Nikola Đurašković re-elected mayor of Cetinje

With the votes of seventeen councillors of the Capital City Assembly, Nikola Đurašković has been re-elected as Mayor of Cetinje.

Đurašković also served as mayor during the previous four-year term.

Support for Đurašković was provided by councillors from the Social Democratic Party and Citizens, the Civic Movement URA, the Old Guard of the Liberal Alliance, councillors of the „For a European Capital“ group, and a councillor of the Social Democrats.

Councillors of the Democratic Party of Socialists and two independent councillors did not attend  the Assembly sessions, while Democratic Party councillors justified their absence from today’s session.

Đurašković was initially appointed to the position on February 28, 2022, following the local elections held in Cetinje in December 2021.

His mandate has been extended until June 2027, when local elections are expected to be held in all municipalities in Montenegro.

After signing the solemn declaration, Đurašković reminded those present of the importance of Cetinje, which, as he stated, represents for him the greatest source of motivation, foundation, and obligation.

- When we assumed responsibility for governing Cetinje four years ago, we knew that the path ahead would not be easy. We knew we were inheriting a city burdened with debt, poor infrastructure, and a system that had for years functioned at the expense of the future. What we could not fully foresee, however, was the level of pressure, labeling, and accusations that followed simply because we chose to govern Cetinje freely rather than obediently. We were told we had betrayed, that we had made mistakes, that we had turned our backs - yet we did only one thing: we turned toward Cetinje. We did not respond to insults with words, because Cetinje has never won its battles through noise and empty rhetoric. We responded with work and results. We responded with every completed kilometer of road, every renovated public space, every sports field, and every project that restored faith that this city can and must do better - Đurašković said.

Addressing those present, the mayor referred to numerous projects that had been implemented in the previous period after being postponed for years, including the reconstruction and construction of a new water supply network, the construction of a wastewater treatment plant, as well as development projects such as the Kotor-Lovćen-Cetinje cable car, the construction of the „Lokanda“ Hotel with the reconstruction of Students’ Square and the construction of an underground garage, along with demographic policies that have become an example of best practice in the region.

- The growth and realization of the projects we see today are the result of strategic planning and responsible governance. To fully grasp the significance of this transformation, it is enough to recall that in 2021 the Capital City’s budget amounted to 7.27 million euros. Today, with the 2026 budget standing at 17.1 million euros - an increase of more than 135 percent - Cetinje has the capacity to plan long-term, implement major investments, and take responsibility for projects that shape its future. However, the strength of a budget is not measured solely by its size, but by the ability to actually implement what is planned. That is why it is important to note that in 2021 the Capital City’s capital budget was realized at around 50 percent, whereas in the years that followed, and particularly in 2025, we implemented capital investments in full, at 100 percent. This approach has positioned Cetinje among the leaders in Montenegro in terms of capital budget realization - Đurašković emphasized.

In closing, Đurašković said he is ready to continue serving Cetinje honorably, responsibly, and transparently - not because of the office, but because of the city, its children, its future, and the values that must be preserved.

- Finally, I promise that in the period ahead we will continue to work quietly, responsibly, and persistently, guided by the same principle that has led us from the very first day - we work for Cetinje. Not for mandates, not for divisions, and not for short-term political gains, but for a city that safeguards its values and looks confidently toward the future - Đurašković concluded.