The mayors of the four largest cities in Montenegro have salaries from 1.200 to 1.800 euros, which is more than the average salary in the country, but still less than their colleagues in neighboring Croatia. On the other hand, the salaries of Montenegrin mayors are slightly higher than their counterparts from Serbia.
"Vijesti" compared the salaries of the mayor of Podgorica, Olivera Injac, and the presidents of the municipalities of Nikšić, Pljevlja and Bijelo Polje, with the salaries of their colleagues from the four largest Croatian cities (Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Osijek) and the four largest Serbian cities (Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš and Kragujevac).
By comparing their salaries, it can be concluded that the presidents of the largest municipalities in Montenegro and Serbia "trot" behind their colleagues from Croatia with their salary, some of whom earn up to 1.000 euros more per month than them, although this also depends on the size of the city and local regulations on salaries. etc.
That difference in wages probably reflects differences in the standard of living in these three states.
Compared to Montenegro and Serbia, Croatia has the highest gross domestic product (GDP) per inhabitant, which last year was, according to official data, about 17,4 thousand euros. The GDP per inhabitant in Montenegro last year amounted to 9,6 thousand euros, and in Serbia it was around 9.100 euros, according to the data of the state statistical authorities.
Of the leaders of the four largest Montenegrin cities, the mayor of Podgorica, Olivera Injac, has the highest salary, who received a salary of 1.796 euros in November, according to data submitted to the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (ASK).
Injac is an official of the ruling Europe Now Movement (PES), and she has held the position of mayor of Podgorica since April this year.
The first man of the Municipality of Pljevlja, Dario Vraneš, in the report published by ASK in May, stated that his monthly salary is 1.498 euros. Vraneš is a member of the New Serbian Democracy and has held that position since April of this year.
The President of the Municipality of Nikšić, member of the New Serbian Democracy (NSD), Marko Kovačević earns 1.380 euros per month. According to the data he submitted to the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption in March, on that basis he earned 16.563 euros last year. He has been in the position of President of the Municipality of Nikšić since May 2021.
The President of the Municipality of Bijelo Polje, Petar Smolović, earns 1.207 euros per month. In his property record, published by ASK in March, it was stated that this was his salary in January and February of this year, while last year he received a slightly larger amount, 1.383 euros, that is, 15.218 euros per year.
Smolović, who is a member of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), was re-elected to that position at the session of the local parliament in January of this year.
When it comes to Serbia, the mayor of Belgrade, Aleksandar Šapić, resigned at the end of September, but, as he announced, he will continue to lead Belgrade until the "elections and final verification of the trust of the people of Belgrade". In the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), as their officials announced, they expect their candidate Šapić to be the mayor of Belgrade again, because, as they claim, in the recent elections in that country, "the list gathered around the SNS won in Belgrade." Until he left office, Šapić earned 1.403 euros per month.
The mayor of Novi Sad, Milan Đurić, according to data from the property register from November last year, earns 1.100 euros per month for performing that function. Also a member of SNS, Đurić has been mayor since October last year.
The mayor of Niš, Dragana Sotirovski, according to data from her property record from April this year, earns 1.058 euros per month. She was elected to that position in August 2020 and thus became the first female mayor in the history of that city. She is also a cadre of the Serbian Progressive Party.
The mayor of Kragujevac, Nikola Dašić (SNS), also resigned before the elections in that state. For performing the function of mayor of Kragujevac, Dašić received 944 euros.
When it comes to neighboring Croatia, the first man of Zagreb, Tomislav Tomašević, according to the data on his assets submitted to the Commission for deciding on conflicts of interest, receives 2.318 euros per month.
He came to that position as a candidate of the green-left coalition "Možemo" and has been in office since June 2021, when local elections were held in that country.
The mayor of the second city with the largest number of inhabitants in Croatia - Split, Ivica Puljak, earns 2.439 euros per month on this basis. The president of the liberal party Center has been in that position since June 2021.
The first man of Rijeka, Marko Filipović, receives 1.994 euros per month for performing the function of mayor. The mayor from the ranks of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) of Croatia has been in that position since June 2021.
The mayor of Osijek, Ivan Radić, earns 2.317 euros per month. Radić, who is a representative of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), was elected as the first man of Osijek in the 2021 elections.
The average salary in Croatia is 1.178 euros
The average salary without taxes and contributions in Montenegro, according to Monstat data, was 803 euros in October, and in Serbia, according to the latest data for September, it was about 560 euros.
The average salary in Croatia for October was 1.178 euros.
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