MPNI: Djeljosaj's claim that the principal of a high school in Ulcinj does not speak Albanian is incorrect

The Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MESI) announced today that the claim by Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro Nik Đeljošaj that the principal of the high school in Ulcinj, Snežana Živanović, does not speak Albanian is incorrect.

The Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports reacted to Djeljosaj's statement today that it is unacceptable to appoint a person who does not speak Albanian as the principal of a school in Ulcinj, stating that this is not a respect for multiethnicity, but an institutional provocation and an expression of Albanophobia.

"Regarding the publicly stated claims about the election of the principal of the Public Institution Mixed Secondary School 'Bratstvo-jedinstvo' Ulcinj, which attempt to present the decision of the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation as the result of political, national or any other influences, we are obliged to present the facts to the public. School principals in Montenegro are not elected based on national, political or any other affiliation. They are elected based on knowledge, competences, experience and results achieved in the legally prescribed procedure, which will be best attested to by the candidates themselves," the statement from the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation states.

The government department headed by Anđela Jakšić Stojanović said that in this specific case, the procedure for selecting the director of the "Bratstvo-jedinstvo" Secondary Educational Institution in Ulcinj was carried out fully in accordance with the law and prescribed rules.

"All legally stipulated criteria and parameters were met, and the procedure was carried out transparently and based on the documentation and results of the competition committee. According to the official decision of the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation of July 29, 2026, after the competition and the work of the committee, candidate Snežana Živanović took first place in the ranking. In the written paper and oral interview, she achieved a total of 39 out of a possible 40 points, or 97,5%. In the written paper, she achieved 19,67 points, or 98,35%, while in the oral interview she achieved 19,33 points, or 96,65%," the statement reads.

The Ministry of Education and Science said that the commission particularly evaluated the quality of written work, clearly defined strategic goals, understanding of contemporary educational trends, strategic planning skills, communication and organizational skills, as well as competencies in the field of managing an educational institution.

"Therefore, the candidate who achieved the best result in the prescribed procedure was selected. This is the only criterion that is relevant to the Ministry. Therefore, attempts to present this selection as a consequence of national or political affiliation are completely unfounded. The claim that this is a person who 'does not speak Albanian' is equally incorrect. The competition documentation, i.e. the candidate's biography, clearly states that she has knowledge of the Albanian language at the B2 level in the areas of comprehension, reading, speech production, speech interaction and writing. Also, the claim that the director was 'brought from another municipality' is incorrect. Snežana Živanović has been employed at the JU SMŠ 'Bratstvo-jedinstvo' Ulcinj since October 1, 2008, where she has been working for more than 17 years as a professor of Montenegrin-Serbian, Bosnian and Croatian languages ​​and literature, as well as Montenegrin as a non-native language," said the Ministry of National Education.

They said that this was a long-time educator and member of the school staff, and not a person who was "brought" from another environment.

"The Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation will not allow the legal procedure and professional results of candidates to be subordinated to political, national or any other pressures. Our obligation is to select the best among the candidates, regardless of their national, political, religious or any other affiliation. This is precisely the essence of equality and responsible management of the education system," the statement said.

The Ministry of National Defense said that criticism of the decision is legitimate, as well as that political disagreement is legitimate.

"But the attempt to present a professional decision and the result of the competition procedure as an act of 'humiliation of Ulcinj', 'institutional provocation' or 'Albanophobia', without support in facts and documentation, is nothing more than political insinuation. If someone believes that the procedure was violated, let them show which law was violated, which criterion was not met or which result of the competition procedure was circumvented," the MoE said in a statement.

That government department said that the facts are clear: a competition was held, the complete procedure was carried out, the work of the commission was documented, the candidate achieved the best result, and all legal criteria were met.

"That's the procedure. Those are the facts. Everything else is political interpretation. The multiethnicity of Ulcinj and the rights of all its citizens are not protected by disqualifying people in advance based on their name, origin, or political interpretations. They are protected by guaranteeing everyone equal rights, equal opportunities, and decisions based on knowledge and results," the Ministry of National Education and Research said.

They stated that school principals are not representatives of political or national quotas.

"They are the heads of educational institutions. That is why they are not chosen based on who they are, but on what they know, what they can do and what results they achieve in a procedure that must be equal for everyone. The Ministry will insist on this very principle in the future. The best candidate is chosen. Everything else is political insinuations," the MoE said in a statement.