Residents of the “Doctors’ Valley” neighborhood in North Mitrovica have addressed local and central institutions with an official request for protection against the threats and unlawful actions of the company “Elektroserver,” which, according to the residents, has threatened massive disconnections from the electricity network for those who do not pay an amount of 1,000 euros per household, despite the lack of individual meters.

In their letter, addressed to the Mayor of North Mitrovica, Erden Atiq, the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, the Minister for Communities and Returns, Elbert Krasniqi, as well as local and national media, the residents list a series of specific demands, including that the disconnection threat be canceled as illegal, that lump-sum payments be prohibited and that payment be required only based on individual meters for each household, that every household has direct access to read its own meter, that electricity bills be delivered in separate envelopes for each house, that addresses be in Albanian (“Lagjja Lugina e Doktorëve – Mitrovicë e Veriut”), not “Kosovke devojke – Severna Mitrovica,” that bilingualism be respected in all state and private institutions, and that a municipal protective commission be established to safeguard citizens from institutional and private abuses.

“They are demanding an enormous sum of around 1,000 euros per household—even for those who do not currently live in the neighborhood. Residents report contemptuous and unprofessional behavior from ‘Elektroserver’ staff, with no translation into Albanian, the display of Serbian state symbols in the office, and refusal to engage in dialogue. They recall that in the past they faced energy discrimination, especially in 2011, when they had only 2 hours of electricity per day, while Serbian neighborhoods had regular and uninterrupted supply. Based on the Brussels Agreement signed in February 2024, it was planned that electricity meters would be installed by May 2025, while citizens would temporarily pay a lump sum of 21.6 euros per month. However, the installation of meters has not taken place, and now residents are being asked to pay 54 euros per month, an amount they claim was arbitrarily set by ‘Elektroserver.’ Residents appeal to the institutions to intervene as soon as possible to stop the injustices, ensure regular and equal electricity supply, and guarantee linguistic, administrative, and legal equality for all citizens of North Mitrovica, regardless of ethnic affiliation,” the statement reads.