The Council for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms (CPHRF / KMDLNj) has received a large number of complaints from citizens of Kosovo, who report that electricity bills for the month of December are more than 70 percent higher compared to the previous month.

In its reaction, KMDLNj states that such an increase is unbelievable, incomprehensible, and unjustifiable, especially considering the fact that temperatures between the two months did not show significant differences, which rules out the need for increased electricity consumption.

“KMDLNj assesses that this situation constitutes a direct economic abuse and places a disproportionate burden on the budgets of Kosovar families, deepening poverty and social insecurity,” the statement says.

According to KMDLNj, the Energy Regulatory Office (ERO / ZRRE), since its establishment, has continuously acted to the detriment of citizens and regular electricity payers, inflating bills in violation of the law.

“This is also proven by a court decision, which found that ZRRE discriminated against citizens on ethnic and political grounds, without any compensation ever being provided for the damages caused to Albanian and non-Serb citizens,” the statement adds.

Furthermore, according to KMDLNj, the institutional support that the Government of Kosovo has given to ZRRE makes it co-responsible for this situation, identifying it as a participant in the extreme impoverishment of citizens.

KMDLNj also expresses deep concern over the purchase of electricity at high prices, mainly from Serbian and Greek traders, as well as over well-founded suspicions of corruption involving Ambassador Martin Berishaj and acting Minister Artane Rizvanolli.

“These practices directly affect the increase in the price of electricity for end consumers. Likewise, the licensing of operators for electricity trade on nepotistic and political grounds, including persons close to the acting Prime Minister, raises serious suspicions of a well-planned institutional corruption aimed at unlawful gains to the detriment of citizens and the state. Particularly alarming is the granting of a monopoly over electricity purchase and sale tenders to a person named Vuk Hamović, a citizen of Serbia and the son of the former head of the Serbian army during the regime of Slobodan Milošević, which constitutes a serious risk not only economically but also to Kosovo’s national security,” the statement says.

KMDLNj also calls on the Kosovo Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the work of ZRRE since the beginning of its activity, to investigate the granting of a monopolistic license to Vuk Hamović, to investigate the issuing of licenses for electricity trading on nepotistic and political grounds, to investigate political appointments to key positions and dismissals from employment for political reasons, and to investigate all contracts for the purchase and sale of electricity.

According to KMDLNj, ZRRE has announced that in March 2026 it will review operators’ requests for an increase in electricity prices, which would imply an even greater deterioration of the economic situation for the vast majority of Kosovar families. The statement concludes that an increase in electricity prices inevitably leads to an increase in the prices of all goods and services; therefore, citizens should oppose it regardless of which government is in power.