CCE: Parliamentary engagement and official travel in imbalance

The most active MPs in the plenum are not necessarily those who use official travel the most, while some MPs with minimal participation in debates record a large number of trips and high costs financed by citizens, an analysis by the Center for Civic Education (CCE) has shown.

As part of monitoring the work of the Parliament of Montenegro, CCE analyzed the relationship between the plenary activities of MPs and parliamentary groups, measured by the duration of their presentations, and official trips financed from public funds.

"The data shows that the most active MPs in the plenum are not necessarily those who use official travel the most, while some MPs with minimal participation in debates record a large number of trips and high costs financed by citizens," said Nikola Đurašević, program associate at CCE.

Data on plenary presentations refer to the period from July 27, 2023 to March 31, 2026, while data on business travel expenses and destinations cover the period from July 27, 2023 to December 31, 2025.

Đurašević said that, although the time frame is not completely identical, the findings clearly indicate different approaches to the parliamentary function.

"Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) MP Andrija Nikolić had the most minutes in the plenum - 30 hours, 24 minutes and five seconds, with two official trips to Washington with 4,5 thousand euros," Đurašević stated.

As he added, Boris Mugoša from the European Union spoke for 24 hours, 20 minutes and 49 seconds, and had 13 official trips that cost 10,9 thousand EUR.

According to CCE data, the leader of the Democratic People's Party (DNP), Milan Knežević, spoke for 14 hours, 39 minutes and 24 seconds and had no recorded official trips, while Vasilije Čarapić, from the Europe Now Movement (PES), had 14 hours, 31 minutes and 43 seconds of speaking and seven official trips.

Đurašević said that, on the other hand, among some MPs with the least plenary activity, a pronounced disproportion between participation in debates and the costs of official trips was recorded.

"The most striking example is PES MP Gordan Stojović, who spoke in the plenum for only 15 minutes and 14 seconds in almost three years, while in two and a half years he had 23 official trips with a total cost of 55,7 thousand euros," Đurašević said.

As he said, Stojović stands out as the least active MP in the plenum, but with official travel expenses that exceed the expenses of the seven most active MPs combined.

"Namely, the seven most active MPs, with a total of about 134 hours of presentations in the plenum, had 35 official trips worth a total of about 34,9 thousand euros, while Stojović himself had about 60 percent higher official travel expenses," Đurašević added.

According to him, the six MPs with the least participation in plenary debates spoke together for about three hours and 41 minutes, but they had 34 official trips, one less than the seven most active, at a total cost of almost 60 thousand euros.

Đurašević said that similar patterns are visible at the level of parliamentary groups.

As he said, the most active in the plenum was the DPS Club of Deputies with a total of 201 hours, 29 minutes and 34 seconds of presentations, with 86 official trips costing 94,1 thousand EUR.

"Following is the Europe Now Movement with 80 hours, 29 minutes and 57 seconds of plenary presentations, with as many as 156 official trips costing 197,9 thousand EUR. This places PES second in terms of plenary engagement, but convincingly first in terms of the number of official trips and their cost," said Đurašević.

According to CCE data, the Democrats spoke for 64 hours, 24 minutes and 54 seconds, with 68 official trips and a cost of 96,7 thousand euros.

The URA civic movement had 41 hours, 18 minutes and 53 seconds of exposure, 28 official trips and a cost of 50,4 thousand euros.

CCE's analysis shows that the ZBCG - New Serbian Democracy club had 39 hours, 22 minutes of speaking time, but also 105 official trips and expenses of 75,6 thousand euros, while the Bosniak Party deputies spoke for 33 hours, 39 minutes and 57 seconds, and had 87 official trips that cost 108,4 thousand.

The European Union had 33 hours, one minute and 42 seconds of exposure and 34 official trips, costing EUR 25,1 thousand, and the ZBCG - DNP club had 27 hours, four minutes and 25 seconds of exposure, 31 official trips and costing EUR 34,1 thousand.

Đurašević also said that clubs with the lowest playing time recorded significant travel costs.

"The special caucus of deputies had less than 14 hours of presentations, but also 48 official trips that cost 58,5 thousand EUR, while the Albanian Forum, with three hours, 57 minutes and 24 seconds, had 32 official trips with a total cost of 28,4 thousand EUR," said Đurašević.

As he said, comparatively speaking, the CCE analysis shows that plenary activity and the use of official travel are often not proportional, which raises the question of understanding the parliamentary function itself and the priorities in performing it.

Đurašević emphasized that the parliamentary mandate does not only entail international visibility and travel, but above all active participation in debates, control of the executive branch, and representation of the interests of citizens in the Parliament.

"While some MPs and parliamentary groups record a high level of parliamentary engagement with moderate expenses for official travel, others record almost symbolic attendance in plenary debates with extremely high expenses for travel financed with public money," said Đurašević.

He said that official trips must therefore have a clear institutional effect and measurable results, especially when used by MPs whose plenary engagement is almost invisible.

"Otherwise, the question justifiably arises as to whether official travel is just a privilege without clear responsibility towards the citizens who finance it," Đurašević added.