The main reason for the difficult formation of government at the local level and the crisis in more and more municipalities in recent years is the division of the "booty", that is, the fact that the parties generally do not have programmatic and development goals, but rather extremely down-to-earth particular interests.
This was assessed by the interlocutors of "Vijesti", commenting on the fact that, since the change of government of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) in 2020, in more and more municipalities the government is unstable, or cannot be formed (Podgorica, Budva, Berane, Ulcinj). . Crises occur mainly where the parties that make up the government at the state level won the most votes (Movement Europe Now, New Serbian Democracy, Democratic People's Party, Democratic Montenegro, Socialist People's Party, Bosniak Party, Albanian parties).
Civic activist Milena Bešić says that political classes with extremely limited democratic capacities are in power in Montenegro, without any vision of development and professional staff in their ranks.
"Clientelism, nepotism, partitocracy are the principles that determine the outcome of any agreement, which is condemned to incoherence from the very beginning, only the modalities differ from municipality to municipality, depending on the distribution of resources in that municipality," she believes.
All this, he adds, makes any government that is formed, and while it lasts, dysfunctional, paralyzed for any effective policy that would put the citizens and their interests in focus.
Program associate at the Center for Civic Education (CGO) Nikola Obradović he said that a lot of things have changed in the socio-political dynamics in Montenegro in recent years, so there are more factors that affect the (in)stability of the government at the local level.
"First of all, we are witnessing the hyperinflation of entities participating in elections, both at the state and local level, and there is no longer a dominant political party or grouping," said Obradović.
He cites the example of Andrijevica, where until 2020 the DPS had absolute power, and now it is now divided into six political subjects in that municipality.
"This kind of political landscape, with a wide variety of political parties, coalitions and civic lists, inevitably leads to the fact that a greater number of interests must be coordinated at all levels, and all of this complicates the negotiations regarding the government, but also the sustainability of the negotiated constructions," he said. is Obradović.
Ideology is not an obstacle
According to him, the main reason for the difficult formation of government at the local level is the struggle for a share of the power cake is shown by the example of Budva - Nikola Jovanovic (list Budva our city) i Mladen Mikijelj (For the future of Budva) are not on opposing sides for ideological reasons, they were almost the same group, but because of conflicting particular interests.
Milena Bešić points out that the stability of the majority at the national level rests on the same mechanisms, so a kind of political "turns" are not surprising.
"Actually, it is clear that none of the political parties, which form the government or are in a position to negotiate at the local level, have programmatic and development goals, but extremely down-to-earth particular interests. It becomes obvious that the so-called ideological differences, if they ever existed, are not placed as an obstacle in agreements, which they want to present as some kind of proof of democracy, dialogue or 'unity', she said.
Nikola Obradović reminds that the point of convergence of the current government parties, with the exception of the minority parties, was previously a political struggle against the DPS, and most of those structures, with the exception of the parties that make up the ZBCG coalition, do not have a clear ideological profile.
"Thus, on several occasions, we could see that immediately after the victory over the DPS, those parties would move to the classic division of 'booty', i.e. functions and their associated real or perceived resources and benefits, and it turned out to be the main the reason why the authorities formed by those parties are unstable,'' says Obradović.
He points out that the ideological factor is not the point of separation of the political actors who make up the government at the state level, confirmed by the daily actions of the President of the Assembly Andrije Mandić, who actually positioned himself not only as the head of the parliamentary majority, but also as the one who strikes the line of action of the executive power.
"Namely, those parties of the parliamentary majority that declare themselves as civil and European actually most often bow their heads when Mandić treads his route or comment on something for the sake of order, without the strength to oppose anything even though it is, at least on that declarative level, the opposite those principles and values of which they represent themselves. Let's take for example the PES, whose officials claim that they only deal with the economy and that these are our topics, and their councilors voted for all the revisionist decisions that the mayor of Pljevlja proposed to the Assembly of that municipality", stated Obradović.
The crisis in Budva started before 2020.
In Budva, the crisis, with interruptions, has been going on for several years, and it started before 2020.
In the 2016 elections, the DPS lost power in that coastal municipality, and the new one was formed by the former Democratic Front (New Serbian Democracy, Democratic People's Party and Movement for Change), Democrats, as well as the coalition of the Socialist People's Party (SNP) and Demos. i.e. Citizens' Movement URA, Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Liberal Party (LP).
A rotation was agreed, so the current minister of defense managed the city for the first two years Dragan Krapović (Democrats), and after him Marko Carevic (DF). After the rotation in the chair of the leader, a "war" begins between the Democrats and the DF, who could not agree on key decisions.
Ahead of the 2020 elections, an independent councilor Stevan Džaković, who entered the parliament from the PzP quota, supports the coalition gathered around the DPS and the Montenegrin Party and brings them to power for a few months until the elections, despite the protests, blockade of the municipality and incidents.
The DF and the Democrats win the majority in the regular elections on August 30, 2020 and take power again. Nevertheless, there was new intolerance between the re-elected mayor of the municipality, Tsarević, and the local board of the Democrats. The dismissal of Tsarević, with the party Alekse Bečić, SNP, GP URA, Prava Crna Gora and PzP also requested. After no sessions were held for half a year, the Government introduced forced administration in March 2022.
Extraordinary elections in that municipality were announced for October 2022, Tsarević appointed Milo Božović for vice president, and then resigned and made Božović the first man of Budva two months before the election. In the October elections, DF won absolute power (18 out of 33 councilors). Although it seemed that there was no more political crisis in Budva, new problems arose with the arrest of Milo Božović, as well as the formation of factions within the then DF. Božović is still in prison in Spuž on charges of being part of an organized criminal group that smuggled drugs.
Extraordinary elections followed in May 2024, but neither of the two political camps emerged from the split of the former single coalition DF, led by the now detained Božović - the list "For the future of Budva" led by Mladen Mikijelj and "Budva our city" headed by Nikola Jovanović, failed to secure the majority of 17 councilors needed to constitute the government, so the citizens of Budva are going to the second elections this year. New elections are scheduled for November 17.
Negotiations on the formation of the government began in Podgorica
In the capital, extraordinary elections were called after the opposition councilors (DPS, SD, SDP, LP,) GP URA, Movement for Podgorica and PzP shortened the mandate of the local parliament at the end of July.
The government in the capital city was formed in May 2023 by the PES and coalitions for the future of Podgorica (NSD, DNP, PzP, Prava Montenegro, Free Montenegro, Labor Party), Democrats/Demos/United Montenegro and GP URA/CIVIS/Albanian alternative .
The crisis arose after the current president of the country left PES at the end of February Jakov Milatovic, and not long after him and five PES councilors close to him, who formed the Movement for Podgorica.
The citizens of Podgorica went to the polls on September 29 this year, and the Election Commission of the Capital announced the final results last week, after the Constitutional Court rejected appeals on alleged irregularities in the elections. Elected councilors, according to the Law on the Election of Councilors and Members of Parliament, have up to 90 days from the announcement of the official election results to form a local government, that is, to elect the head of parliament and the mayor.
The Assembly of the Capital City has 59 councilors, and the constitution of the government requires the support of at least 30 of them.
In the elections, DPS won 19 mandates, PES and Demokratska 14, the coalition for the future of Podgorica 13, the list Za bolja Podgorica (Movement for Podgorica, URA and PzP) six, the European Union three and the Party of European Progress and Movement for Change two mandates each.
After the unsuccessful attempt of the DPS to gather all the parties that do not form the government at the state level to the negotiating table on Monday, the probability that the citizens of Podgorica could go to the polls again has increased.
The European Union (Social Democratic Party, Social Democrats and Liberal Party) and the Party of European Progress responded to the DPS's call for negotiations on the formation of the government in the capital. Duško Marković. However, the representatives of the coalition for a better Podgorica did not come to the meeting, without which the six party councilors who were at the meeting cannot form a local government.
Before the meeting, the coalition for a better Podgorica announced that they will not start talks on the formation of the government in the capital, until they come up with a platform that will be the basis of the course of negotiations.
Leader of DNP Milan Knezevic on Saturday, he invited Milatović to negotiations and discussions on the formation of the government in Podgorica, and the invitation has been sent several times through the media by the holder of the Za budućnost Podgorica list Jelena Borovinić Bojović. That coalition and PES-Democrats can form a government with four Milatović councilors, if there is an agreement.
Failed rotation in Berane, elections in early December
After the Government at the end of September warned the Assembly of the Municipality of Berane to adopt within ten days the Strategic Plan for the development of the municipality, the local energy plan and the local action plan for the protection of persons with disabilities from discrimination and the promotion of equality, which was not done, on October 4 a compulsory management and the Board of Commissioners was appointed.
A day later, the president of the country announced extraordinary local elections for December 8.
The government crisis in that municipality was caused by an unsuccessful rotation in the position of the first man.
After the 2022 elections, the government in Berane was formed by the former DF, the Democrats, United Montenegro, Prava Montenegro, and the Berane Now Movement (of which two councilors are now in the PES, which was not yet formed at the time). He came to the position of President of the Municipality Vuko Todorovic from NSD, while they occupied two vice-presidential positions Damjan Ćulafić (Democrats) and Mladen Premović (Berane now).
Democrats and DF made an agreement that, after two years, there would be a rotation in the position of the first person of the municipality. Todorović resigned in June, but the proposal to elect Ćulafić as president was not signed by two members of the ruling coalition - Milorad Djukic (NSD) i Miloš Rmus (PZP). After that, Đukić was expelled from the party, and Ćulafić was elected Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Development of the North.
Since there was no rotation, the 30-day period in which a new president had to be elected by law expired.
A new majority was formed in Ulcinj
In Ulcinj, the government crisis was resolved by re-composition.
After the 2022 elections, the government in that municipality was formed by the coalition "For a new beginning" (URA, Democratic Party, SD, SDP and AA) and Forca.
In June, the councilors dismissed the previous head of the Municipality Omer Bajraktari (GP URA) and elected the new leader of the Force Gentry of Nimanbegu.
The session of the Ulcinj Municipal Assembly at the end of May, which preceded the handover of power, was interrupted for several hours because, for now, unknown persons activated a chemical substance in the hall of the Municipal Assembly, which was initially suspected to be tear gas or pepper spray.
The change of the councilor majority was due to the fact that the agreed rotation of the head of the Municipality did not take place. According to the coalition agreement, Bajraktara was supposed to be the head of the Municipality for two years, and after that to leave the position to a representative of the Force.
The re-composition occurred after Bajraktari was replaced by the votes of the new majority consisting of Forca, the Democratic Party, the Democratic Alliance (acting in coalition with DUA), DPS, SDP, SD and BS. Immediately before that, AA and GP URA negotiated with DUA- om about entering the government, and other members of the coalition "For a new beginning" with DPS.
The Andrijevic crisis lasted more than a year
The political crisis in Andrijevica was resolved in September, after more than a year.
After the local elections in 2020, the government in Andrijevica was formed by SNP, New Serbian Democracy, Democrats and Demos. The post of the President of the Municipality went to the SNP (Željko Ćulafić), and the position of President of the Municipal Assembly to the Democrats (Mladen Djukic). However, last year there was friction within the ruling coalition, so the Government introduced forced administration in Andrijevica in March of this year due to the non-functioning of the local administration. In that municipality, a group of citizens for several months last year prevented the holding of the session where the vote on the dismissal of Ćulafić was supposed to take place.
In the local elections held on June 2, the DPS won 11 mandates, the SNP and Democrats eight, the Europe Now Movement (PES) four, and the "For the Future of Andrijevica" lists (NSD, Democratic People's Party, Prava Montenegro and Free Montenegro) and "For the future of our children" for three mandates each, and the Vasojević unification movement for one.
In order to form a majority, the government parties at the state level needed the support of councilors from one of the two civic lists.
Both entities initially insisted that the first man of Andrijevica and the local assembly should not be from the SNP or the Democrats, but later that demand was softened by proposals for a compromise in the form of rotation or that Ćulafić should not be appointed to the position of president of the Municipality, but someone else from the SNP coalition - Democrats.
Nevertheless, in the end, an agreement was reached that Ćulafić would be the president of the municipality for the next four years, and that the head of the local parliament would be Vesko Raketic from the Vasojević movement, instead of the cadre of PES, which is the second strongest list of the newly formed ruling majority.
Crisis in Gusinje as well, even though DPS ruled
The only local government crisis (after 2020) in the municipality where DPS ruled happened in Gusinje.
After the 2020 elections, the government in that municipality was formed by DPS, a coalition of Albanian parties and BS. However, a year ago there was a crisis because the President of the Municipality at that time is from DPS Anela Čekić dismissed two secretaries from BS.
A reshuffle of the government followed, after which the DPS went into opposition, and the BS and Albanian parties with councilors from the SD, SDP and the Socialist People's Party (SNP) formed a new majority. The new majority functioned until the regular elections, which were held in June of this year, and the new government was formed by the coalition "Heart for Gusinje" (BS, SD, SDP), the group of citizens "Movement for Gusinje", which consists of former members of Albanian minority parties and Democrats.
The mantra of preserving the "August majority"
Nikola Obradović says that, in certain situations, the mantra about preserving the so-called the August majorities, when the parties of the former opposition, and the current authorities in most municipalities and at the national level, feel collectively threatened.
"It's as if time stood still in 2020 and it's as if we haven't had a series of election cycles at the local level since then, not even one parliamentary election. This is an attempt to mask the fact that we all saw a naked struggle for power for the sake of distribution of functions and not for the sake of something that would lead to the public interest and betterment for all citizens," he said.
These struggles, he says, are more pronounced where financial resources are greater, such as Budva and Podgorica, and all this makes the agreement even more difficult and makes the government unstable, because the fact is that political actors want to ensure as much influence and control over all possible economic and related resources.
Shavnik "without medicine"
The elections in Šavnik cannot be completed for two years, because the members of the electoral committees from the opposition coalition For the Future of Šavnik, led by the former Democratic Front, do not allow part of the newly registered voters to vote because, they claim, they were rewritten to support the DPS.
The Coalition for the Future of Šavnik says that only those who "pay taxes" there can vote.
At two polling stations, in the Municipality building and in the village of Kruševica, where 541 voters have the right to vote, voting was held nine times, the last time on December 18, 2022, when the elections were interrupted again, after which the Municipal Election Commission (MEC) could not agree on to repeat them. So far, dozens of people have been prosecuted before the judicial authorities for the events related to the elections in Šavnik, which included numerous incidents, including physical conflicts.
The State Election Commission (SEC) regularly holds sessions where it acts on objections related to the elections in Šavnik and passes the same decision ordering the Municipal Election Commission to make a decision on repeating the elections. However, when the president of the MEC Šavnik scheduled a session, the result of the vote on repeating the election was such that a decision could not be made - four votes in favor and four abstentions.
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