The ambitious plan to revitalise George Bush Street in the heart of Prishtina has caused clashes between the capital’s municipal authorities and the central government, which has escalated into a political showdown.
Construction continued on Monday morning at Prishtina’s downtown ‘George W. Bush square, weeks after the Cultural Heritage Inspectorate interrupted the work in a legal battle between local and central authorities.
On March 12, just two days after construction began on the 18 million euro square revitalisation project, the Ministry of Culture halted the works, citing the lack of proper permits to build in a protected historical area.
The developments and drama surrounding the project have left citizens confused about who holds the correct interpretation, while also serving as a reminder that even a public square can become a battleground in Kosovo.
Prishtina mayor Perparim Rama, who comes from the ranks of the LDK party, has entered the final months of his term, and has continuously argued with ministers whom he accuses of obstructing and prolonging his projects for the capital.
An idea born years ago
Construction halted at George Bush Square on April 18, 2025. Photo: BIRN
The idea to turn George Bush Street, which runs through the heart of Prishtina, into a wider pedestrian and cycling space was first laid out in 2019. Back then, British consultancy Mott MacDonald developed the capital’s 12-year Mobility Plan under former mayor Shpend Ahmeti.
When Përparim Rama took over as mayor in 2021, he revived the project as one of his flagship promises. The proposal included closing the street to vehicle traffic and repurposing it into a vibrant pedestrian zone with green spaces and modern infrastructure.
“We’re going to bring the city back to the people,” Rama often said in public forums during and after the election campaign.
The square would extend even further, eventually closing off a major road that connects the city centre with Ulpiana and the Hospital neighborhood. The proposal has been broadly criticised, especially given that Prishtina is already struggling with heavy traffic and a shortage of road infrastructure.
In December 2022, the Municipality shut down George Bush Street for the holiday market, but the closure continued later into the new year.
Despite earlier assurances that the road would reopen after January 8, 2023, the Municipality instead began subtle modifications to the area: removing the central divider, laying cobblestones, and altering traffic flows. These changes confirmed that the closure was no longer temporary.
The public left in the dark
The queue of vehicles at the entrance to Prishtina on April 28. Photo: BIRN/Denis Sllovinja.
With the closing of the main central road in the capital, as traffic congestion worsened and detours complicated daily commutes, many residents grew frustrated. The lack of clear communication about the permanent closure of a major road only fueled public concern.
For months, the Municipality remained vague on timelines and plans. The road was left closed with no further construction.
In August 2023, a procurement process for the construction works was launched along with some minor works, as the municipality had no budget for the investment planned. (Out of a 40 million euro budget allocated for capital investments in 2025, this project was only foreseen to cost nearly half) and a private-public partnership was seen as the fastest way to implementation.
However, the tendering procedures were temporarily suspended in September 2024 following a complaint submitted to the Procurement Review Body, a legal mechanism that halts procedures temporarily when a tender is disputed.
It wasn’t until January 30, 2025, that a consortium composed of Salillari, Gjini Construction, and Hidroterm was awarded the contract to carry out the works at a total value of 18.1 million euros.
The Municipality publicly launched the project on March 10, 2025, presenting it as a historic step toward urban revitalisation.
Just 48 hours later, however, construction came to an abrupt halt.
On March 12, the Inspectorate for Cultural Heritage, operating under the Ministry of Culture, intervened to stop the works, arguing that the “project had not received the required permits for construction within a protected cultural zone.”
According to the Ministry, the planned square overlaps with the Historical Centre of Prishtina, a cultural heritage site home to four protected monuments.
On April 18, Mayor Rama warned of filing a criminal complaint against acting Minister of Culture Hajrulla Çeku and anyone who unlawfully becomes an obstacle to municipality projects.
Rama accused Çeku of obstructing development projects for political gain and claimed the Ministry’s actions were an abuse of institutional power.
“The justifications for this intervention are unfounded and unlawful. Institutions that are supposed to be independent are now being used to sabotage all major projects in the Capital.”
Rama also argued that the area is not officially registered as a (permanent) protected zone and that the Inspectorate had no legal basis to intervene.
On April 16, Mayor Rama emphasised that the Ministry “ failed to respond to repeated requests for project evaluations.
“Well, I’d be more than willing to engage in a debate—not just in public, but in court,” Minister Çeku responded in a Facebook post.
The Ministry of Culture also announced plans to file a criminal complaint against Mayor Rama, accusing him of “violating procedures and unlawfully initiating a multi-million-euro project without the legally mandated permits.”
“No urban development project, no matter how important, can bypass the legal protection of cultural heritage,” the Ministry said in a public statement.
As a comparison, a similar investment through a public-private partnership in the city centre—specifically the construction of an underground parking facility next to George Bush Street—was carried out during the term of former Mayor Shpend Ahmeti. The property was given for use for 35 years and the municipality receives 15% of the gross turnover.
Stuck in legal limbo
Prishtina Mayor Perparim Rama (R) at the construction site of George Bush Square on April 28, 2025. Photo: Facebook account of Perparim Rama
The George Bush Square controversy is not an isolated case. The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports has flagged at least three other municipal projects as problematic: the redevelopment of Agim Ramadani Street, interventions on Rexhep Luci Street, and the creation of an Urban Island near the Grand Hotel, which would link the ‘Arberia ‘neighbourhood with centre.
According to the Ministry, “all of these projects fall within heritage-protected zones and were launched without consulting the National Council for Cultural Heritage.”
The Municipality has denied these claims and counters that the “Council has been inactive, failing to meet and review projects despite formal requests from city officials.”
This lack of institutional coordination has left many huge projects of the municipality in a legal limbo.
A capital in need of open space
Lakrishte Neighborhood in Prishtina, Photo: Denis Sllovinja/BIRN
Prishtina remains one of the most underdeveloped European capitals in terms of public squares and green urban areas. The George Bush Square project, despite being costly, was seen by many as a step in the right direction toward a more livable city.
Still, the implementation process has revealed deep governance issues. The lack of inter-institutional communication, transparency in procurement, and clarity on legal responsibilities is now overshadowing the potential benefits of the project.
Opposition parties, including Vetëvendosje and the Democratic Party of Kosovo, have joined civil society groups in calling for an investigation. Watchdog organization INPO has asked the National Audit Office to examine the legality of the contract and the financial viability of the project.