Šehović: Montenegro under silent occupation, no EU entry while Mandić is the boss

Five years since the change of government is more than enough time to draw a line. - Instead of freedom, democracy and economic revival, Montenegro is today a literally broken and captured state, in the greatest political, institutional and social regression since the restoration of independence, said the president of the Social Democrats and one of the leaders of the European Alliance, Damir Šehović.

He believes that August 30, 2020, did not bring liberation, but a "quiet occupation."

"It was not the beginning of freedom, but a project to disestablish Montenegro, the goal of which is for our society to lose all the attributes of a well-ordered state and become a proxy for official Belgrade," said Šehović in a guest appearance on Newsmax TV, as announced by the European Union.

Speaking about "divisions in society", he assessed that they are "deeper than ever".

"Have you heard a single serious debate about healthcare, education or culture in these five years? No. But you could have noticed how the government is desperately trying to change the value system on which Montenegro regained its independence. At the same time, brutal historical revisionism is being carried out through the rehabilitation of Chetniks and the glorification of war criminals. Civic-oriented Montenegro will never agree to reconcile with this," said Šehović.

He particularly emphasized the "economic consequences of wrong policies."

"Instead of a strategy, we have a billboard, or a gambling economy. Economic growth in 2024, with the exception of the pandemic year 2020, was the lowest in the last eight years. The fiscal deficit will be among the largest in the region and will amount to around four percent. The number of employees in public administration has increased by 2020 thousand since 18, which costs the budget the value of one highway. The deficit of the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund is growing drastically from 35 to around 400 million per year, and threatens to reach over a billion euros by 2027. The standard of living of citizens is stagnating in real terms. Inflation is twice as high as in the eurozone countries and cancels out the effects of the nominal administrative growth of salaries and pensions. The outflow of foreign direct investment in the first half of the year is 20 percent higher compared to the same period last year, while compared to 2019, as many as 2.800 more companies are in lockdown," said Šehović.

Referring to European integration, the SD leader assessed that progress was only apparent.

"Our European path today resembles driving on a highway with the handbrake up - the engine is humming, but the car is not moving significantly. Formally, there is some progress, but it did not happen thanks to a responsible government, but thanks to the constructiveness of the opposition, which supported key decisions related to the EU agenda. Essentially, however, we are regressing because today, despite formal progress, we are further from the European system of values ​​than we were before. The bottom line is that Montenegro cannot become a member of the EU as long as Andrija Mandić is part of the government, that is, the boss of the parliamentary majority."

Speaking about the ruling coalition and "possible reconstruction", Šehović said that it consists of three groups.

"One is made up of cheap populists, the other of clerical nationalists, and the third of those who don't mind being in a coalition with the first two for the sake of seats. That's why the story of the reconstruction of the Government is not important at all for the European Union. This freak government must be replaced, not reconstructed."

Speaking about foreign policy relations, Šehović assessed that the government is also jeopardizing partnership relations with Croatia.

"From a sincere friend and promoter of our interests in the EU, we have come to the point where, due to unnecessary provocations such as the resolution on Jasenovac or the badge with the image of the ship Jadran, we are turning Croatia into a country that could be an obstacle on our European path. This is irresponsible and disastrous for Montenegro," said the SD president.