The presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), the current president and leader of that party, Milo Đukanović, said that the goal is for the average salary in Montenegro to be equal to that in the European Union.
"Today, when we say our goal is neither 700 euros average salary, nor 900, but our goal is the average salary of a citizen of the European Union, because we want this country to be a member of the European Union, we think and believe that it can do it in the next five years of the mandate the president of the state. I am convinced that it can be done faster, but in such a way that we win the presidential elections, that we win the parliamentary elections, that we form a responsible government, that the government continues to implement reforms, that at the moment when we enter the European Union we have the conditions for our citizen has the average salary of a citizen of the European Union. It's a sustainable approach, it's an approach that protects the country, that protects our house, it's not an adventure, it's not an illusion, it's not deceiving people", said Đukanović to those present from the Nikšić local communities of Straševina, Kličevo, Rastoci and Ćemenac.
He said, as reported by DPS, that "it is in the civic interest that each of us lives better".
"Each of us, when thinking about our attitude towards the upcoming elections, seems to me to have to take into account two very important aspects. The first is what is the civic interest of each of us. That civic interest is that each of us lives better. If a person does not have that ambition, then he is not responsible enough, and if politics does not have that as its goal, then it is not a smart policy. In the end, let me say that the interest of every responsible policy must be to improve the living standards of the people whose interests it represents. Therefore, we certainly do not differ here, and our interest is that here pensions grow, wages grow, and people live better. What makes us different from our political competitors. In that we think that politics should not be a means of manipulation. We must not mislead people, we must not create an illusion for them. It is an illusion if you promise people that they can have constantly increasing wages regardless of whether they work or how they work. It's an illusion, because it's simply not economically sustainable," Đukanović pointed out and continued.
"If you promise people that they will live on loans for the rest of their lives, the question arises whether there are enough crazy people who will give loans so that you can spend irresponsibly. And unlike the irresponsible people, we are responsible people, for fourteen years we managed the economy of this country. It was a time when the economy was moving forward very dynamically, a time when we doubled wages and doubled pensions. Of course, someone will say it could have been done faster. This was the fastest from a realistic basis. It could have been faster to create an illusion that would lead us to bankruptcy. "She didn't bring us into bankruptcy, but she preserved a stable country and a stable economy," said Đukanović, stating that the approach to things was exactly that.
"The election campaign is always a time when people present themselves in a better light. I tried never to make unrealistic promises and to make sure that I fulfilled what I promised. So even in this campaign, I don't want to present myself with any easy promises. Instead, I present myself with what I did."
"I was at the head of the state when we preserved peace in it. I was at the head of the state when we strengthened inter-ethnic harmony and received 120.000 refugees. I was at the head of the state when we established the economic sustainability of Montenegro, for the first time in its history. I was at the head of the country when we protected it from NATO bombing. I was at the head of the state when we signed an agreement with Serbia to reduce tensions and postpone the referendum for three years so that the referendum could be held in conditions of full stability. I was at the head of the state when we rebuilt it. I was the head of the country when we introduced it to NATO. I was at the head of the country when we brought it to the lobby of Europe. That's my ID. I'm not promising you how we will pave everything with gold, but I'm just telling you - what I promised, I fulfilled. Even today I told you that in the next five years we will be in the European Union, we will see if we live," Đukanović pointed out.
The president of DPS also spoke about the tightening of relations between Russia - Europe and Russia - America, as well as the circumstances that brought Montenegro and the entire region "to a new dilemma".
"Unfortunately, that conflict on the East-West route is dramatically breaking right through our region, not sparing Montenegro either. Russia has its own interests, they belong to a great power, that is not in dispute, but history also teaches us that the big ones in both the East and the West are easier to agree with each other than to take care of the small ones. On the contrary, they don't think much of the little ones and the little ones have to take care of themselves. So when Russia plays with the Balkans, which is completely small, and not only Montenegro, then it plays by using the most retrograde Balkan policies to achieve its interests. So, he is playing with the nationalists again. "Balkan nationalists have raised their heads again, they have activated their large-state projects and are looking at how they can expand their territories and how they can change the borders," said Đukanović.
"Greater Serbian nationalism wrote in its strategic documents that Montenegro should belong to the Serbian national corps. And many times throughout history, Greater Serbian nationalism tried to win over Montenegro and succeeded in doing so in 1918. We are to our credit that we no longer live in Greater Serbia, but live in our state house, which our ancestors poured over with blood and libertarianism. Even today, we are again obliged to defend that house," Đukanović emphasized.
He said that "nationalisms have taken off again".
"Nationalists believe that their policy is good, but that they did not have a good time in the XNUMXs, and that now with the help of Russia they can achieve their goals. So, in these elections in which we choose the president, we are playing the first half of the election cycle and we need to finally confirm our determination to follow the path we have chosen, not to correct that path and not to falter in the face of the onslaught of nationalism," he said.
Đukanović also spoke about "the preoccupation that every responsible person has, which is – what kind of country do we want to live in".
"This is especially relevant when we consider what I said at the beginning - the renewed aggression of nationalists. Nationalists mostly tear at the civil state and the multi-ethnic society. They prove that coexistence of people of different religions and nations is impossible. We in history and today have a completely different experience.
"King Nikola knew how to organize life with minorities in Montenegro. We had something to rely on and we had a good foundation when it was necessary to receive refugees from Serbs from Croatia, refugees from Bosnia, and various other refugees, including refugee Albanians from Kosovo in 1999. We had a good foundation, we had an open house for all of them. We helped everyone who was in trouble and confirmed the famous Montenegrin humanity and hospitality. However, I said the Balkans would not be as backward as it is if it had more political wisdom. None. We believed when we ended the war in the territory of the former Yugoslavia in 1995, that the lesson was learned that it is impossible, even for our century, to return to the same stupidity," said Đukanović.
Đukanović underlined that Montenegro can only be a civil state "or it doesn't exist", and that "the moment we make a mistake and go after any kind of nationalism, the bigger and more powerful from our environment will tear Montenegro into pieces".
"It is imperative that we have to preserve the civil state of Montenegro. The backbone of the civil state of Montenegro is the DPS and this has been shown during the stormy thirty years from the nineties onwards. Why was there no war in Montenegro in the early nineties? Of course, thanks to the wisdom of people who knew all this that I am telling you about, but they knew it precisely thanks to this tradition that I told you about. They knew that they should not turn their guns on someone because they are of a different religion or nation, and all around us they turned their guns on people just because they are of a different religion or nation. But our people also knew that and that is the wisdom of our people, but the politics that governed the state of Montenegro at that time also knew that. Thanks to this cooperation of politics and citizens, we have preserved the state of Montenegro", concludes the president of the DPS, saying that he believes that now it is extremely important to return the "solid backbone of the civil state of Montenegro to the government".
"When you don't have a backbone in the government, then unfortunately your state policy starts to sway from one corner to another." And unfortunately, he very often serves the interests of others more than the interests of his country and his people. We have seen all this clearly during these two and a half years. That's why I think it's very important that we remain persistent to defend the civil state of Montenegro and to lead it further towards Europe", said Đukanović.
Đukanović also referred to, as he said, "Belgrade's interest and participation" in the presidential elections in Montenegro.
"Not a day goes by when we don't hear the message from all political and media addresses from Belgrade that this is their historic chance. My opponent in the first round, Andrija Mandić, said it very honestly - we won on August 30 and we had a problem in the position of president, to achieve our goals. He didn't say what their goals were, but he didn't have to, we know what his goals are. Their goals are that Montenegro does not exist. And it's true, I was an obstacle for them, and I told them during all our conversations - I am, I am an obstacle for you and I will be for you as long as I live", said Đukanović.
"Their calculation is - if they win now in the presidential elections, they will of course confirm that they are the parliamentary majority in the parliamentary elections and continue to rule for the next four years with a complete government infrastructure. With the parliamentary majority in the parliament, with the Government and with the president. That they realize the interests of Greater Serbian nationalism, and the interests of Greater Serbian nationalism are to bring Montenegro to its knees and to join it to the 'Serbian world,'" said the DPS president.
If it were not so, as he stated, "Belgrade would not be sending and spending as much money as it is spending these days".
He reminded the people of Nikšić about the last local elections in that city and about the "battle for Nikšić" which was fought from Serbia, and which, according to him, clearly shows what it is all about.
"I asked in a TV duel - have you ever heard that we from Montenegro are fighting for Kragujevac or Nis?" No. So, why are you leading the battle for Nikšić? Why are you leading the battle for Budva? Because you want Montenegro as your province. Well, it can't, it can't, until you get it from us", said Đukanović.
At the end, he said that "this is the challenge that Montenegro is facing", and that everything else is just "an embellished reality, which we do not need, because an embellished reality will put us to sleep, so we will wake up when it is too late".
"The opportunity is not to allow this now on April 2, and after that things will go easier than until April 2. Therefore, if we all want what we are talking about enough, if we want to pave the way for the restoration of the normality of political life in Montenegro on April 2, and if we want to return to the path of prosperity, then not only must we all be at the polls, but we must think carefully if we have anyone else to take with us.
"Every vote is important. We have to do our best to have as many of them as possible on Sunday evening, so that afterwards we meet in good health and in a good mood and celebrate another victory in a row of European and democratic Montenegro", concluded the presidential candidate DPS -a.
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