There is an unfortunate tendency among American pundits and journalists to assume everything revolves around U.S. politics. Albania is only the latest case in point. In late May, protests erupted in Zvërnec, Albania, over plans by President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to develop a sensitive environmental site into a multi-billion dollar accommodations.

Kushner, however, was only one of many sparks that ignited the protests. Alex Soros, who has cozied up to Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama to win approval for similar developments, was another. So too is Rama’s persecution of Albania’s Greek minority, who populate the Albanian Riviera. On May 12, 2023, for example, Rama’s police arrested Fredi Beleri, an ethnic Greek candidate for the mayoralty of Himara. The charge? He has misspent approximately $100 during his campaign. Albanians saw through the charade — Rama wanted his own henchmen to win to complete his own real estate deals. In that context, Kushner’s development was the symptom but not the cause.