Montenegrin President Jakov Milatović held a working meeting with citizens in Danilovgrad tonight, together with the Mayor of Danilovgrad Aleksandar Grgurović, saying that he "did not come to give a political speech, but to hear what is troubling them, where they feel injustice and in which areas the state and municipality can do more."
"Montenegro does not need politicians locked in offices, but rather conversations like this with citizens in every municipality and every village. That is why I am here tonight to listen to you and together we can come up with the best solutions for Danilovgrad and Montenegro," Milatović said, according to a statement from his office.
Speaking about the need for reform of the political system, the president said that the current model is not producing the results that citizens expect.
"Today, the citizens of Montenegro do not have full freedom of choice. We do not even directly elect mayors, and closed party lists distance politicians from the people. That is why I have proposed a reform of the political system through the introduction of open lists, so that people elect people, not just party lists. Open lists would be a step forward for our democracy and would increase the accountability of politicians towards citizens," said Milatović.
He announced that citizens would vote on this issue in a referendum.
As another topic, Milatović highlighted the reform of the economic system and the need to return the focus of state policy to the economy.
"Lately, we have strayed too far from economic topics. I want to bring the focus back to the economy and living standards with you. The economic situation is challenging. The growth rate is insufficient, inflation is high. Instead of having economic growth of four or five percent, we have a combination of low growth and high prices," said Milatović.
He emphasized that it is time to open a serious economic debate about a new, sustainable model of growth and development.
"Today we have one of the lowest rates of economic competitiveness. For every hundred euros we import, we export only about twelve euros of goods. It is clear that tourism is in decline, that tourism revenues are falling, and that we have a decline in investments and a poor investment structure. Let's build an economy based on work, knowledge, production and exports."
The President of the country emphasized that it is of crucial importance for Montenegro to increase the agricultural and capital budget, so that the countryside and agriculture are a real development opportunity, and not just a topic in speeches.
"The only way to keep people in the countryside is to increase allocations for agriculture, to increase subsidies and for that money to actually reach producers. Instead of subsidizing party employment in state administration, those who work, produce and create new value must be subsidized," he said.
He also stated that it is necessary to reform the management of state-owned enterprises.
"State-owned enterprises must be the engines of our development, and not be used to serve party interests. Good governance of state-owned enterprises must become part of the system, even part of the Constitution of Montenegro," said Milatović.
Speaking about European integration, he said that reforms must be accelerated so that we can feel the benefits of joining the European Union as soon as possible, especially when it comes to the economy, investments, jobs and institutional stability.
As announced by the President's Office, Milatović said that he wants Danilovgrad to be an example of how economic reforms, support for agriculture and tourism, as well as smart use of funds from the state and European levels, lead to a better everyday life for citizens.
Milatović reiterated that such conversations with citizens in each municipality are the best way to define priorities and return the responsibility of politics to where it should be, towards citizens and their specific problems.
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