environmental standards.

Opposition leader Sali Berisha has backed the protests rhetorically but remains absent from demonstrations. Protest organisers have deliberately kept traditional opposition parties at arm’s length, seeking to maintain the movement’s anti-establishment credibility. OSW said the opposition is “not welcome at the demonstrations, as they are directed against the political establishment as a whole.”

Despite continued control over state institutions, signs of strain are emerging within Rama’s governing Socialist Party. One lawmaker has left the party, in a second internal split in recent months.

For now, OSW analysts do not expect Rama to yield quickly, especially given the geopolitical implications of abandoning a project involving high-profile foreign investors. Still, the think-tank warned the protests have already weakened his political standing.

Whether the movement can translate street anger into lasting political change remains unclear. But for the first time in years, Albania’s ruling establishment faces a broad-based civic uprising capable of reshaping the country’s political landscape.