Montenegrin presidency hits back at Đukanović over European integration remarks
“Montenegro's European path did not begin yesterday, but neither did the problems that have slowed it down for decades. Political influence over institutions, corruption and organised crime did not emerge after the change of government in 2020. That is why it is difficult to accept that those who held almost all the levers of power for decades now present themselves as the sole benchmark of European values,” the Office of the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, said in a statement.
When former president Milo Đukanović says that the world did not begin in 2020, it is worth recalling that it did not cease to exist when he left office either, the Office of the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, said today, CE Report informs via the Montenegrin government website.
“Montenegro's European path did not begin yesterday, but neither did the problems that have slowed it down for decades. Political influence over institutions, corruption and organised crime did not emerge after the change of government in 2020. That is why it is difficult to accept that those who held almost all the levers of power for decades now present themselves as the sole benchmark of European values. And when former president Milo Đukanović says that the world did not begin in 2020, it is worth recalling that it did not cease to exist when he left office either,” the statement said.
Speaking in Cetinje last night at a ceremonial plenary session marking the 20th anniversary of the restoration of Montenegro's independence, Đukanović said, among other things, that he was no longer surprised when certain political actors claimed that the world began with them.
Milatović's office said that three decades in power had provided more than enough time to build independent institutions, a strong judiciary and a system in which nobody was above the law.
“Political responsibility for what was not accomplished during that period cannot be erased by a change in political position. Montenegro cannot join the European Union with pensions of €125 and salaries of €300, institutions under political influence and criminal clans that grew stronger during his rule. Nor can it join with scandals such as the ‘Limenka’ affair, failed state guarantees paid for by taxpayers, controversial concessions for the exploitation of natural resources and unresolved issues surrounding cigarette smuggling. These are matters that require answers, not political amnesia,” the statement said.
Milatović's office added that when the change of government took place in 2020, Montenegro had provisionally closed only three EU accession negotiating chapters.
“Today, it has provisionally closed 23. This is significant progress, but it does not mean that the new authorities are beyond reproach. The period since 2020 has also not been free of party influence, political calculations and missed opportunities. It is particularly problematic that some of those who promised to break with old practices have begun repeating them. Nevertheless, Montenegro's European path cannot be credited to any one individual, just as responsibility for slowing it down cannot be attributed exclusively to Brussels,” the statement said.
The statement noted that the political changes of 2020 and 2023 had opened a new phase of European integration and demonstrated that the country's European prospects did not depend on the political fate of one person or one party.
“Today, Montenegro is in a different position than in 2020 in several important economic and development indicators, and this progress should neither be denied nor politically appropriated. That is why it is important to clearly distinguish between the state and the government. A democratic change of government is not the destruction of the state, just as losing political power does not mean losing the state. Montenegro did not cease to exist when the government changed in 2020, nor can its European future become anyone's political property,” representatives of Milatović's office said.
The statement added that European values entail accountability, the rule of law, independent institutions and equality before the law.
“They cannot be reduced to a political slogan appropriated by those who once governed the country and now criticise its problems, nor are they a privilege reserved for those who came to power promising change. Montenegro's European path belongs to its citizens. Political responsibility for missed opportunities must be attributed to those responsible, regardless of who is currently in power. Montenegro does not need new political masters, but institutions that are stronger than any individual. That is the essence of the European path and the responsibility of everyone involved in politics,” the Office of the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, said.
Photo: Pexels (Free Stock Photos)
