Janović: The concept of honorary presidents in any party is not particularly familiar to me

In general, the concept of honorary presidents, not only in our party, but in any party, is not particularly close to my heart, said Nikola Janović, MP and member of the Presidency of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS).

In an interview with "Pobjeda", when asked what he, "as someone who advocates the continuation of reforms, thinks about the intention of certain party colleagues to nominate Milo Đukanović as honorary president of the party at the upcoming Congress", Janović pointed out that he believes that Đukanović has no ambition to run the party from the shadows.

"At least I have never experienced any intervention from him in the decisions I made, neither in the Government nor in the DPS, in these eight years of being in politics," said Janović.

"I understood the need of the people who wrote the party statute for it to be a kind of recognition and gratitude and that it was the desire they were guided by. It is certainly a nice gesture... It can also have some other connotation, which then leaves it to someone's imagination and the propaganda of other parties to draw their own conclusions and additionally spin and impose a narrative in the public space, for which there is no need," he added.

Janović said that he believes that the same is true of his colleagues who are currently leading the party.

"That's why I believe that for all merits in every segment, including politics, there is a way of gratitude and respect that should be shown to people who have played a very significant role. Ultimately, the merits of some people are indelible, regardless of whether you confirm it with a title or not. It's like in sports. If you were the captain of the national team and achieved great results with it, that is enough recognition in itself," he said.

He pointed out that "there is no honorary captain title."

"The national team must have a second captain, and what you leave behind are the results and the public impression that no one can and should erase," adds Janović.

When asked by "Pobjeda" how DPS thinks it is changing the perception of a party that does not have sufficient coalition capacity, Janović replied that "DPS today is not the same as it was during the period when it was in power."

"That's right, I always have my own views, primarily within the party, but also in public. I have clearly communicated what needs to change within DPS, so that the public's perception of our party would be different. Of course, I know that it is sometimes difficult to condemn bad practices from the past because in that way you are also talking about those who were the main policy makers within DPS in recent decades, but the fact is that this is a way to change the public's perception. However, in order to be part of the government again, it is not enough just that the current ruling party is this bad," he said.

"And to be precise - President Milatović, unfortunately, did not give up on cooperation with DPS because of that, but because he did not have the courage to stand behind his words. Important moments in everything require big and brave decisions, both in sports and politics. If you are not up to that moment, then it is not fair to confuse the public. This situation in Podgorica has brought Spajić and Milatović back into the embrace, and all of them together into an even tighter embrace of Mandić and the former DF," Janović added.

He assessed that there was nothing better than definitely clear positions.

"Now we know who is where and on which side. Citizens now know the positions, and the story of what someone did 30 years ago, while they are doing even worse and behaving even more arrogantly today, is getting less and less popular. In addition to the expiration date of these second-rate theses, they are also showing their inability to make decisions and solve problems in society with this narrative. This does not mean that DPS should not face its challenges and is increasingly showing, not only with words but also with actions, that it has understood what the mistakes were, that we know who was wrong and that it is instilling confidence in citizens that things are different now. And most importantly, that what was bad will never happen again," said Janović.

He said that, in his opinion, that was the essence and that we could discuss how much has been done in that field.

"In this way, a civic, pro-European Montenegro will be strengthened, and the retrograde and destructive power of representatives of those parties and their politicians who personify the tensions and tension in society that we have the opportunity to see in this period, and which are destroying the civic substance of our state, the foundation on which Montenegro rests, in the long term, will be weakened. That is why I return to your comment about perception, which is very important in politics, and it is: It is not important what you think of yourself, but what others think of you. There are many citizens who love Montenegro, but on the one hand, they do not want to vote for these today's "liberators" because in a short time they have ruined the belief that it can be better and different, and on the other hand, they still have a problem voting for DPS because of the mortgage of a long term in power before 2020, which DPS carries. That is why they do not go to the elections. And that is what we as politicians must change with our narrative and our behavior. In this way, we restore lost trust. There is nothing better than definitely clear positions - now we know who is where and on which side, and the story about what someone did 30 years ago, while today they are doing even worse and behave even more arrogantly, is getting less and less," Janović assessed.