Head of State Jakov Milatovic and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development Nick Djelosaj (Albanian Alternative) tried to present themselves as representatives of public, not private, interests, but they failed to rise above everyday "politicking", and so they created an image completely opposite to the one they should have.
So the regional communications expert Predrag Vujovic comments for "Vijesti" on the correspondence between high-ranking state officials, in which Đeljošaj accused the president of refusing to promulgate the Law on Real Estate Tax due to nepotism, while Milatović stated that the leader of the Albanian Alternative (AA) threatened him, summoning the prime minister Milojko Spajić (Europe Now Movement) to replace him.
Vujović explains that Đeljošaj and Milatović tried, “not equally successfully”, to present themselves as “a person representing the public interest against private interest”. He states that at the level of political dialogue, this is a struggle between two people who, by their functions, should represent the state, and thus rise above the level of politicians.
"Because it's common for politicians to be vain egocentric, and they don't communicate that way at all. They're not aware that the average citizen 'reads' it like this: 'Here they are, again, these people in the state are arguing'... And I would add, they create an image of themselves that is completely opposite to the one they should be," he said.
The head of state's office announced on Friday evening that Đeljošaj had sent a series of threats and inappropriate messages to Milatović, immediately after it was announced that he had returned the Law on Real Estate Tax to the Parliament for reconsideration. They stated that the reason for Đeljošaj's address to Milatović was the long-standing legal disputes that the Municipality of Tuzi has with the state-owned company "13. jul Plantaže".
They claim that the Municipality of Tuzi, while Đeljošaj was at its helm, illegally charged annual real estate taxes to "Plantaže", by forcibly collecting them through account freezes, and that the proposed law would allow the Municipality of Tuzi to "retroactively" cancel ongoing court cases with that company.
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Đeljošaj said that he did not threaten the head of state, and that he would publish the correspondence if Milatović did not apologize to him, adding that he did not sign the regulation due to his godfather connections with Nebojš Vuksanović (former president of the Board of Directors of "Plantaž", now an associate in Milatović's cabinet), "in order to obtain personal benefit for himself and him".
The correspondence was published by Milatović's cabinet, in which Đeljošaj told the head of state that he "expects a reaction from Albanians at all levels and wherever they have influence", and that he would "get the response he deserves".
The Podgorica Prosecutor's Office opened a case regarding this case on Saturday...
“A quarrel between the people who run the country”
Vujović points out that his biggest complaint about the government is that it has not risen to the level of the functions it performs.
"... Everyone in it already behaves like politicians, those who represent their own interests, or the interests of those who vote for them, and in a government like this, someone who is serious about communication would first define that - that the government and the president represent the interests of Montenegro first and foremost and that everyone must have that as their main goal," the interviewee assessed.
He pointed out that there is no professional management of communications, and that there is no awareness of the importance of PR (public relations).
"PR is much more than press releases, press conferences, speeches, public appearances, promotional events... It is, above all, smarts, strategy, well-designed communication organization, proactive management of public opinion, creating a positive atmosphere, cooperation with all institutions, non-governmental organizations, citizen associations, recognition of all values and potentials," claims Vujović.
The interviewee states that the correspondence between Milatović and Đeljošaj “is seen by the people as a quarrel between the people who run the state.” He points out that one of the consequences of such and similar statements by government representatives is that such communication is being lowered “to a lower level.”
"... So often in these 'conflicts of opinion' between various political participants in this Government, it descends to a lower level, to various institutions, even to municipalities, but also among citizens," Vujović assesses.
He notes that politics has penetrated every pore of society, negatively impacting and ultimately taking away time and positions for others who have nothing to do with it.
"Imagine the Montenegrin basketball team that gathered before, say, the European Championship, and after poor results as a result of bad relations between the players, two players start to present their own versions of the situations in the game and point the finger at their teammate in public. That's how this communication conflict between Milatović and Djeljošaj looks to me," he points out.
He says that defining communication standards and procedures in all possible situations is an important prerequisite.
"Montenegro's value lies in its diversity, and these differences, even the political ones, that make up this coalition should unite them and make them strong. Instead of dealing with what unites them, they deal with what distinguishes them," said Vujović.
How (not) to communicate
In the Government and other state institutions, says Vujović, there are many examples of how not to communicate with the public.
"They are not aware of the importance of communicating with the public, so they communicate as they think, without respecting science and professional standards. Everything would be different if that were respected. Then we would talk about a culture of successful communication, and in this case," he says, adding that PR is a key function, and that this activity creates perception.
Vujović said that responsibility and professionalism are just some of the principles on which a communication strategy should be built, and that Spajić's government has not defined the principles from which a communication strategy is built.
"First, principles are defined, then general agreement is reached among all participants in the process. Based on that, a strategy is built, then communication standards and procedures are developed that define how to communicate in each individual situation, and then optimal organization is created, especially coordination of communication between various institutions...", he states.
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The interviewee points out that precisely because there are multiple parties in power with different interests and ideologies, creating a communication strategy is "the only way".
"And I claim that it is very easily feasible, but only if it is done professionally. All leading people in the state are obliged and must let professionals manage this work. The problem is, as in many industries, that jobs are not done by those who have knowledge and experience, but by those who have come to leadership positions through political means. The key criteria in other, organized states are knowledge (education), experience (references in similar jobs), and not political affiliation and loyalty," says Vujović.
Several parties and politicians reacted to the verbal conflict between Milatović and Đeljošaj.
The Movement for Podgorica, close to Milatović, announced on Saturday that Đeljošaj had “crossed every line.” Đeljošaj's AA responded, saying that “the institutional and financial independence of the Municipality of Tuzi is not a threat to Montenegro,” and that they knew “that they would gladly cleanse the institutions of Albanians.”
The first man of Danilovgrad Aleksandar Grgurović said that Đeljošaj "entered the zone of personal insults and open threats", and the leader of Tuzi Lindon Dzhelaj he asked whether Milatović “acts in the interests of all citizens or privileged individuals”.
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Former Minister of Capital Investments Mladen Bojanic announced that "the attackers on Milatović were encouraged by the silence of the Government and the parliamentary majority", while the vice president of AA Edon Balidemaj said that the head of state would proclaim the law "reluctantly, but he will."
Artan Chobi, the head of the Albanian Forum parliamentary group, of which AA is a part, stated that "the disciplining of Albanians is a thing of the past," and his colleagues in parliament Radinka Ćinćur i Jevrosima Pejović They assessed on Saturday that it was "inappropriate to fuel political and national tensions over an issue of an institutional nature."
Milatović's cabinet announced yesterday that parliament adopted the Real Estate Tax Law knowing that it was unconstitutional, and that this was clear at the moment when the head of state returned the regulation for reconsideration, but that it was not known "that it was written to protect the personal interests of a politician."
"This motive became visible only after the threats against the president of the state followed, which exposed everything that had been hidden until then," the statement reads.
According to them, it is no longer just a matter of the law, but also "the way in which political pressure is being exerted on institutions."
"I'm Malisor, we'll see when this is over"
At the end of May this year, Nik Đeljošaj was found guilty by a first-instance decision of the Basic Court because it was determined that he had repeatedly defamed Television Vijesti journalist Danilo Ajković in December 2022, claiming that he was "working on orders and taking money for false reports."
Judge Ivana Martić ordered Đeljošaj to pay Ajković 1.800 euros for the damage to his reputation and honor.
At the end of 2024, the statute of limitations on the case against Đeljošaj for insulting police officers in 2022 expired. In November of that year, the police stopped a car owned by Đeljošaj. The official note stated that Đeljošaj asked the officers why they were mistreating his children.
After the police officers replied that they did not do that, Đeljošaj allegedly told them, "Shame on you, you will pay for this, I swear, this is just the beginning," adding, "I am Malisor, we will see when this is over"...
Dušaj: Milatović, if I could, I would beat you with a stick
A member of the Main Board of Đeljošaj's Albanian Alternative, Agron Ago Dušaj, told Jakov Milatović that if he could, he would beat him with a stick.
He described Milatović's decision to return the Real Estate Tax Law to the Parliament for reconsideration as racism and discrimination on an ethnic level.
He told the head of state that he was not welcome in Malaysia.
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