Lord Nathaniel “Nat” Rothschild, the person who introduced Edi Rama to Jared Kushner on his yacht and one of the most well-known people in the world of finance, has publicly expressed concern for the second time about the way the Albanian government has treated the Butrint National Park.
In a comment published in response to Channel 4 journalist Lindsey Hilsum, Rothschild initially praises the Albanian prime minister, but then dwells on the decisions that, according to him, have damaged one of the country’s most important natural and cultural assets.
“Edi Rama is a unique politician, someone I admire and has done many good things for Albania. But the reduction of 800 hectares from the Butrint National Park in 2022 and the 2024 legislation on strategic investments, in the way it applies to national parks and protected areas, is not in line with Albania’s obligations under the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, with its commitments to membership in the European Union, and with the spirit of environmental protection that has been carefully built over the last three decades,” he writes.
Through this reaction, Rothschild criticizes two decisions that have been at the center of public debate: the removal of about 800 hectares from the territory of the Butrint National Park and the legal changes of 2024 that paved the way for strategic investments even in protected areas.