CCE: Montenegrin Presidents have awarded 200 state decorations over the past 20 years, but the awarding procedure remains insufficiently regulated

Over the past 20 years, the Presidents of Montenegro have awarded a total of 200 state decorations. However, there are still no clearly defined rules specifying who may nominate candidates, the criteria used to assess them, or the merits on which recipients are selected - according to the findings of the Centre for Civic Education (CCE) publication „High Honours, Unclear Rules - State Decorations in Montenegro 2006–2026“ by Aleksandra Mihaljević.

According to the publication, Filip Vujanović awarded 110 state decorations during his two and a half presidential terms, Milo Đukanović presented 48 during his single term in office, while the current President, Jakov Milatović, has so far awarded 42.

- The key issue is not who received state decorations or how many were awarded, but rather the fact that the procedure governing their award is insufficiently regulated - the analysis states.

Although the President exercises this constitutional authority in accordance with the Law on State Decorations and Awards, the current legislation does not define who may nominate candidates, the criteria by which their merits should be assessed, or require the President to provide reasons for awarding decorations.

- The analysis identifies three key shortcomings of the current system: there are no clearly prescribed criteria for assessing candidates' merits; the nomination procedure is not regulated; and the President is not required to provide explanations for decisions to award state decorations. In addition, although an official register of recipients exists, it is not publicly accessible through a single electronic database - the publication explains.

As a result of this legal framework, citizens have no effective means of determining whether state decorations have been awarded solely on the basis of merit, since the process is not founded on clearly defined criteria but depends, to a significant extent, on the discretionary judgment of the President.

- The analysis also shows that while patterns of awarding decorations have changed across the mandates of Montenegro's three presidents, the fundamental legal shortcomings have remained unchanged, demonstrating that the issue is systemic rather than personal. The Centre for Civic Education does not question the constitutional authority of the President to confer state decorations. However, an authority of such significance must be accompanied by rules that strengthen transparency and public trust - the organization stated.

According to the CCE, the country's highest state honours are not merely expressions of gratitude but also a reflection of the values the state seeks to promote.

- For that reason, this institution cannot rely solely on confidence in the President's personal judgment, but must instead be governed by rules that enable the public to understand and scrutinize the decision-making process - the publication concludes.

A particular strength of the analysis lies in its recommendations, which distinguish between measures that can be implemented immediately through changes in existing practice and those requiring amendments to the Law on State Decorations and Awards in order to ensure lasting improvements in transparency and accountability.

- CCE recommends that the Office of the President introduce the practice of publishing a written explanation for every decision to award a state decoration, as well as establish an advisory body to review nominations before final decisions are made. These measures could be introduced immediately, without legislative amendments, and would represent an important step toward greater transparency. For the first time, the public would have access to formally reasoned presidential decisions instead of learning about the grounds for awards solely through accompanying press releases issued by the Office of the President - the organization stated.

As a long-term systemic solution, the CCE also proposes amendments to the Law on State Decorations and Awards that would establish clearer eligibility criteria, regulate the nomination process, and create a publicly accessible electronic register of all state decorations awarded, accompanied by explanations for each decision.

- This would, for the first time, enable citizens to easily verify who has received the country's highest state honours and on what grounds. The CCE expects the President of Montenegro, the Office of the President, the Government of Montenegro, and the Ministry of Justice to give serious consideration to these recommendations in order to ensure that the institution of state decorations is regulated in a more transparent and accountable manner, in line with its symbolic importance - the organization concluded.