TIRANA, June 15 /ATA/ Prime Minister Edi Rama said that the protest against an investment project in Zvërnec is damaging Albania’s image and the tourism season, by feeding a negative and inaccurate perception of the country as unfriendly to the environment, unwelcoming to foreign investment, and unsafe for tourists.
In a statement on social media, Rama added that the protest was no longer connected either to Sazan Island or to Zvërnec itself.
“Cancellations of hotel bookings and road blockages point to a potentially tough economic season for many families and individuals, both directly and indirectly linked to the tourism value chain,” Rama said.
Below is the full statement by Prime Minister Edi Rama:
“Protesters are free to demonstrate peacefully about whatever they wish, in whatever manner and for as long as they choose, but without wishing to sound preachy, I must say:”
This protest is no longer linked to either Sazan or Zvërnec, as the full project documentation and the government’s recorded approach clearly demonstrate that the authorities have acted in line with the public interest and in accordance with the highest international standards and best practices.
This protest is damaging Albania’s image and the tourism season, by feeding a negative and inaccurate perception of the country as unfriendly to the environment, unwelcoming to foreign investment, and unsafe for tourists. Cancellations of hotel bookings and road blockages point to a potentially tough economic season for many families and individuals who are directly or indirectly connected to the tourism value chain.
This protest, which deteriorates into a crowd led by malicious intent on its way toward the airport and blocks thousands of people at night in their free movement, embodies precisely the great harm of extremism that fuels online bullying and disrupts by force the normal rhythm of life for the majority.
I express my regret for the young people, who were left disillusioned after joining an apparently aimless march toward Rinas, motivated by a sense of freedom and independence and the idea of an imagined revolution, until they themselves realized the mistake of following individuals associated with destructive forces, both internal and external, which are seeking to harm Albania. I hope they will soon come out of this state of confusion and distance themselves from harmful influences that have now taken control of the protest.
The protest has also drawn support from a number of public figures in the public sphere, who have engaged with it in different ways, including through street demonstrations as well as social media and other media platforms out of their surface-level thinking that it is free for all, the government will sink under pressure and the time has come for them to work their way up for their benefit.
However, if there are any real beneficiaries of the protest, there are only two.
The Albanian government for sure will draw lessons from the genuine concerns expressed within the protest, addressing them where they are considered legitimate. Meanwhile, the Socialist Party will prove its opponents wrong once the fog clears, reasserting its position and strengthening its role at the center of Albanian politics.
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