WORLD NEWS FOR MONTENEGRO DIASPORA
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The Serbian Orthodox Church is, unfortunately, an active political factor in Montenegro, and is often used as a means of external interference in domestic political processes - it was assessed in the report on the progress of Montenegro for the year 2022, which was authored by the Croatian representative Tonino Picula, and which adopted today in the European Parliament.
In a statement from Picula's Cabinet, it is reminded that today, with 529 votes in favor, 51 votes against, and 53 abstentions, the European Parliament adopted the report on the progress of Montenegro, the last in this EP mandate.
Picula, as stated in the announcement, stated with regret that he had expected and hoped that he would have the opportunity to give his last speech on the Progress Report of Montenegro beginning with congratulations to Podgorica for bringing to an end the long, demanding and exhaustive negotiations on membership and a joint celebration of the closing of all negotiating chapters.
Unfortunately, the actual situation, as it is today, largely denied my, and not only my, expectations. Although Montenegro has opened all negotiation chapters, none of them have been closed in the last six years - stated Picula.
Formally, Montenegro, as pointed out, is still the leader of the European enlargement policy process.
In practice, EU enlargement gained new political relevance after the Russian aggression against Ukraine, the list of candidates expanded, but almost all other countries advanced compared to their previous positions, while Montenegro missed its opportunities. In the adopted Report, the European Parliament notes that the political situation in Montenegro is continuously burdened by blockades, and the political scene is dominated by internal conflicts and political turbulence. Support for progress towards membership was often limited to formal declarations only, while some elected political representatives were spokespersons for policies of external interference - the report concluded.
The European Parliament also welcomed the results of all the elections that took place in Montenegro in the meantime, and we respected the legitimacy of all the elected officials entrusted to them by the citizens of Montenegro.
Equally, the EP respects the will of almost 80 percent of Montenegrin citizens who unequivocally support Montenegro's accession to the European Union. This information should be binding on all political actors in Montenegro and could serve as a cohesive factor in a highly polarized society - said Picula.
The report also properly registers and positively assesses that Montenegro is fully aligned with the EU's common foreign policy, including with regard to sanctions against Russia.
They also welcome the appointment of three new judges of the Constitutional Court as a step towards solving the constitutional crisis, and the Report registers an improvement in the prevention of corruption and a positive trend in the work of the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption.
The adoption of a new strategy for the reform of public administration for the period from 2022 to 2026 was also positively assessed, but the lack of progress in its implementation was also noted.
Furthermore, the representatives welcome the introduction of stricter penalties for attacks and threats against journalists and the establishment of an ad hoc committee to monitor violence against journalists.
The signing of the updated agreement between the EU and Montenegro on operational cooperation in border management with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) was also noted, and the decision to end the citizenship-by-investment program is especially welcomed.
All these positive steps would mean much more if parallel work was done to eliminate systemic problems, primarily detected in the benchmarks in Chapters 23 and 24, which refer to the rule of law and the judiciary, they say in the Report.
Picula also referred to the issue of the implementation of the population census, another important factor in ensuring stability in Montenegro.
In order to eliminate any doubts about the population census, we are not talking about boycotting it, but we support the implementation of the census as a contribution to the development policy of each country. What we are suggesting is that the census is not used as another political tool to further polarize society. Removing political blockages would be a constructive prerequisite for its maintenance in an open and transparent manner, without any political interference - said Picula.
He hopes that in the next mandate, Montenegro will develop all its capacities and manage to overcome internal divisions in practice, and not just declaratively.
And truly dedicate yourself to the achievement of the set goals. Not because of the EU, but above all because of the citizens of Montenegro - concluded Picula.
POBJEDA
