Montenegro must provide an effective family policy that would include family allowances and social services, and which will not only solve critical and urgent problems, but also influence their prevention, said the member of the Main Committee of the Democrats, Milica Istijanović.
"Living in today's Montenegro and deciding to marry, create and expand a family is almost a heroic feat. One should be very brave, because under today's conditions in our country, this is an almost impossible mission. Young people who want to start their own family and continue to live and work in Montenegro, a large number of problems are expected, first and foremost: unemployment, non-compliance with the law by the employer, lack of assistance from the state or municipality, lack of subsidies and a number of other preconditions," said Istijanović.
According to her, unemployment is an important factor that influences the fact that more and more young people decide not to form their family, waiting for better times and living in the hope that they will come, and have been doing so for years.
"And those employees are not in a much better position, they earn barely enough to support themselves, while women often lose their jobs because they are pregnant or their salary is drastically reduced during that period. There are countless examples of cheating the state and the law by employers, who go unpunished or are in close ties with the authorities, so everything is allowed and forgiven. As I read on a Montenegrin portal, the employer requires the woman he wants to hire, in addition to her qualifications, to take a pregnancy test in order to be sure that she would not leave on maternity leave, and so every time when the contract is extended. This is just one example, there are many such and similar employers, they just skillfully hide or have the protection of the authorities, while on the other hand, women who want to get a job or already work for such employers have no other choice than the national "language for teeth", Istijanović pointed out.
A member of the Main Committee of the Democrats assessed that "with this policy, we have achieved the fact that there are fewer of us every day." Istijanović cites the municipality of Savnik and the village of Bijela as an example, "where there used to be a school with over two hundred students, and it worked in two shifts, today there are two, and how many such or similar situations there are, especially in the northern part of Montenegro."
"The question is, does the state have enough capacity to put an end to this phenomenon? Democrats have the knowledge, strength and will to resolve this issue once and for all, as in all civilized countries of Europe and the world. That the law be respected and those who break it be punished."
According to Istijanović, additional problems of families in Montenegro are: the unresolved housing issue, i.e. the absence of favorable credit arrangements, material and financial assistance to multi-member families, some of which are brought to the brink of existence, investment in education as well as in health care, especially when it comes to people with special needs needs, as well as for pensioners.
"It is necessary to strengthen the role of local self-government in providing social services to families and social support for children. This is because local authorities can more easily perceive the specific needs of families in their area, because they answer to their fellow citizens in elections for their decisions, and on the other hand, citizens have a stronger motive and better opportunities to follow and criticize the decisions of local authorities, but also a stronger motive to get directly involved and cooperate with local authorities in meeting the social needs of their fellow citizens. Local authorities must help in renovating homes and providing housing to vulnerable families. We need new energy, new people who will understand the importance of the family in society and encourage the development and creation of families for the benefit of all of us and our generations. A happy and successful family is a basic prerequisite for the progress of our country," concluded Istijanović.
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