Anatomy of the Flamingo Revolution in Albania
What some circles initially called the Flamingo Revolution began as a small protest by residents of the small town of Zvernec and the surrounding Pishe Poro-Narte area, along with environmental activists, in Albania. They opposed the construction of a luxury tourist destination within a nature reserve in their region, specifically on Sazan Island, a former military base in the Adriatic Sea. Given its pristine natural beauty and its lagoon, which provides shelter to endemic birds such as flamingos, the area was designated a Nature Sanctuary. However, this status did not sway the Albanian government under Prime Minister Edi Rama from proceeding with the luxury resort development.
An incident then occurred during a protest against the resort’s construction where a resident was dragged by project security. The police monitoring the demonstration did nothing to protect the citizen. This event subsequently went viral across Albania, enraging the public. What was once a local demonstration gradually became a mass movement that spread nationally, with the capital Tirana becoming the centre of the movement opposing the tourism project. The protest, initially a citizen initiative to protect the pristine environment and nature sanctuary, transformed into a protest against the manner in which state officials manage public land and property.
The masses are not only opposing PM Edi Rama but are also challenging Albanian opposition leader Sali Berisha, who is also a former president and prime minister. The crowds criticised the Democratic Party, led by Sali Berisha, for lacking a clear stance on the tourism project in the nature sanctuary. In essence, the Flamingo Revolution is not just a movement against the government, but also against the entrenched establishment of the entire political system in Albania over the last 35 years since the communist regime collapsed in 1992. They are not protesting a particular government or party, but the entire system of state administration where the interests of oligarchs and foreign capital are intertwined to the detriment of the people. Chanting the slogan ‘Albania is not for sale’, the masses demanded the cancellation of the Zvernec project, the resignation of Rama, and an end to policies that benefit oligarchs and foreign investors linked to those in power.