Čapuni: If only one coastal municipality can become a city, the problem is in the law

If it is already clear that, according to the existing criteria, only one or possibly a very small number of municipalities could receive city status, then the problem is clearly not in the municipalities - but in the criteria themselves, said Ilir Čapuni, a Forza MP in the Parliament of Montenegro, responding to yesterday's statement by the Minister of Public Administration, Maraš Dukaj.

Čapuni told Vijesti yesterday that the Draft Law on Local Self-Government is an insufficiently thought-out attempt to reform the system, and as such requires a much more serious social and political consensus. According to the proposed provisions, Čapuni claims, "historical and urban centers like Ulcinj or Kotor" may be left without city status, while municipalities like Tivat may acquire that status "exclusively on the basis of administrative and fiscal parameters."

Dukaj responded by saying that Čapuni, in an interview with "Viejsti", very tendentiously stated that Ulcinj would lose something it already has through the new Law on Local Self-Government, when in fact the opposite is true.

Čapuni says that the reaction of the Minister of Public Administration to his views on the Draft Law on Local Self-Government showed that instead of a substantive discussion on the concept of decentralization and the position of local communities, an attempt is being made to open a political controversy about "who works and who criticizes."

"However, this issue goes beyond daily politics. It concerns the future of local self-government in Montenegro and the state's relationship with cities that have historical, cultural and developmental significance. The minister claims that "historical memories are being invoked", as if it were a matter of nostalgia. On the contrary - the historical continuity of a city is not a sentimental category, but an important element of its identity, function and significance. Ulcinj was not created by an administrative decision. It has been a city for centuries - a cultural, commercial, maritime and tourist center of this part of the Adriatic", stated MP Force.

Therefore, it is a completely legitimate question whether the new law recognizes the real functions and importance of individual environments or introduces a model in which city status will be a privilege reserved only for a small number of municipalities, he added.

"Because if it is already clear that, according to the existing criteria, only one or possibly a very small number of municipalities could receive city status, then the problem is clearly not in the municipalities — but in the criteria themselves. Such a model does not contribute to the balanced development of the state, but rather creates a new hierarchy of privileged and less valuable environments," Čapuni pointed out.

He emphasizes that Ulcinj today actually performs the functions of a city.

"This is confirmed by its international tourist importance, cultural and historical heritage, regional role and specific infrastructure challenges posed by a distinctly tourist and coastal environment. During the tourist season, Ulcinj multiplies its population and faces needs that go beyond the standard framework of a small municipality. Therefore, the status of a city cannot be reduced solely to fiscal indicators and administrative formulas. If the state introduces a new category of "city", then the criteria must also take into account historical continuity, tourist importance, cultural heritage and development specificities of local communities," says MP Force.

This issue, he believes, is given special weight by the fact that Ulcinj is not only a tourist and historical center, but also an important cultural and institutional center of Albanians in Montenegro.

"As the seat of the National Council of Albanians, Ulcinj has an additional symbolic and social responsibility in preserving the multiethnic character and cultural diversity of the state. That is precisely why the state's (and especially the specific minister's) attitude towards Ulcinj should be based on additional sensitivity, respect and strategic understanding of its significance," Čapuni points out.

He says he is particularly concerned by the attempt to personalize this discussion through assessments of local authorities or the situation in the Old Town.

"The status of the city cannot depend on who is currently in power or on the political sympathies of the central administration. It must be a matter of the objective significance of an environment and the strategic vision of the state's development. Of course, everyone is responsible for the situation in their environment and that Ulcinj has problems that it solves to the satisfaction of its citizens. But that is precisely why local communities should be provided with additional development instruments and stronger competencies, and not set criteria that almost no one can meet," says MP Force.

"For years, we have been hearing the political vision of Montenegro as a "Switzerland in the Balkans" — a state of strong local communities, developed regions, and a decentralized system in which development does not depend exclusively on the center. That is why the question is legitimately raised today: does this law really go in that direction? Because if the focus of the law is primarily on fiscal restrictions and administrative barriers, and not on strengthening local capacities and decentralization, then the dilemma arises as to whether this model actually weakens the idea of ​​equal regional development," Čapuni is convinced.

He says that the essence of decentralization is not to privilege the strongest, but to enable others to become strong.

Particularly problematic, he says, is the logic by which financial indebtedness or development problems become an argument against city status.

"If we were to apply such logic more broadly, then an absurd question could be asked: does a state that has public debt cease to be a state? Of course not. Likewise, municipalities that have development challenges must not be permanently disqualified from institutional development and status advancement. On the contrary — they should be provided with additional development mechanisms, greater competencies and stronger state support," Čapuni pointed out.

Dukaj says that we must not divide ourselves into those who work and those who criticize, but Čapuni points out that criticism of the law is not an obstruction of development.

"Criticism is an integral part of the democratic process. Parliament does not exist to confirm laws without debate, but to check whether they are fair, sustainable and good for citizens. No city, not even Ulcinj, is seeking privileges. Ulcinj is seeking equal treatment and for the state to recognize its real historical, cultural and developmental significance. And therefore the essential question remains the same: do we want a law that opens up opportunities for the development of all local communities, or a law that creates a narrow circle of "desirable" cities in advance? Not only the status of Ulcinj, but also the future of local self-government in Montenegro depends on the answer to that question," concluded MP Force.