It is much more realistic that the list "For a better Podgorica", which was assembled by the head of state for the upcoming elections in the capital Jakov Milatovic, after the vote will be in a coalition with "enemy parties" from the government at the state level, rather than with the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) - said the assistant professor at the University of "Donja Gorica" Nikoleta Djukanovic.
She told "Vijesti" that everyone who was in power after August 30, 2020, when the three-decade DPS regime was overthrown, won elections through that party, i.e. by fighting against it. This, he adds, also includes the presidential elections, in which Milatović became the president of Montenegro.
The list "For a better Podgorica - Jakov Milatović", which consists of the Movement for Podgorica (PzPG), the Citizens' Movement (GP) URA and the Movement for Changes (PzP), which is close to the head of state, was presented yesterday. On that occasion, Milatović said that he chose not to turn his head to the other side in the face of bad practices - either at the local or state level, and that he chose to fight "for a better Podgorica and a better Montenegro".
"Talking with people these days about the need to create a bloc of the center, many people asked me who we are rallying against - against DPS, DF (Democratic Front), PES (Europe Now Movement). From that I can see where our society is going. Enough of rallying against something. Let's all come together for new schools, kindergartens, snacks in schools, help for elderly fellow citizens, for small businessmen, for our hosts", he announced at the press conference.
Đukanović evaluates this allegation by Milatović as "populist rhetoric that is present in all election cycles", which, according to her, has no points of contact with the real state of affairs, nor with the real scope of those politicians and parties, what they will do when they come to power.
"On the one hand, we constantly talk about some kind of reconciliation, a better standard of living, but in fact the fact is that we are standing still and have not progressed at all in any segment - economic, social, social life," says the interlocutor.
Answering the question whether Milatović's message "that there is enough gathering against something" hints at the possibility of a coalition with the DPS, Đukanović states that the list assembled by the head of state has narrowed the circle of partners for post-election cooperation, because, he says, his sincere opponents are now his former DF, but also PES and all their partners.
"They only found an opportunity with PzP and GP URA for some common language. Politics has shown that all combinations are possible. "Coalitioning with DPS partners is perhaps easier, but with them (DPS) it is very difficult, because that party carries a strong stigma because of the way it exercised power," she states.
Reminding that some parties that have been in major conflicts often perform together or form post-election alliances, Đukanović says that she would not be surprised if Milatović, perhaps not immediately after the upcoming elections, but at some foreseeable time - is in power with PES, his former party.
PzPG, which is close to Milatović, was created by a split in PES. At the end of February, Milatović left that party, of which he was one of the founders, saying that the previous way of working of PES was contrary to the promises and values that he had in mind during its creation. He was the second man (deputy president) of that party, which is with the prime minister Milojko Spajić made two years ago and which during that time won the presidential and parliamentary elections and took power in several cities, including Podgorica.
Asked to comment on what the coalition of PzPG, GP URA and PzP can hope for after the elections, the interlocutor replies that there is not one consistent party in Montenegro, and that the only thing that is consistent in a previous political period is that there are ruling parties that will not with DPS, as well as other parties that would never build power with DF. However, he adds that there are fewer and fewer such political actors.
"In those situations when the parties have no other solution to create a majority, all combinations come into consideration. We witnessed this at the state level when the current government was formed. At that time, the mandate also negotiated with those parties that were his great opponents at that moment, and today are great supporters. We have neither a political culture nor minimal political morality that can be a signal to voters that if they vote for some parties, they are also voting for a certain value system, ideological positions, a consistent rhetoric," she says, answering the question whether she believes that the coalition " For a better Podgorica" can cooperate with the parties of the current government, taking into account the harsh rhetoric of the leader of GP URA Dritan Abazović according to them, but also the fact that the constituents of that alliance overthrew the government in the capital with DPS.
Đukanović assesses that GP URA and PzP are parties with a small electorate, but notes that Milatović's involvement in the campaign, as well as the work of former PES councilors who today make up PzPG, "can be a promise of a possible greater result".
She believes that Milatović's movement, that is, the list, can dominantly count on the votes of disappointed voters of the former head of state's party. However, he adds that it is complicated to give an answer to the question of the reach of any list participating in the Podgorica elections.
"We are witnessing an increasing fragmentation of the political scene in Montenegro, and these elections will be characterized by a large number of new parties, but also by the appearance of those subjects for whom it is difficult to predict whether they can achieve the census or not," she stated.
Answering the question of whether she thinks that the members of Milatović's coalition will negotiate separately on the potential formation of the government, the interviewee of "Vijesti" states that this scenario is very realistic when it comes to any list.
"In Montenegro, the pre-election coalition does not mean much. That election list promises what it dominantly wants to say before the election, but there are very frequent cases that that coalition lives only until the election itself in order to get the best possible result, and after that political trades and calculations are made in order to reach as many positions as possible. , that is, an armchair, regardless of how inconsistent it is with some of their policies, as well as ideological and value settings," says Đukanović.
She says that everyone will negotiate in parallel, because, she says, "there is not a lot of love, openness and honesty".
"You see that today GP URA is a great opponent of the government, and their pre-election partner, the Democrats, have been part of the government since the first day, even after they sued it and stipulated their support until receiving the IBAR (Report on the Assessment of Fulfillment of Temporary Criteria)" , reminds the interlocutor.
Abazović: Milatović's statesmanship decision
Yesterday, during the presentation of the list, Abazović said that Milatović made a statesman's decision "to put his name in front of the list that traces a better and European path for Podgorica".
"We were together when we fought against corruption and crime, and today we are here to fight against populism and nationalism. I think that Podgorica is only the first stop, but perhaps the most important, from which the most important changes should start throughout the country. Citizens want changes, not dilettantes who don't know in which direction they are pushing Montenegro," said Abazović.
He also said that in GP URA they give their official a chance Luka Rakčević, the deputy mayor of Podgorica, who will lead the list.
"What he did had an echo in other cities of Montenegro. Personally, I don't know a person who is more dedicated to Podgorica. I predicted earlier that this man would be the mayor, because there is no heart of a Podgorica citizen who thinks differently about him than I do. We can be in different parties, but people recognize people," Abazović pointed out.
Rakčević said that he has done a lot to make the capital a better place to live, and that he believes that on September 29, when the elections are scheduled, he will trace the path of the "new Podgorica".
Candidate for councilor Nađa Ljiljanić (PzPG), characterized the government in Podgorica as a "clone of the previous one", and that this is why they said - "enough is enough".
"Like individual hyenas, we did not perceive Podgorica as a prey and a coin for party bribery. We have shown that we are ready to return the mandate when we see that things are not working," she said, adding that many people entered politics with the aim of getting rich, not to change things for the better.
None of the PzP members spoke during the presentation of the list, although the vice-president was present in front of this party. Branka Bosniak, as well as a councilor in the Capital City Parliament Anika Bajić.
The elections in Podgorica are scheduled for September 29, after the mandate of the local parliament was shortened at the end of July by the votes of the councilors of the opposition, PzPG, GP URA and one PzP councilwoman. The outgoing government in Podgorica consists of PES, a coalition gathered around the former DF, Demokrata and GP URA.
The deadline for submitting ballots for the elections in Podgorica began on August 17 and will last until midnight on September 3.
Press conference without media questions
After the presentation of Milatović's list, journalists were not allowed to ask questions.
At the end of the event, the host of the program thanked the media representatives, noting that she "hopes that they provided them with clear and useful information about the list 'For a better Podgorica'".
"If you have additional questions, feel free to contact us in the coming period", she said.
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