Nikolić: EP report should be read as a serious warning to the Government and parliamentary majority to change their way of acting

The European Parliament report should be read as a serious warning to the Government and the parliamentary majority to change their way of acting, said Andrija Nikolić, head of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) parliamentary group in the Parliament of Montenegro.

After the European Parliament adopted the Report on Montenegro today, Nikolić welcomed the fact that Montenegro's further progress on its path towards the European Union has been confirmed.

"This is a success for all citizens of Montenegro and confirmation that the European future of our country has no alternative. However, it is equally important to point out that the Report also contains serious warnings that confirm the concerns that the opposition has continuously pointed out. The European Parliament expressed concern about the amendments to the Law on Internal Affairs and the Law on the National Security Agency, which, as they say, were adopted despite strong criticism from the opposition and civil society, which confirms that the opposition was right when it warned about the disputability of these controversial legal solutions," Nikolić pointed out.

According to him, the message from the European Parliament is equally important that transparency, consultations and genuine cooperation with the opposition, the professional public and the European Commission are necessary for the adoption of all important laws on the European agenda.

"Unfortunately, we are witnessing that these very principles are often ignored, which deepens political divisions and creates additional obstacles on the European path. Therefore, the EP Report should be read as a serious warning to the Government and the parliamentary majority to change their way of acting. Montenegro's European path is not only a matter of speed, but also the quality of reforms, the rule of law and democratic dialogue with the opposition," said Nikolić.

He called on the parliamentary majority and the Government to "seriously consider the opposition's platform for overcoming the parliamentary and institutional crisis."

"Many of the positions contained in that platform have been confirmed through the messages of the European Parliament. If we really want to preserve Montenegro's European path, it is necessary to restore political dialogue, respect the Constitution and institutions, and ensure the full participation of all relevant stakeholders in making decisions of national importance. This is not the interest of the opposition or the government - this is the interest of Montenegro and its European future," Nikolić concluded.