The decision of the Electoral Reform Committee to include, by consensus of the government and the opposition, a proposal to increase budget allocations for them by several million euros in the draft law on party financing, despite the public advocacy of actors from both political parties for rational spending of money and a better standard of living for citizens, represents hypocrisy and putting party interests ahead of the interests of citizens.
The interlocutors of "Vijesti" thus commented on the Committee's decision the day before yesterday to propose an increase in budget allocations for parties from 0,5 to 0,8 percent of total budget funds, minus the capital and state funds budget (current budget).
The current budget for this year amounts to around 1,5 billion euros, of which parties are entitled to 7,55 million (0,5 percent). If allocations are increased to 0,8 percent, parties would receive 12,08 million, or 4,5 million more than they have so far, according to the current budget.
Co-Chairman of the Committee Vasilije Carapić (Europe Now Movement - PES), said the day before yesterday at the session of that parliamentary working body that the agreement on increasing the level of financing of political entities is a common position of all parties, the government and the opposition.
"This is certainly hypocrisy. However, this move is not surprising, because in classic partitocracy, party interests are strengthened the most, and civil interests the least. This solution directly contributes to the further strengthening of partitocracy," the director of the Action for Social Justice (ASP) told "Vijesti". Ines Mrdovic.
The draft proposes that instead of the current 20 percent, 30 percent of the money from the budget for the regular work of parties be distributed in equal amounts to all political actors, and that 50 percent, instead of the current 60, be distributed proportionally to the number of mandates won (the remaining 20 percent is distributed, according to the law, in equal amounts proportionally to the number of elected representatives of the underrepresented sex).
Better build schools and roads
"Being a party in Montenegro, with the right to funding from the state or local budgets, has long become a business. With this proposal, parties are trying to strengthen their influence and power, and this is achieved through more money that they will take for themselves," said Mrdović.
She says that the percentage of allocations is already too high and that "pouring in" new millions to satisfy party appetites is unacceptable.
"It is better to build one school or road every year than to pour into a 'bottomless well'. This is especially true since it is realistic to expect that current budgets will increase year after year, and the parties now want a larger percentage of that budget," the interviewee added.
According to her, it is devastating that the much-needed electoral reform, which parties have refused to implement for years, has been started by increasing party allocations. She states that citizens' trust in the political system has long been seriously devalued, and that the latest move will only further undermine it.
"Citizens hardly believe in the sincerity of parties, regardless of whether they support the government or the opposition," Mrdović concluded.
Most parties in Montenegro, both the government and the opposition, regularly emphasize in their speeches and programs that their goal is to improve the living standards of citizens and to adopt a “better” budget. They did not answer yesterday the question of “Vijesti” whether, having this in mind, it is a hypocritical decision to propose an increase in budget allocations for themselves in the draft law. The PES, New Serbian Democracy (NSD), Democratic People's Party (DNP), Democratic Montenegro (DCG), Socialist People's Party, Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), Social Democrats and Civic Movement URA did not respond to the question.
Undermining democracy
Director of the Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM) Nevenka Vuksanović, told "Vijesti" that the Committee's decision at a time when almost all political actors are publicly advocating for more rational spending and improving citizens' living standards is politically irresponsible.
"Instead of the reform process being aimed at strengthening citizens' trust in the political system, increasing funding for parties sends the message that the interests of political elites are still the priority," she said.
He states that he is particularly concerned that this decision is being made within the framework of the electoral reform process, the primary goal of which should be to increase the transparency, fairness and integrity of the electoral system.
“This could be achieved, among other things, by implementing initiatives to hold local elections on one day, which would represent a concrete reform contribution to efficiency and savings,” says Vuksanović, adding that increasing the budget for parties could increase suspicion of political honesty, justifying civic dissatisfaction and apathy.
"If the proposed changes are adopted, we must insist on transparency in the spending of funds, the introduction of stricter limits and control of donations, as well as additional public discussion on the justification for the increase," she underlines.
The interviewee claims that the Committee's decision does not represent a message that restores trust in institutions.
"This is a message that political elites, despite their declarative commitments to austerity and the public interest, continue to act according to their own needs and the logic of a closed circle of power. Such practices do not build democracy, they undermine it," the interviewee concluded.
CDT: TOTAL ALLOCATIONS WILL BE AROUND 15,7 MILLION
Program Director of the Center for Democratic Transition (CDT) Milica Kovačević, announced yesterday that the Committee's decision raises serious concerns regarding the protection of the public interest and can be seen as a step backwards in relation to EU recommendations regarding greater transparency and accountability in the spending of public funds.
CDT is an associate member of the Electoral Reform Committee.
"Although this law contains certain improvements, its fundamental weakness lies in the fact that it comes outside the context of comprehensive electoral and anti-corruption reform, and will remain without real effect until it occurs. Citizens will not feel any improvement in electoral integrity, control of party financing, or sanctioning of abuses after the adoption of this law - because the system that is supposed to monitor the implementation of the law remains intact."
The plan is for the amendments to the law to be adopted by the end of the spring session of the Parliament, that is, by the last day of July.
Kovačević stated that only parties will feel the direct benefits of the changes, because the increase in budget funds for their work produces effects - "immediately." She claims that if the changes are adopted, the total allocations for parties from the state and local budgets will amount to around 15,7 million euros.
"In the more than a year that the working group for drafting the law, of which we were active members, had been working, the issue of increasing funding for parties had not come up once, at least not in front of us. Even when speculations emerged in public, when we asked a direct question, all the MPs looked at us as if they were hearing about it for the first time. And then, in the photo-finish itself, the apparently agreed figure of 0,8 percent suddenly appeared. This way of making decisions exposes the deep lack of transparency of the process, and renders the participation of civil society organizations, experts and the public meaningless," she claims.
Kovačević said that there is no comparable example in modern European democracies of "such a high percentage of the budget" being allocated to party financing; in most countries, this amount, she claims, ranges between 0,1 and 0,2 percent. She notes that the funds allocated to parties in Montenegro are already well above this average.
"In 2025, the total funds allocated to parties are 11,2 million, of which 7,56 million from the state budget and 3,64 million from the municipal budget. Only the four largest parties (PES, DPS, NSD, DCG) will receive more than six million euros. This does not include the costs of party premises, MP salaries, and funds for the work of parliamentary groups, which are withdrawn from other items of the state budget," Kovačević reminded.
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