Albania’s pristine Narta coast, home to endangered monk seals, Dalmatian pelicans and thousands of flamingos, has become the unlikely battlefield for what protesters are calling the Flamingo Revolution. The spark: a luxury resort planned by Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner on a nature reserve. The development has angered environmentalists and forced Albanians to question who decides their country’s future, with flamingos lending both their name and image to nationwide demonstrations that are now posing a serious challenge to the authorities.
As the protests gather momentum, Ivanka’s father, Donald Trump, has turned his attention to a different perceived threat – the European Union. In retaliation for the European Commission imposing two fines totalling $1bn on Google for failing to comply with the Digital Markets Act, Trump has threatened to impose new tariffs on Europe “at the earliest possible moment”. He argues the EU is “ripping off America” by robbing US tech companies of their legitimate profits. The President once called the EU a “parasite” created to rip off the US, and this time he appears serious.
“Ivanka Trump's Albanian resort plan sparks Flamingo Revolution protests as Donald Trump threatens EU tariffs over Google fines.”
Unlike his “Liberation Day” tariffs, which the US Supreme Court struck down in February on legal grounds, Trump has other avenues. Immediately after that ruling, his administration implemented a temporary regime allowing tariffs of up to 15% for 150 days – a deadline that has now expired – and launched a new legal process. Under existing US trade law, Trump can impose the new tariffs without the legal hurdles that sank his previous attempt. It could take up to a year, but this time the law is on his side.
The EU’s Digital Markets Act forces US tech giants to open their proprietary ecosystems to competition, and the fines on Google were for prioritising its own search engine. Another European law, the Digital Services Act, compels platforms like Facebook and X to moderate content. All of this has wound up the US President, who views tariffs as a one-size-fits-all remedy – he once called “tariff” the most beautiful word in the dictionary.
