Leader of the Europe Now Movement (PES) Milojko Spajic yesterday, as expected, he was proposed as a mandate for the composition of the government, but getting a mandate and forming the executive power are two different processes, because the success of one does not guarantee the result of the other - said the executive director of the Center for Monitoring and Research (CeMI). Ana Nenezic.
She said this to "Vijesta" after Spajić was yesterday from the head of state and a party colleague Jakov Milatović received a mandate to try to form a cabinet.
"Although on the surface it may seem that the process is going smoothly, with the declarative readiness of most parties to support the government of Mr. Spajić, a deeper analysis shows that there are many complex issues that need to be resolved before a consensus can be reached," said Nenezić.
She said she expected the negotiations to form a government, which have been ongoing for two months, to be complex and likely to take a long time.
Milatović announced that, during his consultations with the parties, Spajić was supported as a candidate by the parties that have 44 seats in the parliament - PES with partners, the Democrats, the Bosniak Party (BS), the Socialist People's Party (SNP), the Albanian Alternative (AA), the Democratic Alliance of Albanians (DSA), Democratic Union of Albanians (DUA), Forca and Croatian Citizen Initiative (HGI).
He stated that a certain number of parties, primarily from the coalition For the Future of Montenegro (ZBCG), expressed their readiness to support Spajić after a possible agreement on the government. He stated that the Social Democrats (SD), who after consultation said that it was logical for Spajić to be the mandate holder, were not among those who supported the head of PES.
"During the consultations, it was not a question of what is logical and what is not, but who the subjects support for the mandate," he added.
According to the unofficial information of "Vijesti", PES and ZBCG reached an agreement in principle on the entry of that coalition into the government after the meetings held this week. According to the newspaper, all that remains is to specify which departments will belong to ZBCG.
This was indirectly confirmed yesterday by a deputy from the ZBCG list Jovan Vučurović, stating that his coalition expects to be a strong factor in the future government.
"The situation is clear. There is no reason to procrastinate, but to concretize the agreements and reach a solution," he told the Mina agency.
ZBCG allegedly gave up the position of head of the Assembly, which she insisted on at the beginning of negotiations on a new government.
PES announced yesterday that they expect the continuation of the negotiations, which are now taking on a formal character, with the aim of reaching an agreement as soon as possible, which, as they stated, will prevent the loss of time "on topics and issues that benefited a privileged group of people ".
"The mandate for the composition of the new European government will have the task of constituting a new executive power that will improve the standard of living of all citizens of Montenegro and speed up the path to our country's full membership in the EU," said PES.
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According to the Constitution, Spajić now has three months to get the support of at least forty-one deputies and form a government.
Milatović said that if Spajić was unable to do so, he could return the mandate.
"The law on the president stipulates that in that case I have the obligation to conduct a new round of consultations, and then give the mandate to someone else," added Milatović.
Negotiations are also complicated by foreign influences
Ana Nenezić says that it is not known now whether the interests of the parties participating in the negotiations are to really support Spajić, or to lead to new elections that would follow if the leader of PES fails to form a government, although at the same time they provide him with declarative support.
He states that post-election negotiations are an integral part of parliamentary democracies, but that the socio-political context in Montenegro brings additional challenges that go beyond the usual post-election negotiations.
"There are several elements that make this situation particularly complex. Above all, it is the heterogeneity of future coalition partners, whose interests will be challenging to harmonize and put at the service of the public interest," she added.
The situation, he says, is further complicated by external influences.
He reminds that, on the one hand, the EU and the USA have clear expectations regarding the pro-European orientation of the new government and the fulfillment of obligations in the context of NATO membership. On the other hand, he says, parties like those from the former Democratic Front (DF), which are close to the authorities in Serbia, have a different set of priorities, including issues such as the recognition of Kosovo and relations with Russia.
"Exactly because of this, forming a political and not programmatic government, that is, not setting as a precondition in the negotiations clear programmatic determinations that will have the policy of EU accession at the center, would be an obstacle that cannot be overcome in the later period", warns Nenezić.
Identity issues, which, according to her, have always been a sensitive topic in Montenegro, are no less important, she added. He says he believes those issues will play an important role in the negotiations.
"The attitude towards the rights of minorities, the church, education and language will certainly be the subject of intense discussions. Although important, I believe that the focus must still be on a broader idea that brings people together, as opposed to topics that have divided Montenegro for decades. Insisting on these issues during the negotiations and conditioning support for them will be an indicator of hidden motives for participating in the negotiations, without the real intention that the future government of Mr. "Really support Spajić", said the interlocutor.
We will see if Spajić is a leader who builds bridges
Nenezić reminds that immediately after the election, Spajić explicitly ruled out the possibility of cooperation with the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) and the Citizens' Movement (GP) URA, and that it is therefore clear in which frameworks he can move.
"If he decides on the direction of cooperation with the parties of the former DF, he faces not only the reactions of the international community, which was explicit in the message that he does not see these parties as partners, but also the representatives of the parties of less numerous nations, who have clearly announced that they will not to be part of such a government", she stated.
The question, she added, is how much support Spajić has from the political entities that made up the PES parliamentary list, as well as PES itself.
"Without the full and certain support of these entities, it will be difficult to convince future coalition partners that he can coordinate such a heterogeneous composition, if he cannot do it in his immediate environment. Taking all these factors into account, I expect that the negotiations on the formation of the government will be complex and probably long-lasting", she said.
Considering all these factors, she said, the future government will have to be extremely adept at navigating through these complex challenges, and that requires a strong leader with political authority.
"Leadership is needed that is able to negotiate and build bridges between different political factions while maintaining focus on key national priorities. If he succeeds in forming a government, we will see very quickly whether Mr. Spajić is such a leader," concluded Nenezić.
Milatović, after giving the mandate to Spajić, wished success to his party colleague.
"... In an effort to form a stable and professional government, which will be capable of dealing with the key challenges facing Montenegrin society", he said.
The leader of the Democrats Aleksa Becic announced, after awarding the mandate to Spajić, that he was sure that the government would be elected before the legal deadline. He said that "no one can do it alone", and that it is important to once again support Spajić.
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"...And that we all start working within our knowledge as soon as possible and show that it is possible to be a European, modern and stable country", added Bečić.
The BS announced that Milatović's decision to propose Spajić as a candidate was expected. BS spokesman Adel Omeragić he told Portal RTCG that it is important for Montenegro to get a new government, which will work dedicatedly to strengthen the standards of citizens.
A majority of 41 MPs means nothing
Speaking about political stability, Ana Nenezić says that the majority of forty-one MPs in the current circumstances means nothing, in terms of achieving publicly presented priorities.
"The minimum support that Mr. Spajić is the one who will enable the judicial system to be finally unblocked, ensure the passage of laws in the parliament and support for the planned reforms. Without such support, Mr. "Spajić will not be able to do what he promised, especially because on the other hand he will have an ever stronger opposition from parties that have had the opportunity to exercise executive power and that have the necessary political experience to block and prevent the mandate and the government from implementing the planned activities," she said. is.
In addition, as she added, the key tasks on the European path include the need for reforms in other sectors, such as education, health, infrastructure and economic development.
"Each of these sectors carries its own specific challenges and will require consensus in order to achieve progress," said Nenezić.
"Spajić to create conditions for the election of a pro-European and pro-NATO government"
The SD welcomed Milatović's decision on the mandate, saying that they expect Spajić to behave responsibly and to create the conditions for the election of a credible pro-European and pro-NATO government as soon as possible, after official consultations with political actors, as well as the creation of a "valuable parliamentary majority".
"The thesis (of Milatović) that 'no political subject questions Montenegro's membership in NATO' practically means nothing, because considering the procedure and the time frame for leaving the alliance, we know that Montenegro cannot leave NATO, but "It is essential that, especially in the Cold War atmosphere we live in, the future constituents of the government are truly committed to strengthening the credibility of Montenegro in NATO, as well as NATO's unique support to Ukraine," they said.
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