Montenegro is facing a historic opportunity to become a member of the European Union (EU) in 2028, and all the Government's efforts will be dedicated to that goal, said Prime Minister Milojko Spajić at the ceremony marking the year of the Government's work.
He said that 365 days have passed since he was trusted to head the 44th Government.
Spajić added that, at dawn, on October 31, the Government was elected by the votes of 46 deputies, which is celebrating its anniversary with a two-thirds majority in the parliament.
"So, a stronger Government - the most stable ever. And history will write it as such. With that Government, new hope for a European perspective, a better quality of life and a fairer Montenegro for all of us has dawned," said Spajić.
He said that he is aware that there are those who did not believe or perhaps expected even more, but also those who will never give them a chance.
"Regardless of that, I am equally aware that in the given circumstances we invest the last atom of strength and good intentions so that the decisions we make are in the interest of every citizen of Montenegro, fair, without exception," Spajić pointed out.
He said that time will give a clear verdict on who they were and how they worked, adding that they look forward to it with their heads held high.
According to Spajić, Montenegro is not a society where, at least in public work, it is always easy to be yourself.
"Expectations are often too high. Molds are often small for new ideas. Prejudices are stronger than karst, but we are not people who are afraid of challenges," Spajić said.
He said that they have set clear goals - for Montenegro to become 28 EU members in 2028, to strengthen the economic standard of citizens and to strengthen the rule of law.
"That is the only and true agenda of the Government that I lead. Only those who see politics from the perspective of personal interest will say, and they tell you differently," Spajić said.
He added that the results speak best in favor of the truth, and first of all the Report on Montenegro's progress in the EU accession process as the best so far.
"Progress has been noted in 30 chapters and now it is certain that by the end of this year we will close more negotiation chapters than all the governments have closed in the last twelve years together," Spajić said.
According to him, from that moment on, all forces and efforts must be directed towards ensuring that Montenegro is fully ready for EU membership in 2026.
"Therefore, I repeat, the Government's hand is extended to all those who believe in the European perspective of Montenegro to join the new European platform and contribute to this goal," Spajić said.
That they can do it together, he said, was shown by the implementation of the Census of Population, Households and Apartments as a kind of victory for the citizens of Montenegro.
Spajić said that the balance of trust of the European Union towards the 44th Government, in addition to the positive IBAR and the positive Progress Report, is also expressed in numbers.
"One hundred and twelve million euros in grants for railway reconstruction, 100 million for the second section of the highway, 383,5 million through the Reform Agenda. So, more than half a billion euros of direct support for projects that will transform Montenegro and with the reforms we will implement is 28 a member of the EU," Spajić pointed out.
Such a result, he said, would not be possible without meeting the minimum standards of the European Union in the area of the rule of law.
"With the strong support and determination of the parliamentary majority, we unblocked key processes in the judiciary, elected judges of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme State Prosecutor and members of the Judicial Council. At the same time, we are dedicated to creating better conditions for the work of the SDT and the SPO," Spajić said. .
He pointed to the contribution of the Montenegrin Army to global security within NATO, but also to the fact that this year, for the first time, more than two percent of the gross national product was set aside for defense.
Spajić indicated that today the first increased wages were received under the Evropa Sad 2 program, from which, as he stated, the citizens with the minimum wage, the most vulnerable, will feel the greatest benefit.
"By increasing the minimum wage for all employees in Montenegro, the average salary will amount to one thousand euros," Spajić said.
He reminded that from January of this year the minimum pension was increased to 450 euros, and that from next January all other pensions will increase by an average of 50 to 60 euros.
Spajić pointed out that it will not be financed from debt.
"The borrowings will be used to pay off old unfavorable loans and finance infrastructure projects. For everything else, we don't even need to borrow because all current liabilities are financed from current revenues. And the state of the budget is such that we don't even need to," emphasized Spajić. .
He said that in the state treasury, around 600 million euros, 500 million euros of old debts were returned, of which 250 million were returned from current income, not from debt.
"The surplus in the budget for the first nine months amounts to 85 million euros or even 1,2 percent of GDP, and the net national debt is only 52 percent of GDP. In short, while domestic experts are reviewing this, international financial institutions are improving our credit rating as an expression of great confidence," Spajić said.
He said that the thesis used against the Government that salary increases create inflation is nonsense.
"The only truth is that the government's measures have reduced the annual inflation to the level of one percent and it is the lowest since March 2021," said Spajić and pointed out that deflation was also recorded in September.
He pointed out that the lowest unemployment rate was recorded in the second quarter and is still high at 11,4 percent.
"It is clear that we have laid the foundations for strong and stable public finances. The budget surplus, significant funds in the State Treasury and the return of old debts are proof of our commitment to fiscal discipline," Spajić said.
He said that recently obtained data from the Census of Population, Households and Apartments showed worrying trends regarding the aging of our society.
"Therefore, one of the main priorities in the coming period must be to encourage families and young people. One such project will be the "Velje brdo" within which 42 thousand of our fellow citizens will solve one of the basic existential issues under the most favorable conditions," Spajić pointed out.
Until then, as he said, they must strongly continue investing in education, science and innovation because these are investments that pay off multiple times and in the long term.
Spajić stated that in the previous years dozens of educational facilities were reconstructed, EUR 88 million was allocated for additional reconstruction and construction of new schools, over six million were invested in computer equipment and 26 vehicles were purchased for student transportation.
"By opening the Science and Technology Park, we laid the foundations for the development of innovations and supported young entrepreneurs, and invested over four million euros in the development of innovations in the field of energy and sustainable environment, while over three million euros supported projects to encourage excellence and doctoral research Spajić said.
As he added, as an expression of concern for the student population, student scholarships and loans, as well as fees for the professional training project, were increased from 450 to 600 euros.
"Parallel to this, more than 2,5 million euros were invested in projects in the field of cultural and artistic creativity, and a record budget of 6,5 million was allocated to support sports associations," Spajić reminded.
According to him, special attention is paid to the health sector.
"Infrastructural projects worth as much as 140 million euros have been completed or are being implemented, some waiting lists have been eliminated, and innovative treatment methods have begun to be used for the treatment of various diseases, from spinal muscular atrophy to cystic fibrosis," said Spajić.
He said that the Government has made maximum efforts to preserve the "Dr. Simo Milošević" Institute and that by the end of November they expect the Restructuring Plan to be ready, which will provide a long-term solution to permanently preserve this symbol of Montenegrin health tourism.
Spajić said that, in the domain of the economy, energy remains a development opportunity.
"A new era of development of our energy sector will begin with the establishment of strategic cooperation between the Electric Power Company of Montenegro and the French power company EDF," Spajić said.
Speaking about the construction of the second section of the highway, Spajić said that it was true that he said that he expects the work to start in September of this year and that there was no obstacle for that because the government provided the money to independently enter into the realization of this project.
"Nevertheless, the will of our European partners, who decided to support this project with 300 million euros, meant that I would give up my promise for a few months. Which, devoid of any vanity, I did," Spajić said.
He said that at the beginning of next year, when the works on the Mateševo - Andrijevica section will start, new perspectives for the development of the north will be created.
"And with the realization of all 18 corridors, with a total length of 500 kilometers of highways and expressways, new perspectives will open up for the whole of Montenegro, especially in terms of the development of tourism, economy and agriculture, which will be a signal to new tourists and new investors to visit and invest in Montenegro," Spajić added.
During that time, as Spajić said, the Government will continue with strong support measures, in order to responsibly and consistently encourage tourism development and be a support for tourism workers.
"It is clear that, regardless of the encouraging balance sheets of this tourist season, we must work much more strongly on the plan of creating new value in this sector. I am sure that with the completion of the tender procedure for the long-term concession of the Airport of Montenegro, along with the established maritime lines to Dubrovnik and Ancona new records in tourism will be achieved, and Montenegro will be recognized as a true jewel of Europe," Spajić said.
According to him, authentic Montenegrin products from numerous agricultural farms will add special value to the tourist economy.
"Therefore, we must continue to support farmers and herdsmen more strongly, and in particular to more responsibly manage situations in which they expect our daily support," Spajić said.
He said that he is aware that some reforms did not come as quickly as the public expected, that some reactions were late and some decisions, in the eyes of others, might be wrong.
"Be sure that in their essence they are an expression of our effort to make things better. So criticize us before condemning us. Give your contribution to truly change bad practices and become a more responsible and better society for generations to come," said Spajić.
He said that there were many challenges in the previous 365 days and that they coped with some better, with others "not really".
"However, we have a duty to listen better to the needs of the citizens and, where we have potentially failed, to make an additional effort," said Spajić.
He said that there is a historic opportunity for Montenegro to become a member of the EU in 2028.
"All the Government's efforts will be dedicated to that goal. We are offering you a hand - let's do it together," Spajić said.
He said that he believes in the enormous civic potential of Montenegro and its desire to rise from every division with a clear, even higher goal.
"From this place, let's send a message together - the European Union, we're coming," concluded Spajić.
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