Rama accuses the government of blocking the budget: All vital services have been affected

The Mayor of Pristina, Përparim Rama, has accused the Government of deliberately blocking the capital's budget.

Through a Facebook post, he wrote that "this is no longer a political issue, it is inhumane, deplorable and deeply dangerous."

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For more than half a year, Pristina has been without a budget. And this is no longer a procedural delay – it is a deliberate blockade, which is directly harming the daily lives of citizens.

Nurseries and kindergartens no longer have the funds to provide food for children. Social programs have been blocked. Families in need, people with disabilities, the elderly, artists and athletes have been left without any institutional support.

The risk is alarming and affects all vital services in the Capital: healthcare centers and public transport are at risk of service disruption and preschool education is in difficulty. All vital services have been affected by the government blockade.

The capital city is being blocked from the budget needed to pay its basic bills. An illegal, politically motivated ban that is deliberately paralyzing institutional functioning.

Beyond the central budget, the Municipality of Pristina's own revenues – collected from citizens' own contributions – have also been blocked. This is an unprecedented and unacceptable act that turns citizens into hostages of a political calculation.

Such an administrative blockade, motivated by electoral interests for the local elections of October 12, has exceeded every limit of reason, ethics, and human and institutional responsibility. The capital is being punished because it is not governed by the central structures of the current government.

THIS IS NOT LEADERSHIP – IT IS POLITICAL VENGEANCE AND, ABOVE ALL, IT IS A FLAGRANT VIOLATION OF CITIZENS' RIGHTS TO SERVICES, SECURITY AND WELL-BEING.

We are witnessing an institutional failure and a serious threat to the stability and democratic functioning of the Capital. This approach does not punish one mayor. It punishes an entire city – children, the elderly, families in need, and every citizen who expects basic services.

We will not allow citizens to be penalized. In a situation where political calculation prevails over public interest, we remain determined to protect the citizens of the Capital. For the third time in a row, we have officially addressed the Ministry of Finance, Labor and Transfers, with the request to act in accordance with the Law on Budget Allocations for 2025 and to provide an urgent and legal solution, not to produce new obstacles.

We will use every legal and institutional means to protect our citizens from this flagrant injustice and low political warfare.

This is not just our institutional obligation. It is our moral obligation.