I met Esmeralda, a small business owner based in Tirana, while I was walking alongside a fired-up crowd during the “Flamingo Revolution”, the name given to public protest sparked by the Albanian government’s selling-off of protected coastal land. I approached her for an interview after I spotted her intriguing flag in the Flamingo crowd. It read: “Europe is not a flag, it’s a standard.”
She sat down with me to explain what her message means, and we had a great chat about what she thinks about EU accession, democracy, corruption, women, Islam, identity, and patriotism.
Enjoy! And make sure to follow Esmeralda on Instagram
Show notes (AI generated)
In this episode of Peaked, Róisín speaks with Albanian writer, astrologer and entrepreneur Esmeralda Petrela, whom she met during the protests in Albania that became known as the “Flamingo Revolution.”
The conversation begins with Róisín’s impressions of Albania after visiting Tirana and travelling through the countryside, before moving into the protests surrounding development in Albania’s protected coastal areas and the flamingo symbolism that came to represent the movement.
Esmeralda explains the meaning behind the protest sign she carried, which combined the European Union flag and a flamingo to argue that European standards should also mean protecting nature. From there, the discussion expands into Albania’s EU accession process, protected-area legislation, the Strategic Investments Law, Edi Rama’s government and the European Commission.
Róisín and Esmeralda discuss why an environmental protest became a much wider expression of dissatisfaction with the Albanian government, touching on healthcare, pensions, policing, corruption, informal economic activity and Albanian national identity.
The conversation then moves into Albania’s communist and atheist past, religious identity, Islam, the hijab and changing attitudes towards religion.
The second half of the episode focuses heavily on LGBTQ visibility, Pride, transgender identity, transgender healthcare and the relationship between social change, public policy and EU accession.
The episode concludes with a discussion of women in Albania, female entrepreneurship, femicide, political representation, Albanian literature and Esmeralda’s own work as an astrologer, writer and entrepreneur, including her novel Ajlen and her planned astrology app, Tsunavi.
Featured Topics
The Flamingo Revolution
Vjosa-Narta Protected Area
Sazan Island
Jared Kushner and the proposed resort development
Albania’s Strategic Investments Law
Protected-area legislation
Edi Rama
Marta Kos and EU enlargement
Albania’s EU accession process
Corruption and informal economic activity
Albanian nationalism and national identity
Albania’s communist and atheist history
Religion and religious identity
Islam, the hijab and social pressure
LGBTQ visibility and Pride
Transgender healthcare in Albania
20,000 Species of Bees
HIV and transgender women in Peru
Women and feminism in Albania
Andon Zako Çajupi’s Fshati im
Esmeralda Petrela’s Ajlen
Astrology and Harta Astrologjike
Tsunavi
The Flamingo Revolution
The episode examines the protests that emerged around development in Albania’s protected coastal areas, particularly the Vjosa-Narta Protected Area and the proposed development connected to Sazan Island.
The flamingo became the central symbol of the demonstrations because of the flamingos and wider biodiversity found in the protected wetland environment. Esmeralda explains that the protest initially centred on protecting the area and repealing legislation that allowed strategic investment and construction in protected areas, before broader grievances against the government became part of the movement.
Róisín describes seeing the natural landscape and the bulldozers that became an important visual trigger for the protests.
Albania, the EU & Protected Areas
Róisín and Esmeralda discuss Albania’s EU accession process and the environmental standards that candidate countries are expected to meet.
They discuss the relationship between Albanian legislation, EU accession chapters and the role of the European Commission.
On 14 July 2026, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said that environmental protection is part of the EU membership criteria and stated that before the protests began, the EU and Albania had already agreed that Albania would repeal the 2024 amendments to the protected-areas law and repeal the Strategic Investments Law. (Qeveria Shqiptare Keshilli i Ministrave)
Marta Kos / EU-Albania Intergovernmental Conference:
https://www.kryeministria.al/en/newsroom/konference-e-perbashket-per-shtyp-e-kryeministri-edi-rama-ministrit-te-shtetit-per-ceshtjet-europiane-dhe-mbrojtjen-te-irlandes-thomas-byrne-dhe-komisioneres-europiane-per-zgjerimin-marta-kos-pas/
Edi Rama & Investment in Albania
The conversation looks at Edi Rama’s promotion of investment in Albania and the controversy surrounding the Strategic Investments Law.
In March 2025, Rama urged people planning to invest in Albania to do so, describing the country as a place with investment opportunities.
Edi Rama on investment:
https://www.balkanweb.com/en/neser-do-te-jete-vone-rama-koha-qe-kushdo-qe-e-ka-ne-plan-te-investoje-ne-shqiperi-pjesa-me-e-mire-e-jona-malet/
Rama later discussed investment and the Kushner-linked project in a meeting with journalists from EU member states.
Edi Rama meeting with EU journalists:
https://www.kryeministria.al/en/newsroom/takim-i-kryeministrit-rama-me-gazetare-dhe-perfaqesues-te-mediave-nga-vendet-e-bashkimit-europian/
Transgender Healthcare in Albania
In May 2026, Albania introduced guidance concerning hormonal treatment for transgender people through the public healthcare system. Euronews Albania reported that the guidance set out medical criteria, clinical procedures and monitoring for hormonal treatment. (Euronews)
A subsequent clarification from Deputy Health Minister Eugena Tomini said the guidance was intended for adults and was a clinical guidance document rather than a final therapeutic protocol. (Euronews)
Euronews Albania:
https://euronews.al/urdhri-i-zv-ministres-se-shendetesise-terapia-hormonale-per-personat-transgjinore/
Clarification from Deputy Health Minister Eugena Tomini:
https://euronews.al/terapia-hormonale-per-personat-transgjinore-zv-ministrja-tomini-sqaron-udhezuesi-referohet-vetem-te-rriturve/
The episode also discusses a separate March for Life protest in Tirana concerning transgender hormonal treatment and public healthcare.
Euronews Albania — March for Life:
https://euronews.al/terapia-hormonale-per-transgjinoret-koalicioni-shqiptar-pro-familjes-dhe-jetes-marshim-me-rastin-e-1-qershorit/
20,000 Species of Bees
Esmeralda refers to the Spanish film 20,000 Species of Bees, directed by Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren and starring Sofía Otero.
The film follows an eight-year-old trans girl during a summer in the Basque Country and explores childhood, identity and self-discovery. Sofía Otero won the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Film:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21113962/
Peru, HIV & Transgender Women
Róisín refers to research she had been watching concerning HIV, sex work and transgender women in Peru.
A 2024 study of 211 transgender women aged 16–24 in Lima reported an HIV prevalence of 41.5%. It also found that 50.7% reported sex work during the previous 30 days and 47.9% reported condomless anal sex during the previous six months. (PubMed)
Research:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39041820/
Women, Family & LGBTQ Rights in Albania
The episode discusses Albanian couple Alba Ahmetaj and Edlira Mara, who held an unofficial rooftop wedding in Tirana in 2024.
The couple have twin daughters and have faced legal difficulties obtaining recognition as joint parents. Reuters reported on the couple’s wedding, their fight for equal recognition and the online hostility and threats they faced. (Reuters)
Reuters:
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/loving-protest-albanian-lesbians-marry-unofficially-2024-05-20/
Women in Albanian Culture
The conversation turns to women, female employment, entrepreneurship, femicide and political representation in Albania.
Esmeralda describes a cultural history in which women could be breadwinners and refers to Albanian poetry that criticised men who left women to carry the burden of work.
She mentions Andon Zako Çajupi’s “Fshati im” (“My Village”), a poem contrasting women working in the fields and running the household with men sitting in the shade and living from their wives. (Albanian History)
Andon Zako Çajupi — “Fshati im”:
https://albanianhistory.org/albanianliterature/authors_classical/cajupi_poetry.html
Esmeralda Petrela
Esmeralda Petrela is an Albanian writer and astrologer. Her astrology work and personalised astrology charts have been featured by Albanian media. (Top Channel)
She is also the author of the novel Ajlen, published by Botimet Dudaj in 2018.
Harta Astrologjike:
https://hartastrologjike.carrd.co/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio
https://top-channel.tv/2016/10/05/harta-astrologjike/
Tsunavi
At the end of the episode, Esmeralda discusses Tsunavi, an astrology app she was developing at the time of the interview. She describes it as a combination of Western and Vedic astrology, offering personalised timing and predictions relating to areas including love, career, money, travel and mood.
Esmeralda says the app was still in development and that she hoped to launch it in August 2026.
Guest Links
Esmeralda Petrela
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/esmetrela/?hl=en
Host
Róisín Michaux
Substack
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