Pop star Dua Lipa has voiced her support for mass demonstrations opposing Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner’s plans to build a luxury resort on an Albanian island.
The recently married British singer, 30, whose parents are Kosovan Albanians, described the protests as “inspiring”, as she slammed plans by President Donald Trump’s daughter and son-in-law to develop a $1.4 billion resort on Sazan, Albania’s only island.
Kushner’s investment firm, Affinity Partners, secured a deal in 2024 for the project. Demonstrations erupted in Tirana, the Albanian capital, after bulldozers and barbed-wire fencing appeared on beaches in late May.
The proposed development has faced widespread opposition from environmental groups and residents over concerns that it will damage the uninhabited island’s natural landscape. In December 2024, the Albanian Parliament fast-tracked the project by making amendments to legislation that permits construction in environmentally sensitive areas.
There is no evidence that Kushner influenced the legislative changes. However, Albanian opposition leader Sali Berisha has alleged that Prime Minister Edi Rama may have been “seeking to buy political influence” from Trump by approving the president’s son-in-law’s development plans.
“I find it so inspiring to see how much people really care,” Lipa told Albanian academic and author Lea Ypi on her Service95 Book Club podcast, referring to the weeks-long demonstrations.
“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,” the singer added.
Albanian environmental activist Besjana Gurri told AFP that Lipa’s remarks send a “powerful message” to the Albanian government.
“I am confident that her voice will help bring greater international attention to this fight and amplify the concerns of the people protesting in Tirana,” Gurri said.
Aleksandër Trajçe, executive director of the country’s leading conservation group, the Protection and Preservation of the Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA), also welcomed Lipa’s comments, telling The Guardian that they were “fantastic” and “well-timed”.
“It was a very powerful statement. A lot of especially younger Albanians, who see her as an idol, have been inspired,” Trajce said, adding that protests were expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
The Daily Beast has contacted Affinity Partners for comment.
