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Albanian Leader Rejects Complaints About Kanye West Concert

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Prime Minister Edi Rama is under fire over a proposed resort with Trump ties, and a planned concert by the controversial musician known as Ye. In both cases, he cites the need for tourism.
Listen · 5:38 minAlbania’s prime minister, who has faced protests over development plans for a luxury resort linked to the Trump family, this week defended another contentious tourist attraction — an upcoming concert featuring Ye, the musician once known as Kanye West.
Edi Rama, the prime minister, said in a social media post on Wednesday that Albania has allocated about $4.5 million for the event, set for Saturday. He called it “a fantastic opportunity to promote Albania as a tourist destination” for music lovers.
Mr. Rama’s post did not offer further details on how the $4.5 million would be spent. But in May, Albania’s tourism minister, Blendi Gonxhja, said a temporary stadium for the event was being constructed to accommodate 60,000 people, according to Albania’s state news agency.
Ye has generated global outrage with antisemitic statements and expressions of admiration for Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, which he has subsequently retracted, among other inflammatory actions. And his current tour has stirred debate, some protest and the cancellation of several European dates, though his shows have also drawn droves of music fans.
Mr. Rama expects the concert in Albania to generate at least $114 million and defended government expenditures as necessary “to avoid embarrassing Albania in the eyes of nearly 25,000 visitors from 80 countries who had long since purchased tickets.” He said the event would drive consumption and benefit “families, businesses, and municipal and state coffers.”
Rancor over the Ye concert comes as Mr. Rama contends with anger over development plans for a luxury resort, on Albania’s Adriatic Sea coast, which Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, is helping to finance. Those plans could encroach on an environmentally sensitive haven to flamingos and other birds. Recent protests in the capital, Tirana, involving thousands, have been called the “Flamingo Revolution.”
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