“Flamingo Revolution” is the name protesters gave to demonstrations that began in May 2026 at Zvërnec, near the Narta Lagoon in southern Albania, against a planned luxury resort on the coast and on Sazan Island. The project is backed by US investor Jared Kushner.
The pink flamingo, which winters in the lagoon, became the movement's symbol. Prime Minister Edi Rama's government says the project will bring investment; opponents say it threatens a protected area. The protests have since grown into wider criticism of the government.
Opposition politician Ervin Salianji accused PM Edi Rama of degrading the state across all sectors, saying Rama attacks media outlets he cannot control. Salianji claims Rama threatened media that are not under his control and accused him of ignoring weapons trafficking and health sector scandals.
Original headline: “Rama nuk mbron godinën e News24, por fut aty Ron Yeffet dhe Analfabet Veliun”, Salianji: Këtu skandalet zënë njëri-tjetrin. U harrua trafiku I armëve dhe “KAYO” në shëndetësi
Opposition MP Klevis Balliu accused PM Rama of obstructing justice and protecting the SHISH intelligence agency, comparing this stance to how Rama handled the Balluku case. Balliu says there cannot be a serious investigation without the PM's suspension from office.
Original headline: Skandali me SHISH/ Balliu reagon pas deklaratave të Ramës: E njëjta skemë si me Ballukun, nuk ka hetim serioz pa pezullimin e kryeministrit nga detyra
Democratic Party parliamentary group leader Gazment Bardhi met with the new Dutch Ambassador to Albania, Marleen Monster, on Monday. The discussion focused on relations between the two countries, Albania's EU integration process, and political developments in the country.
Original headline: Gazment Bardhi takon Ambasadoren e re të Holandës në Shqipëri: Krimi dhe korrupsioni kanë kapur shtetin
Former Democratic Party deputy Ervin Salianji criticized the opposition's approach, accusing Sali Berisha of being a "patsy" keeping PM Edi Rama in power. Salianji claimed that without Berisha, the prime minister would have fallen within two months.
Original headline: “PD duhet të ngrejë në këmbë Shqipërinë, këta ikin për turizëm në Strasburg!”, Salianji: Berisha patericë e Ramës. Nëse nuk do të ishte ai, kryeministri binte për 2 muaj
Ervin Salianji claims that Belinda Balluku is the only person Rama will not touch and allegedly blackmails him over this. Salianji alleges that Rama told SPAK not to touch Balluku or Vlora Hyseni, and that certain ministers are puppets chosen for their connections to crime.
Original headline: “Ballukun mos e prekni, Hysenin…”, Salianji: Ministrat Nufi, Dufi, Bufi janë kukulla! I zgjedh Rama për lidhjet e tyre me krimin
Opposition politician Ervin Salianji says a National Security Council meeting did not resolve the SHISH scandal situation and calls it one of the most serious incidents for the state. Salianji claims that two people bear responsibility for Vlora Hyseni's appointment as SHISH chief.
Original headline: “E dini përse i la Ergys Agasi dokumentet në makinë që t’i gjente SPAK?”, Salianji: Dy personat që ndikuan në emërimin e Vlora Hysenit në krye të SHISH
Opposition Democratic Party deputy Jorida Tabaku stated that European integration requires more than chapter openings and must bring changes in governance, institutional strengthening, and an end to impunity. She said that investigating senior officials is not a certificate of purity for the government.
Original headline: “Drejtësia po vepron, fund pandëshkueshmërisë”- Tabaku: Hetimi i zyrtarëve të lartë nuk është certifikatë pastërtie për qeverinë!
At an Interparliamentary Conference on EU enlargement, Prime Minister Edi Rama requested a clear perspective for integrating Western Balkan countries, while the EU ambassador and rapporteur for Albania in the European Parliament Andreas Schieder focused on reforms and their implementation. Rama urged that EU enlargement decisions not be delayed.
Original headline: BE i vendos detyrat Shqipërisë: Reforma, zbatim dhe rezultate konkrete për anëtarësimin në 2027
An opinion piece by Enton Abilekaj argues that since organized cannabis legalization by the government in 2016, numerous major scandals have occurred, hundreds of people have been arrested, and thousands of facts suggest corruption and crime have political status. The article references incinerators, sterilization, files 339 and 184, the Cyrbja case, and deputies and municipal leaders removed under decriminalization law.
Opposition leader Gazment Bardhi criticized Prime Minister Edi Rama's statements attacking News24 and Syri Tv television channels. Bardhi accuses Rama of evading accountability and of making public accusations against media and opponents while demanding that persons under investigation be presumed innocent.
Original headline: Gazment Bardhi: Rama sulmon mediat që nuk i kontrollon dot dhe s’janë pjesë e oborrit të tij
Justice institutions including the Supreme Court and the Special Court against Corruption refused to participate in a roundtable convened by Prime Minister Edi Rama to discuss magistrates' salaries. The Prime Minister's Office responded by expressing willingness to continue dialogue.
Original headline: Justice institutions reject Rama’s roundtable, Prime Minister’s Office responds
Prime Minister Edi Rama commented on the flamingo protests while speaking at a conference on EU enlargement, saying many false reports have circulated during this period. Rama told European parliamentarians that Albanians know what they want and that there are debates within Albania, though details are cut off.
Original headline: Shqiptarët i kërkojnë dorëheqjen, Rama flet para europarlamentarëve për protestat: Jeni argëtuar me flamingot, por…
The National Security Council, convened by President Begaj, concluded its meeting on Monday at the Palace of Brigades, attended by Prime Minister Edi Rama and heads of security institutions.
Bulgarian writer Georgi Gospodinov openly supported the Flamingo Revolution at the Sintrak arts festival in Tirana, delivering a speech about the need for unity. The article discusses the writer's stance and his relationship with the public during the ongoing protests.
Original headline: Kur populli e bojkoton shkrimtarin, para se shkrimtari të bojkotojë popullin
The Supreme Court upheld an arrest warrant for Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj. The article criticizes the ruling majority's response as hypocritical political theater rather than accountability.
Four organizations have filed a request with the Constitutional Court to annul government decision No. 596 of September 25, 2024, which removed a protected status designation and downgraded protection for the Pishë Poro-Nartë area. The organizations are also seeking suspension of the decision's implementation until the court issues a final ruling.
Original headline: VKM-ja që i zhveshi mbrojtjen Nartës dërgohet në Kushtetuese
Journalist Vjolanda Peca from Citizens.al was escorted by police while reporting from the September 17, 2026 protest. SafeJournalists expressed serious concern that her mobile phone remains in police custody even after her release.
Original headline: Organizatat e medias denoncojnë sjelljen e policisë ndaj gazetares së Citizens.al
A delegation of 14 Albanian parliamentarians (7 from the government and 7 from opposition) accompanied five MEPs to Nartë and Zvërnec as part of the EU Stabilization and Association Committee. Citizens protested the visit in Vlora, chanting "Albania is not for sale" and "Cancel the law."
Original headline: Eurodeputetët rikthehen në Zvërnec, Reintke i bashkohet protestës
An opinion piece by Olsi Nika reflects on the fence with barbed wire that citizens of Zvërnec encountered in late May, which blocked access to a coastal area where construction work had begun. The author notes that the conflict over that fence was one of the moments that sparked citizen outrage and the protests that became known as the "Flamingo Revolution".
Discussions in parliament's Natural Resources Commission on repealing three laws opposed by citizens during the 'Flamingo Revolution' protests for 115 days were held on September 21-22, covering laws on Protected Areas, Strategic Investments, and others. The discussions have been postponed indefinitely.
Original headline: Diskutimet në Kuvend të “tre ligjeve famëkeqe” shtyhen pa afat
