Parliament backs proposal to amend the Constitution with 74 votes in favour, draft constitutional amendments to be voted on Thursday

Members of the Parliament of Montenegro today approved the Government's proposal to amend the Constitution in the sections relating to the composition and mandate of the Judicial Council and the Prosecutorial Council, as well as the proposal to amend the constitutional provision governing the Central Bank of Montenegro. The proposal received 74 votes in favour, with three MPs voting against and no abstentions.

Parliament also approved the proposal requiring the Constitutional Committee to prepare the draft constitutional amendments within four days and submit them to Parliament. This motion also received 74 votes in favour, with three votes against.

Speaker of Parliament Andrija Mandić called on the Constitutional Committee to convene as soon as possible to finalise the draft constitutional amendments, in order for Parliament to vote on them on Thursday, 9 July, at 5:00 p.m., in accordance with the political agreement reached.

Chair of the Constitutional Committee Jelena Božović said the committee would meet tomorrow so that Parliament could vote on the draft constitutional amendments on Thursday.

Mandić confirmed that the Constitutional Committee would meet tomorrow, with the parliamentary vote scheduled for the following day.

The three MPs who voted against were Milan Knežević, Vladislav Bojović and Jelena Kljajević of the Democratic People's Party.

Knežević said it should be noted that not everyone had reached an agreement.

- We did not vote, which means we are the only opposition in Parliament. I have no problem with that fact, but it should be made clear that not everyone supported this and we will not do so, because that would amount to one-party thinking. We are not North Korea. I congratulate everyone on what has happened over the past few days. I hope there will be a dinner tonight with (EU Delegation Head Johan) Sattler and (German Ambassador Peter) Felten. Please send them our regards - Knežević said.

Mandić expressed hope that Parliament would already be able to vote on the appointment of Constitutional Court judges and members of the Fiscal Council by Friday.

- Everything is moving in the right direction. Montenegro is demonstrating great strength, unity, energy, and momentum. We are moving forward - Mandić said.

Representatives of the ruling majority and the opposition held talks on 5 July under the mediation of the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro and reached an agreement, which was formally signed today ahead of the parliamentary vote. Speaking at a press conference today, Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) President and MP Danijel Živković said the opposition had demonstrated that the interests of the state were more important than party interests.

According to Živković, the agreement provides for amendments to the Law on Internal Affairs and the Law on the National Security Agency, a broad political agreement on appointments made by Parliament, particularly to the Fiscal Council, the Judicial Council, the Constitutional Court, and the Council of Radio and Television of Montenegro.

He added that the agreement also envisages solutions regarding amendments to electoral legislation, as well as the establishment of a working group tasked with overseeing mechanisms to prevent the misuse of state resources during election campaigns.

- About 90 per cent of what we requested in our platform has been accepted - Živković said.

As previously reported, the parliamentary majority and the opposition agreed two days ago, among other things, to establish a working group to monitor the implementation of the Law on Internal Affairs and the Law on the National Security Agency, as well as to intensify efforts to appoint two judges to the Constitutional Court.

Following the meeting on 5 July, the EU Delegation stated that the agreement represented a significant step towards strengthening political dialogue and building mutual trust between the parliamentary majority and the opposition.

- This is particularly important in the context of reaching agreement on constitutional amendments and other decisions requiring a qualified majority in Parliament, all in the interest of Montenegro's European future - the joint statement said.

The statement added that, through dialogue on the Platform for Overcoming the Parliamentary Crisis during a crucial phase of Montenegro's EU integration process, participants agreed to initiate amendments to legislation in the fields of internal affairs and national security, with the aim of improving certain existing legal provisions.

- The amendments will, among other things, address the procedures for appointing members and the composition of the Security Clearance Commission under the Law on Internal Affairs, as well as strengthening mechanisms of judicial oversight within the Law on the National Security Agency - the statement reads.

To ensure more effective monitoring of the implementation of legislation in the fields of internal affairs and national security, Parliament will establish a special working group composed of representatives of both the ruling majority and the opposition. The group will oversee implementation of the relevant legislation, examine reports submitted by competent authorities, and regularly report to the Parliamentary Committee on Security and Defence.

- The meeting participants also agreed to intensify, without delay, efforts to appoint two judges to the Constitutional Court and to conduct an inclusive dialogue on all parliamentary appointments, with the objective of securing the broadest possible consensus between the government and the opposition – the statement reads.

They „reaffirmed their commitment to implementing priority electoral reforms as part of fulfilling the political criteria for EU membership, while continuing dialogue aimed at strengthening public confidence in the electoral process and improving democratic oversight mechanisms ahead of future elections“.

It was further agreed that both the parliamentary majority and the opposition would strive to adopt decisions related to electoral reform before the 2027 elections by consensus, through responsible and inclusive political and social dialogue.

The statement concluded by noting that participants had also agreed to continue political dialogue on issues of particular importance for Montenegro's further progress on its path towards EU membership.

Last week, European Union Ambassador to Montenegro Johan Sattler assessed that the country stood before a historic opportunity to conclude its EU accession negotiations within a relatively short period and become the next member state of the European Union. However, he stressed that this would require securing a two-thirds parliamentary majority for key reforms.

- Montenegro has a genuine opportunity to conclude its accession negotiations with the European Union within a relatively short timeframe and become its next member state, as confirmed by EU leaders at the Summit in Tivat. Seizing this opportunity depends primarily on Parliament's ability to secure a two-thirds majority before the summer recess for the key decisions required in the accession process. These include constitutional amendments related to European integration, the appointment of the remaining Constitutional Court judges, the appointment of members of the Judicial Council, and the adoption of the remaining electoral legislation - Sattler said.