Fri Nov 07 14:13:29 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary:
Serbian lawmakers passed a controversial bill allowing a Kushner-linked company to develop a luxury complex on the site of a former Yugoslav military headquarters in Belgrade. The project, facing strong public opposition due to the site’s historical significance and anti-NATO sentiments, has sparked protests and accusations of corruption. Critics argue the bill undermines Serbia’s legal system to benefit hidden interests. The government defends the project as a boost to the economy and ties with the U.S., while Kushner’s company has pledged a memorial to NATO bombing victims. Similar projects are planned in Albania.
Here’s the news article:
Serbia Approves Kushner-Linked Luxury Complex Amid Protests and Legal Concerns
Belgrade, Serbia – November 7, 2025 – Serbian lawmakers on Friday approved a special law paving the way for a $500 million luxury real estate project in Belgrade financed by Affinity Global Development, an investment company linked to Jared Kushner, son-in-law of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
The controversial bill, which faced fierce opposition and street protests, allows for the demolition of a former Yugoslav military complex, partially destroyed in a 1999 NATO bombing campaign, to make way for a high-rise hotel, luxury apartments, office spaces, and shops.
The project has ignited public anger due to the building’s architectural and historical significance, and its symbolic value as a symbol of resistance to the NATO bombing widely viewed in Serbia as an unjust “aggression.” Anti-NATO sentiment remains strong in Serbia to this day.
While the pro-Trump government of President Aleksandar Vucic claims the project will boost the economy and strengthen ties with the United States, critics argue the law undermines Serbia’s legal system and represents corruption. Transparency Serbia warned it “represents a combination of the two most dangerous forms of corruption – the legalisation of law violations and the tailoring of general rules to fit hidden interests in one specific case.”
Opposition lawmakers have described the law as a “crime,” accusing the government of sacrificing a heritage site for “casinos and Jacuzzis.” Hundreds of protesters rallied outside Parliament with banners condemning the project.
President Vucic claims investigations into potential document forgery relating to the property are due to foreign interference to disrupt relations between Serbia and a potential future Trump administration.
Kushner’s company has committed to building a memorial complex within the site dedicated to the victims of the NATO bombing campaign.
The Serbian protests come after another youth-led protests in the past year shaking grip on power of Vucic, and accusations of government corruption in state projects. The protests started after a concrete canopy collapsed at a train station in the northern city of Novi Sad after renovation, killing 16 people.
The move follows a similar approval earlier this year in Albania, where Kushner’s company is planning a $1.6 billion investment to transform a communist-era fortified island into a luxury resort.
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