Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) MP Nikola Rakočević said that the party had signed an agreement with the Europe Now Movement (PES) that they believe is "wind in the sails" of Montenegro's European path, and which puts out of focus "the attempt by a part of the parliamentary majority to jeopardize the European perspective and national interest by destroying the civic character through amendments to the Law on Montenegrin Citizenship and changes to the Constitution", while the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament and Europe Now Movement (PES) MP Boris Pejović told him that they were offered the same one a month ago, but that they rejected it.
They said this at today's parliamentary session.
"So, topics that divide Montenegrin society. But, even worse, topics that aim to dismantle the Montenegro that we have built together - that is, all citizens in the last few decades, and that is a European, Euro-Atlantic and civic Montenegro. That is the reason why we signed the agreement and returned to parliament. And watch out now, instead of being proud that we will put topics that divide Montenegro out of focus, let's focus on the European agenda, probably to be the first next member of the European Union (EU) and take advantage of perhaps the last chance that is being offered and placed before Montenegro due to geopolitical circumstances, not because of our success," he announced, adding that a part of the ruling majority "does not want to focus on the European track and the things that unite us."
According to him, this is a continuation of the agenda of a part, but also of the overall parliamentary majority, because "with who you are, that's who you are."
"The disintegration of Montenegro is reflected in three aspects. One is the collapse of the European perspective - the damage to Montenegro's international image, quarreling with neighbors. We have all of that on the menu of this parliamentary majority. The second is the collapse of institutions, you are doing that very dedicatedly, and we are in parliament to point out the problems that Montenegro has because you govern it. The third aspect is the most convincing, and that is the collapse of the economy. Instead of everything you promised - meritocracy, expertise in appropriate positions, today we have destroyed state-owned enterprises," Rakočević pointed out.
He added that "a populist-credit-consumer model of the economy is constantly being offered."
"We are here to try, from the position of the opposition, to try to prevent Montenegro from deviating from the European path, to try to curb the dismantling of institutions that is underway and to try to offer a new economic model. I believe that citizens recognize all of this and from election to election they are giving increasing support to the alternative to this majority at the central level. I am quite sure that in the next elections in Nikšić we will demonstrate this - not so that someone would be the government in Nikšić instead of the current government, but to show that the trend of undermining the state interest of the citizens of Montenegro is something that citizens do not support," Rakočević announced, adding that they expect there to be a majority in these local elections.
The agreement between the PES and part of the opposition was initialed with the mediation of the Delegation of the European Union (EU) in Podgorica, which announced that the text of the request to the "Venetians" regarding the termination of Dragana Đuranović's judicial function in the Constitutional Court due to her reaching the conditions for retirement will be prepared by one representative each from the government and the opposition (no later than a week after the agreement), after consultations, and that the agreed request will be sent to Spajić.
Meanwhile, the opposition has announced its return to parliament.
Pejović said that one gets the impression that some other agreement was signed, and that the one they signed relates to the request for an opinion from the Venice Commission (VC) and the functioning of the Parliament.
"I will remind you, colleague, that the parliamentary majority offered you this same request a month ago and you rejected it. And since you are talking about the collapse of institutions, Article 2, which refers to the functioning of the Assembly, is precisely the consequence of the fact that you have jeopardized the regular work of this institution, and you yourself know how important the parliament as a legislative body is on the path to European integration. Of course, this is one of the best examples of a speech on the eve of the elections in Nikšić, so you referred to the economy selectively, as you often do, and then selectively extract data to make it appear that we are literally bankrupt," the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly told Rakočević.
He pointed out that this parliamentary majority has done more in the field of European integration in 12 months than the DPS has done in 12 years.
"It is very good that you are showing concern for our path towards the EU and we hope that you will contribute to ensuring that in the future you will not endanger the institutions and thus endanger the path towards the EU," he said, adding that regular elections will be held in 2027.
Rakočević said that Pejović is the "godfather of the agreement", but that he has no problem with him, but with EU Ambassador Johan Sattler, who said "that an agreement has been reached to focus on fulfilling the EU agenda, and that without a general political consensus, issues that divide the public will not be proposed."
"Mr. Pejović, you don't have a problem with me, you have a problem with the facts. And it is because of those facts that we are here today," he said.
The PES MP said that they believe that their decision at the Constitutional Committee was correct, and that they therefore accepted the agreement.
His party colleague Jelena Nedović said that a vote for DPS is "a vote for lower salaries, a vote for crime, a vote for nepotism, a vote for purchased diplomas, a vote for workers' rights, a vote for people who should be arrested to work in state institutions."
"They say that we are an import-dependent country. Let me tell you what DPS has imported - DPS has just imported these purchased diplomas that they talk about when we talk about education. DPS has just imported the wrong ones, DPS has just put us in debt and DPS has created chaos in this country. I am also glad that they came here today and that they intend to work for the citizens of the state of Montenegro. And then now, here before the Nikšić elections, they have invented all this and come to attribute it to us," said the PES MP.
Rakočević indicated that they would point out Montenegro's disastrous economic policy, and that that is why they are here.
Social Democrat representative Boris Mugoša said that he wanted to contribute to the reconciliation achieved at the meeting, but that he was also glad that controversial issues would not be raised.
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