For many years, the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) did not deal with economic issues bravely enough, and it should have increased the minimum wages earlier, as was done with the Europe Now program, assessed Dušan Raičević, President of the Municipality of Bar, Member of the Parliament of Montenegro and candidate for vice president of that party.
He said that they have the courage now, that DPS will offer such reforms, but without "populism".
In an interview for "Vijesti", he says that it is time to thank some members of DPS and move on, but one of them is not Milo Đukanović, whom he also called president during the conversation. For Raičević, Đukanović was indebted to his ancestors and indebted to future generations. He agreed with Živković that Đukanović "will remain written in golden letters in the history of Montenegro".
Although he was the only one of the candidates for the post of vice president of the DPS who managed to preserve power in "his city", he did not run for the head of the party because he did not want to "rush too much".
He claims that the officials of the new government have continued and improved all the negative practices that were "respected by the DPS".
He takes Ivan Vuković at his word that correspondence from the phone of Vesna Medenica, whose actor he is, "is not valid". According to him, reforms in the DPS are necessary. The members demand better communication, new forces, but not the withdrawal of Đukanović.
The campaign within the DPS has already started, you already had stands. What kind of feedback did you get from party members? What do they demand or expect from the new party leadership? In one presentation, you said that you "heard well what the members were saying". What are they saying?
The previous campaign, which was predominantly organized in the north of Montenegro, really instills a dose of optimism and confirms that our commitment to start the process within the party elections in a different, innovative way for the first time, and for the first time in Montenegro to give members the possibility of electing the leadership in direct elections was more than justified.
Perhaps the most criticism of the leadership was directed by the members that their voice was not sufficiently heard, and somewhere we estimated that this is a step forward that we as a party must initiate.
We are aware of the fact that perhaps in the previous period we neglected the most important resource that we had at our disposal as a party, which is communication and direct contact, what with the members, what with the voters, and we will surely return to those practices.
Are they asking you to do anything differently, apart from that communication?
Yes, somewhere we are asked to return to the old, good, tried and tested methods. To be dedicated to party work, to be present on the field. As a reminder, it was DPS that experienced its first defeat at a time when the whole world was paralyzed after the COVID pandemic, which more or less distanced us all.
Due to the pandemic, we were not able to carry out the campaign that was recognizable, which is that direct communication, direct contact with the voters and the membership.
The membership asks us to further modify the policies, to bring about certain changes within the party, to create space for new generations who really show an interest in taking part in the creation of policies, that is, participation within the DPS.
Yes, they certainly ask us to thank some members who may have become tired or are a certain burden for the party itself, to thank them somewhere, but in any case to try to create a truly new synergy that will put us in a position for DPS to confirm that it is the most organized party, that it is a party that has always created new trends, that it is a party that has always been ready to be present on the ground with the citizens, and in that way we will once again be in the position of the future government at the level of Montenegro.
They want you to thank some old members. Which members?
Well, you know how, the duration of the DPS is over, let's say, 25 years, and it's completely natural that there was fatigue among certain members, that they don't even show that level of commitment, that is, sometimes they don't even show the willingness to take part in some election cycles that will certainly be on the agenda in Montenegro very soon.
Somewhere it is natural to thank those people for everything they gave to our party, for all the battles we fought together, mainly thanks to their dedication.
But also to find a way for them to also contribute in some of the next battles that we will fight. To pass on part of that experience to the younger generations who, with a new energy, will be in a position to lead the party, that is, the processes within our party. I think that one stage in the development of our party is over.
Are they asking for Milo to come back?
For so many years, we had at the head of the party a man who is not only a politician, but also a leader, and he was also a statesman. We are grateful to President Đukanović for everything he has done for our party, for what he has done for Montenegro. We are also grateful for everything that is a contribution to the development of modern and contemporary Montenegro, which the members especially emphasize and always emphasize.
Perhaps the greatest achievement of our president, that is, the policy of the DPS, is the preservation of peace, while in the region and surrounding areas, war-torn areas were a picture that burdened us every day, peace was preserved in Montenegro. And I think that today, at a time when peace on a global level is the need of all of us, something that is of the greatest value, and for that we must be especially grateful to all those who contributed to the preservation of peace in Montenegro.
You used the word gratitude in your answer to both questions. So he's one of those people the membership feels they should thank and move on from?
No no. The members absolutely want President Đukanović and his vast experience to continue to be at the service of all those policies that will be created in the future.
And I am sure that he will respond to that call, make a contribution from a position that I am sure he will cover in the future. Within our party, we have a very large number of members and all those who in the previous period made a serious contribution to the development of Montenegro. Their experience is valuable.
We can be talented, we can be eloquent, we can be educated, but the experience that would naturally be transferred from some older members to younger members is of crucial importance, and with that, I am sure, DPS will be in a position to reach positions of power again .
Some candidates for vice president of the party had more signatures of support than you. How do you comment on that and what do you think qualifies you more than them for that position?
The issue here was not the number of signatures collected. The main committee determined the procedures and somewhere in a relatively short period of time we collected a sufficient number of signatures. What is perhaps different in my case compared to the other opponents, that is, those who ran for the position of vice president, is the fact that I collected the number of signatures that was necessary in my city, that is, in the municipality of Bar.
With this, we wanted to make a special contribution to the election campaign itself, but to send a clear message of the unity that is present here in Bar at the level of our municipal board and also to send a strong message that we will always support people from Bar in all those positions that would be necessary, both within the party and in decision-making positions.
I don't think we are in a position to compete. This campaign makes all of us who participate in it become even better people. Colleagues who ran for office make me an even better person and party member. I am sure that in one part I also contribute to making them better.
I am in no hurry to run for party leader
In the local elections, the coalition around DPS had the most votes, and you led that list. I assume that this is a serious qualification within the party itself. Given that you, unlike some other candidates who are running for the same position within the party, managed to preserve power in "your city", why did you not run for party president?
Well, because I have always tried to go gradually, so that somewhere in life, and even in politics, I am not in too much of a hurry, but to mature with politics itself, which has become an integral part of my life.
I will also say that I certainly became infected with politics, which I don't know how good it is, but it confirms that I am fully committed to everything that makes up political life in Montenegro, and especially what makes up political life in Bar, given that I am continuously dedicated the implementation of many projects in the municipality of Bar, that I am in continuous communication with our fellow citizens, and maybe that was the result, that is, the reason why we were the winning list in the local elections in 2022, but not only that we were the winning list in 2022 .
DPS recorded a record result in the parliamentary elections in August 2020, President Đukanović also won in the presidential elections in Bar, although the difference compared to the opponent, President Milatović, was small, and that in the end we are also on that parliamentary elections in 2023 also had the best electoral result in Bar. I want to convey that to other cities in Montenegro.
If you win the party elections, it would be your third political position, in addition to the position of President of the Municipality of Bar and the position of deputy in the Parliament of Montenegro. In the case of the third one, which of those three functions will be a priority for you and why?
Here, specifically, these two functions that I am currently covering, according to some circumstances that are currently valid, although for me it is a pleasure to represent our party in the Parliament of Montenegro, it is also a special pleasure to represent the city of Bar alongside other colleagues from other political party.
However, I am very interested in hearing the voice of representatives of local administrations in the Parliament of Montenegro. This has not been the practice until now, and I am the only one who is currently in parliament in front of local administrations who can directly communicate to other members of parliament what the needs are, that is, the problems that more or less all representatives of municipalities in Montenegro face.
This third function, if I get into that position, I am sure that some new circumstances will dictate further plans, so, well, you will be informed about it in a timely manner.
Did I hear somewhere in your answer that other representatives of local municipalities in parliament, I mean the presidents of municipalities, cannot directly and openly communicate problems to other deputies like you?
Unfortunately no. Unfortunately no. Although the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption unanimously decided in three cases, in my case, in the case of the then president of the municipality of Tuzi and the then president of the municipality of Kolašin, Mr. Martinović, I am very sorry that I am the only one.
I would like to see more municipal presidents in the Assembly of Montenegro, given that it is there that certain policies are created, that is, they are defined, which have an impact on the local level as well. You know that in the previous year, in December, we were in a position to vote on an amended legal solution concerning the financing of local self-government.
That this very law was returned by President Milatović for re-decision, that it caused certain controversies. This is exactly the need I am talking about, that the voice of representatives of local governments must be heard in parliament so that the policies that are created, that is, defined through legal solutions, are adequate, applicable and ultimately represent what the needs are at the local level. .
It is realistic that we have two new vice presidents
From local, state, and international addresses, we heard the message and idea about the so-called "rebranding" of DPS and moving away from the old management and leading people of the party, starting with Đukanović. What do you think about that? Is that also your idea of the future of DPS? If so, how do you plan to do it?
Precisely, direct elections are a reflection of what we consider necessary. And it is necessary that we arrange our house first. And we do it for ourselves. We do this for the sake of the future generations that will grow up within our party. We do this, of course, for the sake of the stability of Montenegro tomorrow. We don't do it because of the pressures or expectations of either political competition or international factors, but we do it for ourselves.
Because we believe that it is necessary to get into a position for a certain reconstruction, reorganization, and we must all contribute to that process.
This is a process in which we all participate. After all, it will create the foundations for tomorrow to create policies that rely on what the needs of our citizens are. These are the political battles we are preparing for, which cannot be won by one person, not even by two. Teams are needed. We are ready to build exactly those teams with our membership, with proven party fighters, with those who were always ready to invest their time and energy in electoral victories
You mentioned moving away and thanking some members on the one hand and supporting the young forces on the other. Do you think some other kind of change is needed within the DPS and what would that change be?
Certainly. These are, let's say, the first steps. The internal party elections in which we will choose the leadership is only the first in a series of steps that we will take as a party in the coming period. Certainly, it is realistic to expect that in the next few months we will organize a party congress on the basis of which we will elect a new convocation of the main committee, executive committee, presidency, as well as the new management of municipal organizations, so that with these immediate elections, DPS is just starting one stage, let's say, complete reconstruction, that is, everything that awaits us in order to return DPS to positions of power as soon as possible.
Can we talk about serious reforms within the DPS if the candidates for the presidential and vice-presidential positions are mostly known to the public? In this sense, what would the potential stay of the current vice presidents, Vuković, Eraković and Dizdarević, mean if we are talking about reform?
That will be decided by the members. This is a process in which they have the main say, and if the membership decides that these three will continue to be vice presidents, that is precisely the will of those who are in a position to decide. We are, I say again, the only party that, perhaps even in the region, is one of the few that has decided to take this step forward.
You can see for yourself that at the end of last year, our political opponents rushed to implement reforms within their parties, that is, to organize congresses in traditional ways, to elect the presidents of their parties, while DPS enables its members precisely through a modern approach.
In your opinion, can retaining the old leadership of the party mean reform in the party at the same time?
Well, I'm not sure that he will even get to that position. If nothing else, we will certainly have one new vice president, it is realistic to expect that we will have two. However, if we come to a position where this existing composition of the party's leadership is partially retained, I say, once again, it is the members who chose it, therefore part of the responsibility will be on them.
DPS can't protect anyone from the law, not even those from the Sky app
In the past period, we had the opportunity to read the correspondence of the former president of the Supreme Court, Vesna Medenica. Among them are some people who are still in the leadership, and also in the race for the new leadership. Such as, say, Ivan Vuković. How do you comment on that? Does it damage the reputation of the party?
I really want to believe, also in the conversation with my colleague Vuković, and he publicly announced this at the plenary session of the Parliament of Montenegro, that the validity of those, let's say, correspondences, that is, the exchange of certain messages, is very questionable, and allow me to really believe in what is he said, considering that in the previous days and months, everything that is placed in the public is very questionable.
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The validity of that communication is very questionable and ultimately it is up to the authorities, investigative bodies or those involved in investigative activities to determine the validity, that is, the authenticity of those messages.
From the correspondence from the Sky application, which we also had the opportunity to read in the last period, we can see a strong connection between members of the security services and leading people in the DPS, during the DPS government. From the exchange of messages from Vesna Medenica's phone, we saw that inappropriate influence was exercised in the judiciary and other state institutions. Should the DPS take responsibility for that, to condemn some of those people, to disassociate themselves from such behavior of individuals and their personnel at the time, or should they, as before, continue to claim that these were some individuals who abused their position in DPS?
First and foremost, I will go back to the earlier stated thesis that the validity of the published communications itself is very questionable. Sky communication, as evidence, is very questionable in court proceedings. Quite often we have heard that the content of those communications may have been modified by some services, but again I am speaking to the investigative authorities to determine all of this.
I think that DPS is the only party in Montenegro that is ready and was ready to admit certain mistakes. This is the only way we can change ourselves, we can change our party, that is, we can adjust policies in relation to the needs of our citizens.
I want to believe that no single individual can be exempted from personal responsibility, if it is proven, but I am guided first of all by the sentence that everyone is innocent until proven otherwise. Certain processes have been initiated, time will tell to what extent any of the charges against certain individuals will be proven.
So, do you think that if the investigative authorities determine the validity of the Sky correspondence and the participation of some individuals, that they are the ones who should take responsibility, as well as the party?
Well, I think that they will definitely have to take some responsibility in accordance with the law, and what is a definite fact is that the DPS cannot defend any individual from the legal provisions, neither did it in the previous period nor will it in the future.
Đukanović paid back to his ancestors and indebted to future generations, Živković is a worthy successor
Danijel Živković, if he is elected as the president of the party for a full term, is now in a temporary position, he will succeed Milo Đukanović. Do you agree with his assessment that the recent president of your party, Đukanović, "will remain written in golden letters in the history of Montenegro" and that "we owe him gratitude for all that has been done well in our country in the last few decades"?
I absolutely agree with this statement of the future president of DPS, Mr. Danijelo Živković. I will even use this opportunity to say that Mr. Đukanović has certainly repaid his ancestors, and that he has indebted future generations. And I am convinced that it will remain written in golden letters in the history of contemporary, modern, civil Montenegro.
The greatest contribution of Mr. Đukanović, that is, DPS as the party he led, is that he saved Montenegro from the destruction of war and that he preserved civil peace in Montenegro.
These days, we can attest to that ourselves, in many parts of our country, especially in the north, the situation is worrying, that precisely those greatest values, which are the civil concept of society, coexistence and peace, are in some situations greatly violated, and I wish that I believe that all of us together will make a maximum contribution to the preservation of those greatest values, that is, the foundations on which modern, modern Montenegro rests, that is, coexistence, respect, diversity and life with and alongside each other.
Do you see Danijel Živković as a worthy successor to Milo Đukanović at the head of the DPS?
I see. I say this from personal experience that I had in the previous period, considering that Mr. Danijel Živković was also the political coordinator of the DPS for the municipality of Bar, and that everything I said concerns the organization of the DPS in Bar, i.e. its functioning. municipal organization, is partly the merit of Mr. Živković, who was more or less always with us, present on the ground, talked to the citizens, showed a full degree of understanding for all their needs, and I am convinced that he will continue with such a practice and from the position of the president of the party, to additionally improve all of this and implement the process that he announced, which is reconstruction, reorganization, and we all place ourselves at his disposal.
Regardless of whether I will be elected vice president of DPS, I will still be there. DPS policy has always been vanguard, and time will confirm that.
Would you perhaps prefer to see yourself as the vice-president of a party headed by another intra-party name?
No. No, and rest assured that I generally do not see myself in any other political party than DPS. There were different and indecent offers in the past, but my political future, present and future is tied to DPS. The moment I am not in DPS, I will certainly not be involved in politics.
My question was more focused on whether you would see yourself as the vice-president not of another party, but of DPS, which is headed by another name within the party, if it is not Danijel Živković?
Certainly yes. Of course, given that my loyalty to the DPS is unquestionable, regardless of who would be at the head of that party, I have shown it with a responsible, professional relationship with the functions I cover. Regardless of who would be at the head of the party, my loyalty to DPS would absolutely not be in question, but my personal satisfaction is due to the fact that it is already evident that Danijel Živković will be at the head of DPS.
In 30 years, there were wrong decisions, but Đukanović always had a vision
You agreed with his statement that Đukanović will remain written in golden letters in the history of Montenegro. Is there anything you think Đukanović did badly during his rule?
During the 25 or 30 years of one party, of politics itself, there are certainly some segments that were not exactly the most correct. However, what distinguishes Mr. Đukanović from all those politicians who have been on the political scene in Montenegro in the past 30 years or are still present today, is precisely the fact that Mr. Đukanović always had a vision and that he is one of of the few who knew how to put that vision into practice. This distinguishes him from all those who are on the political scene in Montenegro. We can all learn from that example. During the 30 years of existence, there were certainly some wrong decisions, however, there are many more that were correct and historically important for the fate and future of Montenegro.
Can you specifically say which decisions you consider to be bad?
I think that in the previous period, when I say the previous period, from 2006 to today, as a party, we partly failed in not dealing with economic issues anymore. Although we are aware of the fact that even before, as a member of Yugoslavia, Montenegro was the least developed republic and that we all had to work much harder, to be much more dedicated and persistent in order to reach a standard of living that is close to that of the average citizen of the European Union. Maybe we should have been more dedicated, more persistent, more persistent on that path, to make it the focus of our actions, to be braver in one part of making certain decisions. We have seen that in the previous period, some political parties rather recklessly, and I would say risky, offered certain economic policies that we believed would not be adequate, so it turned out and proved that they are partly sustainable.
Perhaps we should have been braver and bolder in some previous period when it comes to economic policies, especially those that concern the improvement of the standards of the citizens of Montenegro, personal incomes, pensions, and I believe that this is exactly one of the biggest mistakes we have made as a party. .
We should have raised salaries and pensions
Do you see it as a mistake because the European Movement achieved good results in the elections, and it was putting its economic program in the foreground? Did you see it then or before?
Even earlier, some indicators said that we, as a party, that is, a coalition in power, should dare and take that step forward. I base this first of all on the opinion delegated to us by the representatives of the economy, that it was necessary to consider the possibilities of increasing the minimum wages, that this will also affect the reduction of the level of the gray economy.
At that moment, we lacked a little courage. Europe now, as a set of reform laws, has led to the fact that we are talking about increasing personal income, increasing the minimum wage, and increasing the pension.
However, what worries us all, besides the fact that the financial and economic indicators show that the program had good foundations, we must not ignore the fact that 75 percent of citizens in Montenegro do not believe that due to the increase in wages, there has been an improvement in standards. By going to one of the stores, you can see for yourself that the purchasing power today with higher earnings is much lower than it was in the previous period when earnings were lower.
This says something else, and that is that Montenegro is infected with populism, that populism has more or less invaded every pore of social and political life. In the coming period, we will offer a solution and fight against ever-growing populism, offer economic reforms that are based on sustainable values, because it is simply unbelievable that a system that is based on increasing wages and is based on indebtedness can be sustainable.
The social climate and political situation, or better said competition, forced dealing with economic topics. How difficult is the fact that you said now that DPS was not the "bravest" in economic matters for many years?
It was responsibility towards the state, responsibility towards resources, responsibility towards public finances that prevented us from being bolder to those levels in the part of passing certain sets of reform laws, such as the set of reform laws Europe Now.
We want to continue to present to citizens what are real, sustainable and achievable economic policies, unlike some that, well, we can witness these days, are based exclusively only on certain parameters, that is, messages that were an integral part of election campaigns.
The public is still not familiar with the reform laws that await us in the future. It is very questionable how and in what way we will provide funds to service all those needs, i.e. promised wages and promised pensions.
Are you saying that you are ready, even with this new set of DPS, to treat the state budget and the distribution of money more responsibly?
That's exactly what I wanted to say. Due to the fact that we were also responsible for the budget, for the resources we had, we were less courageous to implement certain reforms that would lead to an increase in standards. These days you can see it yourself.
Even the representatives of the 42nd, 43rd, and now this government did not show a high degree of responsibility towards what are the means of the state budget. Everything that was respected by the DPS, that is, the representatives of the DPS, those practices continued.
Unfortunately, many of these practices have been further improved, so that we are also witnessing party employment, we are witnessing significant allocations from the state budget concerning the hiring of employees under a work contract.
Also, we see in the state budget enormous funds that are planned for consulting services, so, obviously, everything that was observed somewhere in the previous period, that examples of bad practice related to DPS, are still present today. Those practices were only continued, in one part additionally encouraged, not to mention improved, and that is certainly not a responsible approach to resources, that is, to the means of the state budget.
Many say that the DPS was responsible when it comes to, for example, the allocation and purchase of apartments for representatives of the DPS authorities, as well as corruption, buying votes... How do you comment on that?
What is an obvious fact is that it is being talked about and that this very policy, which was related to the allocation of apartments in favorable financial conditions, is exclusively linked to the representatives of DPS. I think that the time is not yet ripe, and I am sure that in the near future we will get certain data that will confirm that not only DPS members were the beneficiaries of those benefits.
Yes, even today you have representatives of the now parliamentary majority who took full advantage of those opportunities, got apartments on favorable terms, and few people talk about that. If we start to make an adequate analysis of those proceedings, be sure that the public's focus will be directed precisely to that other side.
I spoke about those bad practices, those practices continued today. It is only a question of the moment, that is, a question of the desire and will of the public to deal with these issues. I'm not sure that everything you asked about can be related to DPS. Be assured that the representatives of the current parliamentary majority have taken full advantage of those benefits.
You talked about some negative practices, new negative practices that the new government brought, but also some old negative practices that they condemned and then inherited. Is there anything that you would characterize as positive that the new government has done?
The new government that was constituted some two months ago has shown a high degree of commitment to the European agenda. I think this is what the 43rd government lacked, not to mention the 42nd government. Precisely the European path and commitment to the European path is something that should be the focus and process to which all of us, representatives of the position and the opposition, will be more or less committed.
And the messages that we have heard these days from the representatives of the European Union, the European Commission and the embassies in Montenegro say that the government is showing commitment, but that it is necessary to move from words to action.
I think that the European agenda is something that must be absolutely in the focus and policy of the Government of Montenegro, because the time that is behind us has been lost, and I think that the series of missed opportunities that we missed three years ago, and maybe even earlier, must not happen again. that Montenegro must go in the direction of the European Union.
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