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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Culture & Society

Dua Lipa backs Albania protests against luxury resort linked to Trump's son-in-law

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Pop star Dua Lipa expressed support for protests in Albania against a luxury resort development backed by Jared Kushner.
  • The "Flamingo Revolution" protests, now in their sixth week, oppose the project's environmental impact on protected natural areas.
  • Critics, including Dua Lipa and European Parliament members, are concerned about changes to environmental laws and the lack of public consultation.

International pop star Dua Lipa has voiced her support for the ongoing protests in Albania against a controversial luxury resort project valued at 1.6 billion euros (approximately $1.7 billion USD). The development is backed by investors led by Jared Kushner, former US President Donald Trump's son-in-law.

The movement, dubbed the "Flamingo Revolution," has entered its sixth week and represents one of Albania's largest environmental movements in recent years. Dua Lipa, whose parents are of Kosovo-Albanian descent, shared her inspiration from the public's engagement with the issue during a podcast with Albanian academic Lea Ypi.

The project involves construction on Sazan Island, Albania's only island, and approximately 10,000 villas on the Zvërnec Peninsula. Both areas are designated nature reserves and serve as habitats for various bird species and rare wildlife along the Adriatic coast.

I feel so inspired by how much the public cares.

— Dua LipaExpressing inspiration from the public's engagement with the environmental protests.

Dua Lipa specifically highlighted concerns regarding the process of changing laws to facilitate the project. She expressed worry not just about the resort's construction but also about legislative changes that remove environmental protections without public consultation. "What I find most worrying is the principle when the government can just change laws to remove environmental protection without any public consultation," she stated.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama remains a proponent of the investment, calling it the largest in the country's history and a significant opportunity for economic growth. However, the European Parliament has also raised concerns, warning that Albania's EU accession ambitions could be jeopardized if environmental protection standards are not maintained. The developer has asserted that environmental impact assessments are being conducted.

What I find most worrying is the principle when the government can just change laws to remove environmental protection without any public consultation.

— Dua LipaHighlighting concerns about legislative changes and lack of public consultation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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