In the upcoming local elections, citizens do not choose parties, but the future, the path of development of Nikšić and Montenegro as an independent and prosperous country, which offers every citizen the chance to ensure a better quality of life for himself and his family.
The holder of the "European Team for Nikšić" coalition list and vice-president of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), Sanja Damjanović, said in an interview with "Vijesta" that processes are currently taking place in Nikšić that go back to the not-so-distant past.
"Malignant influences from outside, creating an atmosphere of fear and hopelessness, is a situation that Nikšić and the people of Nikšić do not remember. This is not our Nikšić, the city of intellectuals, poets, creators and good neighbors. Nikšić is our pride, the city where I learned all the right values, to respect every person, to admire creativity and to work for the benefit of my community. Nikšić must remain the flagship of Montenegro and its statehood, its strength and engine of development," said Damjanović.
One part of the public was surprised when you appeared on the DPS list before the elections. Why did you become a member and how do you explain the fact that you quickly reached the position of vice president, if you entered the government as a non-party person?
I have been a member of DPS since the 90s, when political events in the Balkans were extremely complex and difficult. I wanted to be part of a political movement that aimed to return Montenegro to itself and its citizens, and after that to chart the path of European and Euro-Atlantic integration. In the meantime, my career took such a course that it distanced me from actively engaging in politics in Montenegro. I gave my contribution as much as it was possible in the circumstances of living abroad, certainly, unobtrusively to the general public. I accepted the invitation to be part of the 41st Government of Montenegro as Minister of Science with a sense of pride and satisfaction. Nothing can replace love for your country and your fellow citizens with whom you share the same values and common path to the future. I believe that my sincere desire to contribute to the further development of Montenegro with my vision, knowledge and significant international contacts has been recognized. I suppose that, along with the experience I have and the European values I promote, is the main reason for the trust shown to me at the last DPS congress.
While you were a minister, there were hints that you couldn't wait to return to your profession, considering that you are now the vice-president of DPS, does that mean that you have decided to replace your career as a scientist in Switzerland with a political career in Montenegro? Why?
By returning to Montenegro, I show how much I feel and love my country, and that even after everything, I remain a citizen of Montenegro, which for me is the greatest title, because anyone who does not feel their country with a special emotion is, for me, homeless.
My career as an international scientist has not stopped, nor will it stop as long as I am able to contribute to the European scientific community with my work. I consider active political activity in Montenegro my duty, because I am aware of the need of our society for a new vision of development, based on international standards of quality and competitiveness, which alone can ensure a better tomorrow for our citizens. The desire to try to influence our people's awareness of the need for change through political engagement. In order to be an equal member of the society of European nations, our man must change. He has to change his habits, his thinking, his lifestyle. As someone who has lived in European society for so many years and who can rightfully say that he is a citizen of Europe, I want to try to influence the creation of a modern Montenegrin society, a society of European values, from this position.
Your ministerial performance was evaluated positively by a large part of the domestic public and in the reports of the European Commission on Montenegro. What are you most proud of, and what did you not get to do, but wanted to? What of what you did would you recommend to your departmental successor, and what should she do differently?
As I mentioned earlier, the Ministry of Science that I led was made up of a team of top professionals whose only motive was to support the innovative and scientific community to create additional value in the interest of all citizens. All our instruments are guided by the experiences of the most developed countries of the European Union, based on competitiveness and quality, and international and independent evaluation of all projects. As you noticed in the last report of the European Commission on progress, we received the best marks in the region in the research and innovation sector, which is another confirmation of the excellent results of the Ministry of Science. For the first time, a project from the domain of large research infrastructure such as SEEIIST was included in the Economic and Investment Plan of the EU for the Western Balkans, and I am extremely proud of that.
On this occasion, I would not make any recommendations to the representatives of the current Government, because their past moves and look into the past are something that Montenegro will not tolerate for long. We live in the 21st century, and modern trends in the development of global society do not forgive ignorance or incompetence.
How do you comment on the work of the new government?
The work of the new government simply has to be seen through its results, and for now there are none. Although a large part of the first hundred days of the Government's work has already been spent, we persistently and constantly hear from the representatives of the new Government only justifications and excuses, not concrete solutions to the problems in which Montenegrin society finds itself. The current Government, almost all of its ministers, deal with the work of investigative, police and judicial bodies in our country. And we know that it is, above all, unconstitutional. The constitutional division of power into legislative, executive and judicial power does not seem to be valid for the representatives of the current government. We are witnessing pompous press conferences in which we talk about letters sent by DHL to another country and similar daily operational affairs, which are intended to obscure the responsibility for conducting politics and making important decisions with populist spins.
Indeed, I cannot escape the impression of an incredible amount of populism and ignorance that characterize the statements and actions of the vast majority of representatives of the current Government. However, what worries me the most are the relentless efforts of part of the Government and the parliamentary majority to permanently set back the painstakingly built path of European integration through open conflict with our international partners, for the sake of political control of all segments of our society. Many representatives of the international community warn me about this, and they do not hide their concern for the European path of Montenegro if this policy of the current government continues. The harsh messages sent to the Government representatives regarding the adoption of prosecutorial laws clearly and unequivocally indicate the possibility of blocking negotiations and establishing a balance clause, which would be disastrous for the citizens of Montenegro and our overall development. I ask whether the current government consults at all with the representatives of the European Commission and our European partners, in the phase of preparing the law, and whether it is thinking about fulfilling the criteria and guidelines on our European path.
Some analysts believe that the DPS cannot be truly reformed while Milo Đukanović is at its head. What do you think?
By changing the party's organs, then by electing four new vice-presidents, and by many new things that were introduced at the last congress, the DPS strongly started internal reforms aimed at giving the best cadres a chance to regain the trust of the citizens and to lead Montenegro on its path of progress as soon as possible. . This reform policy promotes absolutely superior values advocated by DPS not only in Montenegro, but also in the Balkans.
With your election, is the party trying to get rid of people who are associated with corruption and enrichment while they were state officials, and who have been recognized for years as the top of the DPS?
Anyone who has violated the laws of this country must and should bear responsibility. I will personally fight strongly against corruption and crime with all available means if I have the opportunity. The fight against crime and corruption is a problem not only in Montenegrin, but also in European societies. In Montenegro, it is only more visible, partly due to a certain inexperience and youth of our institutions, partly due to the sheer size of our country. I will promote this attitude to our international and European partners who have recognized these problems themselves through reports on the progress of Montenegro. And yet, using possible abuses of individuals to stigmatize and identify with the politics of one party is, at the very least, cheap political propaganda by certain actors on our social scene. My contribution to the stated values is expressed through my personal work and results, and I assure you that it will be the same in the future. My election and that of the other vice-presidents of the party is the best indicator of the fundamental changes in our party aimed at the democratization of our society and the promotion of the concept of responsibility.
In the old program it is stated that the DPS will work on the restoration of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, in the new program it is stated that the DPS will advocate for the affirmation of the rights of the Montenegrin faithful to an independent Orthodox Church as part of the body of historical rights respecting the rules that apply in global Orthodoxy. Is this an acknowledgment that the DPS made a mistake by proclaiming the goal of establishing a new church so directly from the position of the government?
The policy of our party is based on the Constitution of Montenegro, which proclaims a civil, democratic and secular state that guarantees the right of all its citizens to religious affiliation. We have never divided citizens on religious or national grounds, but have promoted inter-religious and inter-national cooperation as the foundation of a modern society that strives for prosperity. The Democratic Party of Socialists was and remains a pillar of stability in Montenegro, which in the XNUMXs preserved inter-religious and inter-ethnic harmony, and will protect these values from all attacks, no matter who they come from. We are fighting for a prosperous state, a land of opportunities that all its citizens love and perceive as their own, no matter how intimately they feel about any issue. This kind of policy has no alternative for us, and we are not giving up on it. For us, the citizen with all his rights is the center of our policy.
Some corruption cases of DPS officials and businessmen close to him have recently found their way onto the wallpaper of state authorities. Can DPS change the impression of part of the public that it is a party steeped in corruption, crime and nepotism from the top? How? And did DPS lose power because of such a reputation?
The Democratic Party of Socialists is a party made up of many individuals. If some of them, while performing state functions, have violated the law, I will insist and fight for them to bear the consequences established by law in court proceedings. However, I categorically oppose the assessments of a part of the public who, with political spins, want to degrade the reputation of the vast majority of members, sympathizers and functionaries of our party. DPS is a proud party that has always known how to deal with all the challenges it faced, so it will also deal with the above-mentioned and unjustified perception of part of the public. After all, the extraordinary congress showed our commitment to reform, and you can be sure that we will not allow unargued discrediting of any of our members, let alone the entire party. For the sake of illustration, the current Government makes no effort at all to fulfill the promises made to its voters and the citizens of Montenegro and is doing everything to make all positions in the public sector available to its political, party and family members through illegal decisions on dismissals.
Đukanović respects the opinion of associates
Part of the public believes that there are no people among the new vice-presidents who will in any way oppose Milo Đukanović's opinion on anything, let alone his vision of the future of DPS. Have you ever communicated a position contrary to his, and if so what was it?
Contrary to the opinion of a part of the public, the internal organization of the Democratic Party of Socialists is completely democratic and all decisions are made by a broad consensus. All vice-presidents, members of the presidency and party bodies have an important role in the decision-making process for the benefit of our citizens. President Đukanović is a leader who extremely respects the opinion of all his associates and encourages each individual to express his position with the strength of arguments. Only in this way, every organization, including our party, can aspire to be successful. The long-term rule of the DPS is the best confirmation of the democratic way of making decisions within the party. I am sure that in the coming period these processes will be even more dynamic and that the party will give a greater chance to new, young and promising individuals to express themselves even more strongly in the fight for a better and fairer society that should result in a higher quality of life for our citizens.
Candidates for the Parliament soon
Did you decide on who will be the vice-president of the parliament, the president of the anti-corruption committee?
DPS will soon return to the parliamentary benches, as we promised to the citizens who elected us to represent their interests. In contrast to the representatives of the current parliamentary majority, which boycotted the parliament for four years, and regularly received salaries for their idleness and irresponsible behavior towards the citizens of Montenegro. As for the other functions in the parliament that belong to our party, as I mentioned, these are democratic processes that will result in the best personnel solutions that we can offer. Soon these processes will end and the public will find out who will protect their interests in certain positions in the coming period. This is another unequivocal confirmation of the way our party functions, contrary to the opinion of some of the public. With every move we make in the coming period, we will send a clear message to the citizens that DPS is ready for changes and will not make any compromises when it comes to the interests of those who trusted us in the elections, namely the citizens of Montenegro.
Spreading national hatred is a sure way to collapse society
How do you view raising national tensions, sowing hatred on social networks... Can political battles and profiting from discord be a justification for collecting political points?
No nationalist messages should be a tool for spreading national hatred and political profiteering. It is a sure path to the collapse of any society, especially one that is sensitive to that topic. Montenegro is specific in that it is made up of citizens of all religions and nations, and that is its greatest value. All those who try to destroy the foundations of Montenegrin society will quickly find themselves on the pages of our history books. And finally, I want to tell our young people to use the Internet and the latest technologies to acquire knowledge, to gather information and content that can help them achieve better results in school, at work and in life. Believe in yourself and don't let anyone steal your future, but focus on your ideas and interests that will make your life happier and more successful. You can do it, and I will always be with you.
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