The chief negotiator of Montenegro with the European Union, Aleksandar Drljević, expressed the hope that after the stabilization of the health situation in the country and in Europe, the positive dynamics of EU enlargement will continue.
A new reason for his optimism is the fact that two days ago the Committee for Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament adopted the Report on the recommendations for the enlargement of the rapporteur in the European Parliament, Tonino Picula.
The document presents the recommendations of the European Parliament to the Council, the Commission and the vice-president of the Commission for Foreign Policy and Security for the Western Balkans, before the Summit for the WB, which was planned for the beginning of May, but the new date will be known only in June.
"The adoption of this document in very specific circumstances, in a situation where all EU members are focused on fighting the corona virus pandemic, represents a clear message of support for the countries of the Western Balkans and encouragement for the continuation of reforms that will lead to fundamental changes in our countries, and therefore and until the criteria are met and progress is made on the way to membership, Drljević told "Vijesta".
And while his optimism is shared by members of the ruling coalition Social Democrats and the Bosniak Party, but also the opposition Social Democratic Party, the Democratic Front and the Democrats are pessimistic.
The key recommendations of the report to the Council, the Commission and the vice-president of the commission for foreign policy and security is to ensure that the improved negotiation methodology results in full EU membership and that the EU ensures clear rules that will not change.
In addition, however, there are also recommendations to ensure free, fair and transparent elections, which the opposition does not believe as a reality. As well as in the rule of law, which, together with democracy and free media, is once again being emphasized as the center of the enlargement process.
President of the Parliamentary Anti-corruption Committee and member of the DF Presidency, Predrag Bulatović, says that "the recommendations are a very high goal for Montenegro at the moment", because, as he states, the government in all segments of the rule of law, the fight against high level corruption and organized crime, freedom of the media, and especially in achieving the conditions for fair and democratic elections, took a few steps back.
"She did it consciously and with the aim of consolidating her own power, primarily using judicial and prosecutorial institutions for unfounded and staged sanctioning and persecution of dissidents and political competitors, but also media and journalists and unsuitable NGOs. It is clear that between the choice between the conquest of European standards and the merciless fight to consolidate the existing government and win it back at any cost in the next elections, the ruling DPS decided for the party's interest," says Bulatović.
Democrat MP Danilo Saranović says that there can be no progress, because the EP Report also insists on democracy and the rule of law: "In all segments mentioned in the report, Montenegro is practically trapped and therefore cannot progress or close the chapters on justice, struggle against corruption and organized crime, as well as respect for human rights and media freedom".
"The report clearly states the strong determination to insist on free, fair and transparent elections, in accordance with international standards, while strengthening the role of civil society as an important actor of democratic consolidation. Bearing in mind that the DPS government is running away from the conditions for fair elections, it is clear that in this field as well, Montenegro is threatened in the EU accession process. This was confirmed by the Committee for Comprehensive Reform of Electoral Legislation, which DPS first obstructed, and then ran away from the 200 solutions and 16 legislative projects of the Democrats for the first fair and free elections in the country, cowardly pulling out the Law on Freedom of Religion, which divides citizens," says the Democrat MP.
Bulatović and he agree that key institutions for the rule of law have been "trampled" and placed under the control of the top of the DPS, either through the acting state or because "personnel function unconstitutionally". In the first case, it is the Prosecutor's Office, in the second case, the Judicial Council, the presidents of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court.
BS spokesman Adel Omeragić welcomes the recommendations of the Picula report on EU enlargement on behalf of the party. "We are talking about recommendations that we point to all the time... I especially emphasize negotiation chapters 23 and 24, which refer to the judiciary, human rights, individual and collective, the rule of law in general, freedom of the media, etc... All this is important to us , not only in the negotiation process, but in order to build a more mature and responsible society, and therefore stronger institutions", says the BS spokesperson.
And his colleague from SD Nikola Zirojević is satisfied that, as he says, the countries of the Western Balkans, despite some tones that could be heard in the past period, can still count on European partners and that successes will be adequately evaluated by EU members.
He reminded "Vijesti" that serious work was done to create conditions for free elections: "We worked hard on the set of new electoral laws and I am sure that those adopted will contribute to the improvement of the electoral process. When it comes to the chapters on justice, the fight against corruption and organized crime, they are perhaps the biggest challenge for our country, but they are also a challenge that we are working hard on and which, I am sure, we will finish by fulfilling the necessary criteria and closing the chapter. ", says. He pointed out that "the same applies when it comes to respect for human rights and media freedom".
Drljević: We received confirmation that we can count on the EU
"It was expected and quite natural that the pandemic affected the priorities of all world governments and countries, including the agenda of the EU and its members, putting the dynamics of enlargement on the back burner and directing all energy to the defense of citizens' lives and thinking about mitigating the consequences of the pandemic safe to leave. Nevertheless, the pandemic did not affect the view that the enlargement policy is the most successful and one of the key policies of the EU, as well as that the admission of new members must continue in the future. As could be heard at the Board session, the key recommendations of the report refer to the need to ensure an improved negotiation methodology, clear rules and criteria and measures of advancement, with constant support during the accession process," says chief negotiator Aleksandar Drljević.
"The question of speeding up the dynamics of the enlargement process and in regular circumstances does not depend only on the candidate states, as was shown before, when the internal challenges of the EU delayed positive decisions on the continuation of integration. Nevertheless, the most recent example - the achievement of a political agreement on the opening of accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia, confirms that the enlargement of the EU continues at a serious pace. The support was not absent even during the pandemic, and I am not only referring to significant financial aid to the health systems of the Western Balkan countries, but also to the message we received, namely that we can count on the EU, as well as that we are united in the belief that the place of the countries of this region in the European community of states. I believe that the messages from the European Parliament, in the form of the Report on Recommendations, will be an additional motivation for the Montenegrin administration and the entire society to continue with activities on the way to membership. The obligations before us must be implemented. I hope that, after the stabilization of the health situation in the country and on the territory of the European continent, we will witness the positive dynamics of the EU enlargement and that, when it comes to our country specifically, we will be able to continue closing the chapter and opening the remaining unopened one, for which we are have been ready for some time," Drljević told "Vijesti".
"This month, the legal system has additionally collapsed"
"The EU administration itself has not shown readiness to act more energetically and warningly. The 'non paper' for chapters 23 and 24 was more direct in its assessment of the situation, but the government does not touch it if it is not accompanied by an action that would also influence internal public opinion to realize that the EU does not support this situation. The question of choice is crucial. The regular appointment for them is October. At this moment, we have the absence of a minimum agreement between the government and the opposition, and the question is whether it can be reached in this time. Only one of the issues that DF has been problematic is that there are more than 100.000 undocumented people in the voter list. In addition, there is control over the possibility of one person voting more than once... The situation now is that the DPS ignores the facts that there are no conditions for fair elections and is already using the pandemic situation indefinitely to brutally score political points on the plight of citizens. In the past month, the legal system has additionally collapsed, which is very important for the rule of law, freedom of the media, as well as for the upcoming elections," says the President of the Anti-Corruption Committee, Predrag Bulatović.
The space for excuses and justifications will be narrowed
SDP General Secretary Ivan Vujović estimates that the adoption of the Report on the Western Balkans Enlargement Policy by the European Parliament is another positive signal for the entire region and an indicator that shows that after several years of substantial stagnation, new enthusiasm for EU enlargement is beginning to emerge.
"That's why I believe that the period ahead is a period of intensification and not of slowing down the enlargement policy, which is undoubtedly one of the most successful European policies. Recently, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, clearly emphasized that the countries of the region can count on support, but that it depends on the speed and quality of reforms. What is particularly pleasing is the expectation of a change in the pace of the negotiation process, in such a way that the process will be more politically and less bureaucratically oriented, with precise mechanisms for affirming real and sanctioning simulated reforms. The space for excuses and justifications of the local authorities, in which they are otherwise unsurpassed, will be narrowed due to the lack of results and progress on the European path", says the SDP official.
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