Businesses across Kosovo are staging a major protest today, Wednesday, in Skënderbeu Square, Prishtina, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM. The demonstration is a powerful backlash against the Energy Regulatory Office’s (ERO) decision to implement a free energy market, which came into effect on June 1. Business leaders are demanding a one-year postponement of this transition, citing catastrophic financial risks.
“1,300 businesses are being forcibly pushed into the free market,” declared Lulzim Rafuna, head of the Chamber of Commerce of Kosovo. He warned that this rushed move would inevitably lead to soaring energy prices, ultimately burdening consumers and pushing businesses into an unprecedented crisis. Rafuna emphasized that while businesses are not against the principle of a free market, they urgently need a transition period to prepare and find competitive offers. He underscored the severity, stating that “143,000 families are in question, businesses are in the biggest crisis today,” and vowed that protests will not cease until the government reflects on the decision.
Skënder Krasniqi, Chairman of the Board of the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce and Industry, revealed the dire situation: out of 1,300 affected businesses, only three have managed to secure agreements with KEK (Kosovo Energy Corporation). “Over 99% of businesses have not reached agreements because they are not satisfied and know the consequences of this agreement,” Krasniqi said. He urged citizens, workers, and businesses, who will be most affected by unpredictable and potentially sky-high market prices, to join the protest.
This demonstration follows a previous protest on May 29, when businesses blocked entry and exit points in Prishtina to voice their dissatisfaction with the abrupt transition to the free electricity market.
