A proposal by the Municipality of Prishtina to introduce a €10 entry fee for non-resident vehicles has triggered a fierce backlash from neighboring municipalities, with leaders warning of sharp countermeasures that could disrupt transit across the capital region.
The controversial measure, which was placed under public consultation on Monday as part of a draft amendment to the Regulation on Fees, Fines, and Charges, aims to charge any non-resident driver entering the capital. While the draft document does not explicitly state the rationale behind the fee, Prishtina has long grappled with severe traffic congestion, compounded by thousands of daily commuters and the controversial decision to pedestrianize George Bush Boulevard.
The Backlash: “Retaliation and Mockery”
The response from surrounding municipalities was immediate. Valon Prebreza, the Mayor of Fushë-Kosovo, warned that his administration is prepared to double the penalty for Prishtina residents if the capital’s proposal is approved.
“If this tax passes—and I highly hope it does not—I, as the Municipality of Fushë-Kosovo, must look at our options,” Prebreza stated, pointing to his municipality’s strategic geographic location as a vital transit hub. “The infrastructure is interconnected; it is virtually impossible for life and commerce to function in Prishtina without passing through Fushë-Kosovo. If they pass it there, we will initiate our own procedures specifically targeting citizens of Prishtina.”
Prebreza admitted that while his initial warning of a €20 retaliatory toll was partly meant with irony to sound the alarm in public discourse, the option remains seriously on the table.
Meanwhile, Halil Thaçi, the Mayor of Obiliq, also condemned Prishtina’s initiative, calling it “an insult and a mockery of citizens.” While Thaçi ruled out imposing a counter-toll on neighboring residents, he confirmed that Obiliq would explore other institutional responses.
“Based on how circumstances unfold, we will certainly respond to this financial burden that the Mayor of Prishtina is imposing on citizens,” Thaçi said. “But I will not stoop to that level and impose a retaliatory tax; I am not a mayor who mocks the public.”
Mayors of other major commuting hubs, including Podujeva, Lipjan, and Drenas, have not yet officially responded to requests for comment.
A Central Hub Under Pressure
Prishtina serves as Kosovo’s primary administrative, educational, and medical epicenter. The city hosts the University Clinical Center of Kosovo (QKUK)—the country’s main referral hospital—and the University of Prishtina, the largest public higher education institution. Both heavily serve residents from the very municipalities now facing the proposed €10 fee.
Civil society activists and legal experts have also raised concerns, arguing that restricting entry or penalizing citizens based on residency may violate fundamental constitutional principles regarding freedom of movement.
The draft regulation remains open for public consultation, but the growing political rift between the capital and its neighbors signals a difficult road ahead for regional cooperation.
