Pop sensation Dua Lipa has voiced strong solidarity with Albania's ongoing civic movement, dubbed the "flamingo revolution," which opposes a luxury resort project backed by the family of Donald Trump.
Demonstrators have rallied for six weeks against the €1.6bn real estate investment planned for ecologically sensitive zones in the Balkan nation.
The London-born artist, whose parents are Kosovan Albanian, shared her views during a conversation with Albanian academic Lea Ypi on the Service95 Book Club podcast.
"I find it so inspiring to see how much people really care," Lipa said.
The mega-development is spearheaded by an investor group led by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of the US president, alongside his wife, Ivanka Trump.
In a previous podcast appearance last May, Ivanka Trump described the coastal development blueprints as both "massive" and beautiful.
The project advanced rapidly after the Albanian parliament amended strict environmental protection legislation in December 2024 to permit construction inside protected nature zones.
No evidence suggests Kushner was involved in influencing the legislative amendment.
However, this legislative shift drew criticism from the 30-year-old singer, who questioned the lack of public engagement regarding the policy changes.
"What I actually find concerning is the principle that the government could just change the law to remove the environmental protection without any kind of public consultation," Lipa told listeners.
The sweeping investment blueprint includes extensive infrastructure on Sazan, a currently uninhabited island, and the construction of 10,000 luxury villas along the pristine sandy coastline of the Zvërnec peninsula.
Environmental experts note that both targeted regions function as vital nature reserves within the Adriatic ecosystem, providing critical habitats for rare wildlife and diverse migratory bird populations.
Members of the European Parliament have issued warnings to Albania, noting that its European Union accession goals could face delays if environmental benchmarks are bypassed.
Albania targets full EU integration by the year 2030.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has defended the massive development, labeling it the largest investment in the history of the former communist nation, a "gift to Europe," and an economic blessing for one of Western Europe's poorest countries.
Lipa's public endorsement arrived on the 45th consecutive day of public demonstrations held throughout the capital city of Tirana.
Aleksander Trajce, the head of the Protection and Preservation of the Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA), welcomed the global pop icon's perspective during an interview.
"It was a very powerful statement. A lot of especially younger Albanians, who see her as an idol, have been inspired," he said.
"This is the 45th day of our protests and there is no sign they are going to stop."
When questioned about potential policy reversals by Albanian state officials, Trajce indicated that local authorities are only now initiating delayed environmental studies.
"The government is now beginning to do what it should have done from the start, such as conducting an environmental impact study but on [Zvërnec] the damage has already been done; works have taken place, there has been an environmental crime and people should be held accountable," Trajce stated.
Project developers maintain that the construction will proceed under strict corporate standards, highlighting a corporate focus on long-term value creation, local employment, and responsible environmental stewardship.
