Ivanka Trump’s revelation about transforming Albania’s Sazan Island into a vast luxury destination has become a lightning rod for suspicion and anger. Her promise to “preserve natural beauty” collides with fears of another elite playground sealed off from ordinary people, and with a fragile ecosystem already under pressure. Flamingos, seals, and sea turtles have become symbols in a fight over who the Mediterranean is really for: wildlife and locals, or billionaires and their guests.
The comparisons to Jeffrey Epstein’s infamous island, fueled by old photographs and long-circulated rumors, speak less to proven facts than to a deep public distrust of the ultra-wealthy and politically connected. For supporters, opening Sazan after decades of military use sounds like overdue progress. For critics, it feels like history trying to repeat itself in a new sea, with new names, and the same old shadows.
