Official data from the Government's website indicates that the activities of Deputy Prime Ministers Budimir Aleksić (New Serbian Democracy - NSD) and Milun Zogović (Democratic People's Party - DNP) are limited and mostly protocol-related, which is disproportionate to the use of official vehicles from the General Secretariat of the Government of Montenegro, the Mercedes E280 brand (PGCG-298 - Aleksić and PGCG-302 - Zogović), the Center for Civic Education (CCE) announced today.
"Namely, Aleksić and Zogović traveled up to 5.000 km per month in these vehicles, as was the case with Aleksić in January 2025, although he officially had only one meeting in Podgorica that month - a working visit to Matica Srpska. The available travel orders also indicate numerous irregularities - inaccurate or incompletely entered data, illegibly written orders with missing information on mileage or meter readings, and for some there is a suspicion that they were subsequently altered. Also, the data indicates that they used official vehicles on holidays and for private purposes," the CCE statement states.
The non-governmental organization (NGO) said that in one of their first proposals for the organization of the Government, from 2016, they advocated a model of a compact and functional Government with one vice-president.
"The latest available draft of the Law on the Government provides for a maximum of four vice presidents. However, today we have the most cumbersome Government in Europe - with 32 members and as many as seven vice presidents. Some of them have overlapping responsibilities, and all vice presidents together can have more than 30 advisors, in addition to administrative and technical staff and numerous other privileges they enjoy. Through a series of short reviews, CCE provides insight into the structure of the Government and what the activities are, according to officially available data, of individual members of our expensive executive apparatus," reads a CCE statement signed by Nikola Mirković, program associate.
CCE reminds that the previous review referred to Minister without Portfolio Milutin Butorović from the Europe Now Movement (PES).
"After the reconstruction of the 44th Government, on July 23, 2024, the parties of the For the Future of Montenegro (ZBCG) coalition – New Serbian Democracy (Nova) and the Democratic People's Party (DNP) – formally became part of the executive branch at the highest level, with several ministers and vice presidents. Budimir Aleksić from Nova was appointed Vice President for Education, Science and Relations with Religious Communities, while Milun Zogović from DNP took over the position of Vice President of the Government for Infrastructure and Regional Development. One of the first activities of both of these vice presidents was an official visit to Belgrade and meetings with Serbian officials. Aleksić met with the Minister of Culture Nikola Selaković, and Zogović, together with his party colleague Minister Maja Vukićević, spoke with the President of the Serbian Parliament Ana Brnabić," the CCE statement reads.
The NGO also said that most of Aleksić's later activities were of a protocol nature, including one meeting each with the ambassadors of Great Britain and the head of the EU Delegation, as well as two with the charge d'affaires of China, representatives of the Jewish community, and civic activist Aleksandar Saša Zeković.
"He also received a delegation from the Serbian National Council of Montenegro (SNS CG), then representatives of the Organizing Committee of the 'Prosvijetitelj' award and had a working visit to Matica Srpska in Montenegro. He also held a meeting with a delegation from the University of Montenegro (UCG) and Maksim Vučinić, president of OD COTEE (Montenegrin Electricity Market Operator) with the aim of intensifying cooperation between the UCG and the economy, as stated on the website. Over the course of more than nine months, the Government's website recorded that Aleksić had 13 meetings with slightly more than 10 different interlocutors. It was also announced that he would be in the People's Republic of China from May 21 to 27, which is his first official trip after Belgrade," the CCE said.
They also state that Aleksić is also provided with professional support by four advisors – Zoran Dubljević, Dragan Vukić, Miljan Stanišić and Sanja Jokić.
"Their biographies, as well as Aleksić's, are not available to the public on the website of the Deputy Prime Minister. A search can find information that Dubljević graduated in English, Stanišić in sociology, and Vukić and Jokić in law, with the indication that Vukić and Jokić are long-time SNP officials. Additionally, the platform for the visit to the People's Republic of China mentions his advisor, MA Aleksandar Ćuković, who is not listed on the page itself as part of the permanent advisory team. In addition, Aleksić has administrative and technical staff at his disposal," the CCE statement states.
The NGO also said that on the other hand, according to the official website, Zogović had 16 activities, excluding congratulations for the day of the Municipality of Plužine, for the New Year and Easter holidays, condolences to the Serbian state leadership for the tragedy in Novi Sad and public condolences to the families of the victims, condolences to all citizens of Cetinje on the occasion of the tragedy in Cetinje, and the announcement of a guest appearance on RTCG.
"There were meetings with the British Ambassador, the EU Ambassador to Montenegro, the Charge d'Affaires of the Republic of Montenegro, and additionally with the Head of the Regional Economic Department for the Western Balkans and the French Ambassador, as well as the UNDP Permanent Representative. Zogović also had meetings with representatives of the Permanent Secretariat of the Transport Community, together with the Minister of Transport Vukićević, a working visit to the municipality of Žabljak with Minister Simonida Kordić, and he also received the French employers' association MEDEF and had a meeting with a delegation of representatives of Azerbaijani construction and infrastructure companies. As for the events, Zogović opened the European Chess Championship in Petrovac, spoke at the 'Belt and Road' conference in Podgorica on cooperation between China and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and attended the signing of the contract between CEDIS and the EBRD for financing the CEDIS SCADA - Smart Digitalization project. He also chaired the constitutive and second sessions of the Coordination Body for Harmonization and Monitoring of Inspection Supervision," CCE said.
They also state that Zogović's advisory team consists of Milena Đurović and political veteran Predrag Bulatović, whose biographies, like Zogović's, are not posted on the website, but a search can find that Đurović is a graduate political scientist, and that there is also technical and administrative staff.
"On the party line, DNP significantly promotes Zogović's work and his media appearances, while only some of Aleksić's official activities were broadcast on Nova's social networks," the CCE statement reads.
They reported that Aleksić's April salary, according to publicly available information, was 2.055,70 euros, and Zogović's was 1.805.31 euros, plus other benefits.
"Although the positions of vice presidents should play an important role in managing departments and coordinating government policies, in the case of Budimir Aleksić and Milutin Zogović, available data indicate a formalistic and predominantly protocol-based engagement. This also contributes to the emphasized need to review the cumbersome structure of the Government, but also to insist on transparency, accountability and results, not just privileges," said the CCE.
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