Educators, members of the "Solidarno" Housing Cooperative, could be left without the previously secure 2,1 million euros paid to them by the Government through the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation, all because part of the management refuses to allow that department to delegate its representatives to the bodies of that legal entity in order to monitor the distribution of the money.
This case led to a conflict of opinions among cooperative members, as some of them are of the opinion that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should be allowed to participate in the work of the cooperative's bodies, while others believe that there is no need for the Government to control them in this way, regardless of the fact that they receive money from the state.
According to information from "Vijesti", the Main Board of the founders - the Education Union, which signs agreements on financing the cooperative with the Ministry of Education and Science every three years, took the position that the inclusion of representatives of that department in the bodies of the Cooperative is justified.
"Vijesti" has learned that the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Rural Development has paid more than 12,5 million euros to the cooperative since 2002. According to the latest, three-year agreement for the period 2023-2025, the cooperative was paid 2,1 million euros, or 700.000 per year.
Cooperative director Zoran Stanišić claims that it is questionable that the MPNI “receives pre-reserved seats on the Management or Supervisory Board of the Cooperative”.
"This is not a question of someone's personal opinion, but a legally argued question. According to the current laws, cooperative rules and basic cooperative principles, the bodies of the Cooperative should be managed by the cooperative members through bodies that they elect themselves. The Ministry, as an institution, is not a cooperative member, and cannot be equated with employees who, as individuals, would possibly meet the requirements for membership," he claims.
However, the president of the cooperative assembly Nihad Kršić He said that he does not share the position of some cooperative members who resist the inclusion of representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science in the work of the bodies, while the president of the Education Union Radomir Božović warned that cooperatives "by poking a finger in the eye of the Ministry of National Education and Science, they could turn away the main financier and partner."
President of the Board of Directors Slavka Bosković Yesterday, she told "Vijesti" that she would announce her position after the cooperative's assembly session.
The proposal of the Ministry of Education and Science received the support of the founders - the trade unions
Sources claim that the Ministry of National Education and Science sent a letter to the cooperative in mid-May, proposing that the department have four representatives on the cooperative's board of directors, appointed from among the cooperative members and one on the supervisory board, but without decision-making rights.
The interlocutors of "Vijesti" say that they explained this by the fact that the state, through the ministry, is the largest financier of the cooperative, and does not participate in decision-making, but also that the proposed model would contribute to greater transparency of work and better insight into the way decision-making is done. According to this model, the Board of Directors would have 13 members - seven from among the cooperative members who are represented by regions and two from the Education Union as the founders, as before, along with four representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science, who are also elected from among the cooperative members.
They also suggested that the possibility of including employees in the MPNI as cooperative members be considered, which would open up the possibility that they, if they wish, could pay membership fees and try to solve housing needs through the cooperative, but also contribute to its work.
The Ministry of National Defense did not respond to "Vijesti"'s questions regarding the cooperative.
"The Main Board believes that the inclusion of representatives of an institution that allocates significant financial resources to help employees resolve housing issues is not only justified, but also beneficial for the further development and strengthening of the Cooperative itself," said a source from a Podgorica school to "Vijesti".
In a letter sent by the Main Board to the membership, they remind that the Cooperative was founded by the Union to help employees solve their housing needs and that it is precisely for this reason that it is important that everyone who can contribute to making the assistance greater, more accessible and sustainable participate in its work.
This, the Main Board claims, is not seen as diminishing the role of the Union or cooperatives, but as an opportunity to provide stronger support to education employees through institutional cooperation.
They reject the state's extended hand.
The President of the "Solidarno" Assembly, Nihad Kršić, told "Vijesti" yesterday that he does not support the position of those who oppose the entry of representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science into the bodies of the cooperative. He explained that this department fully finances the cooperative and renews the agreement every three years, committing to paying a certain amount of money, which it then passes on to the educational workers.
He assessed that the proposal of the Ministry of Education, which wants to participate in decision-making and monitoring of money, is absolutely legitimate, and that it would lead to transparency and greater support for educators.
"The part of the cooperative members who think differently risk that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will not sign the agreement, in which case we would lose 2.100.000 euros over the next three years," believes Kršić.
When asked if it was true that he intended to resign, he said that he would submit it to the cooperative members for consideration.
"They gave me a mandate and I will give them a chance to express themselves... If that will solve the problems and improve the status of cooperative members, then I am happy... However, I am afraid that this is just some kind of backlash against me for starting to ask awkward questions," said Kršić.
The President of the Union, Radomir Božović, recalled that they founded the cooperative with the Ministry 23 years ago.
"From 2010 to today, the ministry has paid precisely 8,4 million euros, and the Union has transferred every cent to the cooperative. And before that, there were several more million, so the union, or rather the Ministry, has paid over 10 million to the Solidarno Housing Cooperative," explained Božović.
He said that he finds it "simply illogical that those who give so much money and are the main financiers of the cooperative do not have their representatives in the cooperative's management bodies."
"And we did not experience this as an attack or taking away someone's authority or powers, but simply as an extended hand for cooperation," Božović believes.
He claims that he is aware that the cooperative does not view this situation favorably, and that the coordination body of cooperative members in Podgorica and Nikšić held meetings last week and rejected the proposal of the Ministry of National Economy and Trade.
On the other hand, he said that the cooperative is currently waiting for over 1,2 million euros in loans and the construction of apartments has been announced, so the question arises as to how so many pending loans will be paid if there is no cooperation with the Ministry of National Economy and Finance.
Božović also said that the Education Union has been unable to obtain certain data from the cooperative for years - how much income is generated annually, what is the income from membership fees, loan repayments, expenses, what are the obligations towards investors, associates...
Stanišić: Everything is possible, but not to govern
Stanišić claims that the Cooperative wants good, open and responsible cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Culture - an important partner in solving the housing needs of educators.
"Membership of employees from the MPNI is not in dispute. They can become members if they meet the prescribed conditions," he said, emphasizing that the Cooperative does not dispute the right of the MPNI to control the funds it allocates.
"On the contrary, the Cooperative believes that the Ministry of Finance has the right to reports, documentation, insight into designated spending, and every lawful control mechanism. But control of funds and management of the Cooperative are not the same," says Stanišić.
He believes that it will not come to a point where the Ministry of Education and Science will refuse to fund the Cooperative in the future, as this would have consequences for educators: "Therefore, we expect cooperation to continue responsibly: through the signing of the Agreement, payment of funds, and clearly defined control mechanisms."
Stanišić claims that the Union is a partner in negotiations on the position of employees, but that the position of that organization "is not binding on the Cooperative" and assesses that it is problematic that "the Union, instead of insisting on the payment of funds and the protection of educational workers, supports a model that would shift management out of the hands of cooperative members." He added that the Cooperative wants cooperation with the Ministry of Education, the signing of a new agreement, and the payment of funds for educational workers.
"The cooperative accepts control of every euro," he concluded.
Last year they had an inflow of 644.530 euros, they have 2.320 members
Stanišić said that "Solidarno" currently has 2.320 members, and that the inflow of its own funds for 2025 amounted to 644.530 euros.
"The cooperative operates transparently, and data on income, expenses, and the use of funds are presented through financial statements and work reports that are considered before the cooperative's bodies," he said.
The latest annual report states that 725 new members were added during 2025, which was reflected in a reduction in membership fees from two to one percent of the salary, while the maximum loan amount per cooperative member was increased from 15.000 to 20.000 euros.
It is also stated that the monthly inflow of money was 55.244,59 euros.
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