Civic activist Željko Đukić announced on social media that the capital budget for next year will not include any projects from the largest northern municipality. He says that according to his knowledge, the Municipality of Bijelo Polje did not submit projects on time, which is why it will not receive a single euro of investment next year.
"I know that now you expect me to criticize the Government, but this time the problem is not with the Government, but with the municipality of Bijelo Polje. In their irresponsibility and obvious lack of vision and lack of quality of the administration that should prepare and submit projects for the capital budget of Montenegro on time," said Đukić.
The mayor of Bijelo Polje, Petar Smolović, does not deny that his administration did not submit the projects on time, but he also claims that the government is treating Bijelo Polje like a stepmother. The opposition, however, says that this is due to the local government's inaction and ignorance.
"Thank you to the Ministry of Education for not prioritizing kindergartens and schools in Bijelo Polje, nor the three gyms in Nedakusi, Njegnjevo and Nikoljac, which have been postponed for years. Thank you to the Ministry of Health for praising the Bijelo Polje hospital, but not allocating funds for its expansion, even though Bijelo Polje is the only city in Montenegro whose emergency department has not been renovated, despite the fact that more than two million tourists pass through it every season on the main road to the south," said Smolović.
"Instead of taking responsibility for the fact that the Municipality of Bijelo Polje did not nominate a single project within the state capital budget for 2026, the Mayor continues the practice of shifting the blame to others and covering up his own failures and incompetence," said Marko Đukić from Democratic Montenegro.
From the local level, the discussion quickly moved to the state parliament, where the Minister of Capital Investments Majda Adžović confirmed that due to the Municipality's delay, Bijelo Polje will not have any capital investments from the state level next year.
"What is worrying is that in the largest municipality in northern Montenegro, Bijelo Polje, which is the 4th municipality by population, not a single ministry has recognized that it needs to invest a single euro from the capital budget, and this speaks of a stepmotherly attitude towards Bijelo Polje," said Elvir Zvrko from the Democratic Party of Socialists.
"Because the municipality of Bijelo Polje did not submit a single project to run for the capital budget for next year, and according to the decision on the development of the capital budget, they had a deadline of March 15th. Do you know when the municipality of Bijelo Polje submitted the proposals? On October 29th, and the session of the Investment Council and the list were determined on September 29th," revealed Majda Adžović, Minister of Public Administration, in the Parliament.
Political conflicts in Bijelo Polje further flared up after PES MP and councilor Dražen Petrić announced that he would launch an initiative to remove the mayor. He stated that Smolović, during his seven years at the helm of the city, had not implemented a single significant project or shown a vision for improving the economic environment.
Bonus video:
