Milatović: No individual must be allowed to obstruct the European path, and institutional irresponsibility should not be met with the same response

President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen is coming to Montenegro at a time when there is a certain degree of institutional tension. I want to make it clear that no individual in the country must be allowed to obstruct our European path and that institutional irresponsibility should not be met with institutional irresponsibility, because that can only deepen the crisis.

This was stated by President of Montenegro Jakov Milatović in comments to the media following the conference „Reform of Local Self-Government on the Road to the EU“, organised by the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro.

He was referring to the fact that a quorum was not even established at the parliamentary session at which the dismissal of Parliament Speaker Andrija Mandić was supposed to be discussed. Mandić had expressed condolences over the death of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić, after which the opposition announced that it was suspending cooperation with the parliamentary majority until a debate on the matter was allowed.

Montenegro, Milatović stressed, needs democratic maturity and stability in order to bring this process to completion.

- That is the main message: full membership of Montenegro in the EU in 2028. That is what the largest number of citizens want, and as President of Montenegro I always repeat that message - Milatović emphasised.

Answering journalists’ questions, he pointed out that, in accordance with the constitutional deadline, elections should be held between April and June next year, and that he would speak with representatives of all parliamentary parties ahead of deciding when to call them.

- That is what I can say at this point. You know that all local elections will be held in June. Whether the parliamentary elections will be held on the same day or separately from the local elections - that is the subject of the discussions I will have with representatives of the political parties - he said.

He warned that Montenegro had too easily forgotten that nothing had been done in the area of electoral reform.

- Is anything being done about it? Nothing is being done. We currently have a paradoxical situation because, if elections had to be called tomorrow, there would be no institution in Montenegro capable of organising them. Where does that happen? Find me a country in the world where such a situation exists - Milatović pointed out.

He stressed that this was irresponsible towards the citizens of Montenegro.

- I honestly have no words for it. I call on MPs in Parliament to resolve this situation as urgently as possible, because full responsibility lies with them - the President said.

Von der Leyen is arriving in Montenegro tomorrow and, according to Milatović, this is a regular annual visit that also includes Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Albania and North Macedonia.

- Her agenda is such that, in Montenegro, she will be received by the Prime Minister (Milojko Spajić) and me. We will then have a joint meeting and a working dinner with her tomorrow evening. She will also attend the opening of the Coordination Centre, which should further improve the monitoring and control of Montenegro’s border. This is a project financed with EU funds, and it is also part of the broader context of Montenegro’s accession process. So I think it is good that von der Leyen is coming. I am sure that, as always, the discussions with her will be open - Milatović said.