The delegation of the Capital City of Podgorica presented today the final candidacy for the title of European Youth Capital 2028 before an international jury consisting of 16 prominent representatives of European organizations, the Assembly of the Capital City of Podgorica announced today.
As stated in the statement, on behalf of Podgorica, the presentation was held by the mayor, Saša Mujović, and the Secretary General of the Youth Network of Montenegro, Vladimir Perazić, who during their presentation presented in detail the vision, goals and key programs of the candidacy, and then answered questions from the jury members.
"Podgorica has shown today that we are not only nominating programs, but also young people, their ideas and energy. I believe that we have convinced the international jury that our city is ready to be the center of European youth policy in 2028. Without young people, there is no development, and this candidacy is our clearest proof that we want to build Podgorica to their measure," Mujović emphasized.
The defense of the candidacy was also attended by the President of the Capital City Assembly, Jelena Borovinić Bojović, as well as the rest of the delegation that, as stated, had been working intensively for months on preparing the application: the Mayor's Chief of Staff, Vesna Brajović, Secretary of the Secretariat for Social Welfare, Stefan Vešović, representative of the Youth Office, Danilo Vučinić, and Advisor for International Relations, Sara Nikčević.
"This process has further united us around the goal of providing more space, more opportunities and more support for young people. I am proud of the team that worked dedicatedly on the candidacy for months, but even more so of the young people of Podgorica who have shown how much potential, creativity and responsibility they carry. Our city deserves this title, and young people deserve it the most," said Borovinić Bojović.
The Capital City Assembly said that the candidacy defense process included a detailed presentation of Podgorica's strategic plans in areas that form the essence of its youth work and development vision: youth participation in decision-making, entrepreneurship and innovation, green initiatives, and mental health.
"The delegation presented concrete programs aimed at empowering young people to actively participate in creating public policies, developing incubators and startup support, improving ecological practices and sustainable solutions in the city, as well as strengthening available mental health services. In the question and answer section, the team clearly and convincingly presented the reasons why Podgorica deserves the title and demonstrated its readiness to lead ambitious and sustainable processes for the development of youth policies," the statement said.
The Assembly adds that the European Youth Capital is a prestigious recognition awarded by the European Youth Forum, and Podgorica's entry into the final represents a significant success and confirmation of the quality of its youth work.
"In addition to Podgorica, the finalists are the cities of Chisinau (Moldova), Paralimni (Cyprus), Pernik (Bulgaria) and Leeuwarden (Netherlands). The ceremony to announce the winner will be held on November 28, when it will be announced which city will take home the title of European Youth Capital in 2028," the statement concludes.
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