Opposition and civil society organizations met to discuss media leaks, which have cast a new light on the ruling party’s controversial tactics.The meeting took place on Friday on the initiative of Democratic Front, the largest opposition formation. Miodrag Lekic, leader of the front, said the meeting ended without concrete conclusions, but aimed to coordinate a […]

Following a lawsuit by two NGOs, the Administrative Court has annulled a decision allocating over 2 million euro to civil society ogranizations in 2011, as a result of which the process will have to start again.Two organizations, a hiking club and an environmental NGO, sued the Commission For Allocation of Part of Revenues from Games […]

After documents were leaked from Montenegro’s ruling party, revealing plans to hire political loyalists, the opposition is demanding action.The opposition daily newspaper Dan on Tuesday has published a letter which it calls proof of the growing politicisation of Montenegro’s public administration. In a letter sent to Dejan Zarubica, president of the then municipal board of […]

The Social Democratic Party, SDP, a minor government partner, says the current head of state, Filip Vujanovic, has no right to run as president and appealed to the Constitutional Court.The SDP on Thursday submitted an appeal to the Constitutional Court, claiming that Vujanovic does not have the right to be head of the state once […]

Montenegrins whose wages are higher than the country’s average now have to pay more income tax to plug gaps in the state budget.Montenegro on Friday introduced a 6 per cent income tax hike on salaries which are higher than the country’s average of 720 euro gross, as the government tries to tackle the country’s budget […]

Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia and Montenegro have taken milk produced by two Croatian dairies off the market amid fears of contamination by potentially dangerous aflatoxin M1.The four countries moved to withdraw the suspect products after a scientific analysis in Vienna at the weekend showed that the amount of aflatoxin M1 in the milk produced by Croatian […]

The trial started in Bari on Thursday of four Montenegrins accused of involvement in smuggling cigarettes in the 1990s.Three Montenegrin businessmen, Vesko Barovic, Branko Vujosevic, and Branislav Micunovic, and the former chief of Montenegro’s trade mission in Italy, Dusanka Jeknic, are standing trial in Bari, a Podgorica-based radio, Antena M, said on Wednesday. They are […]

Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament have issued a call for a renewed EU commitment to the Western Balkan enlargement process.Hannes Swoboda, president of the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, said enlargement momentum should be stimulated again so that the Western Balkans could join the European Union. “The EU project itself needs […]

The junior coalition partner of the country’s ruling Democratic Party of Socialists says it cannot support the idea of Filip Vujanovic running again for the presidency.The Social Democratic Party has said it will not support the nomination of the current Montenegrin president, Filip Vujanovic, for another term in office. “He cannot be a presidential candidate […]

Union members rallied in front of the Montenegrin parliament on Monday against government plans to raise income tax to tackle a growing budget deficit.The unions said the plan to bring in higher taxes in order to help plug the hole in Montenegro’s budget was unfair to the poor and called on MPs not to vote […]

In a move whose legality is disputed, Montenegro’s ruling party has declared Filip Vujanovic, the current head of state, as its presidential candidate in the April election.The main board of the governing Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, unanimously voted for Vujanovic’s candidacy on Thursday. The party decribed his previous incumbency as president as highly successful.

Foreign Affairs Committee welcomes Montenegro’s progress, while urging it to do more to tackle media freedom issues, women’s rights and gender equality.The Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament adopted a draft resolution on Montenegro on Tuesday, hailing what it called the country’s solid progress. “Montenegro has made solid progress towards EU membership”, the committee […]

Montenegrin reservists are seeking to prove they were mobilised during Yugoslavia’s NATO conflict but hopes of getting unpaid wages from Belgrade may be misplaced.Montenegro’s defence ministry has received around 1,100 requests from reservists for confirmation that they took part in combat activities during NATO’s bombing of the former Yugoslavia which they hope will allow them […]

Facing a Sunday deadline, Ranko Krivokapic, speaker of Montenegro’s parliament, is expected to call elections for a new head of state on Friday.The mandate of President Filip Vujanovic expires in May and by law elections need to be called at least 120 days before the expiration of Vujanovic’s mandate, which means January 20 at the […]

Parliament’s constitutional committee was to discuss changes intended to bring EU accession closer but instead agreed to close its doors to press and public.Committee members adopted the closed-door policy at their first session on Tuesday, suggesting that it would stop the talks being manipulated for political advantage during the upcoming presidential election campaign. “I think […]

Refugees from Kosovo living in containers at a camp in Montenegro’s capital staged a demonstration to demand power supplies.”This is not life – without electricity, it’s like we are in prison,” one of the refugees told journalists in front of the headquarters of the EU delegation in Montenegro’s capital Podgorica on Monday. Several dozen Roma […]

Parliament’s consitutional committee will discuss moves that will help address EU concerns about judicial independence.The committee will meet on Tuesday to discuss proposals for constitutional amendments, with Montenegro under pressure from the European Union to implement reforms. Changes aimed at increasing the independence of the judiciary are among the key conditions for Montenegro to open […]

As the film star visits Montenegro negotiating a deal for a film, the Prime Minister has asked him to become a cultural ambassador for the country in the world.Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic suggested after meeting Depardieu on Tuesday that the actor might become a “cultural ambassador” for Montenegro. Djukanovic said Depardieu appeared willing to […]

Ranko Krivokapic, the speaker of parliament, is expected to call a presidential election by the end of next week after meeting the heads of various parties.Before calling the presidential election, Krivokapic will meet representatives of all parliamentary parties, Radio Antena M said on Tuesday. The mandate of the current President, Filip Vujanovic, expires in May. […]

The Advisory body of Council of Europe suggests that the most important judicial functions in Montenegro should be appointed by a two-third parliamentary majority.The Council of Europe’s advisory body on constitutional matters, the Venice Commission, has examined the draft opinion on draft amendments to the Constitutional provisions relating to the judiciary of Montenegro during its […]

The initiative by Montenegro’s judges to ban public comments on non-final verdicts is largely seen as controversial and against the basic principles of open trials.The most recent proposal of the Association of Judges of Montenegro aims to forbid public comments on court decisions which are not final, Vijesti Television reported on Tuesday. The association has […]

Svetozar Marovic, a veteran of Montenegrin politics, is replacing Milo Djukanovic as leader of the country’s ruling party now that the latter has again become Prime Minister.In an interview with Montenegro’s public broadcaster, RTCG, on Monday, Marovic said that he would take over leadership of the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS. Djukanovic has informed […]

The Alliance of Associations of Displaced Persons urged Montenegro’s leaders not to appoint ambassador to Pristina until people who fled Kosovo in 1999 are allowed to return.The organisation issued a statement on Monday in a response to the last week’s announcement by Kosovo’s president, Atifete Jahjaga, that the exchange of ambassadors between Kosovo and Montenegro […]

The Montenegrin authorities have issued a warning because of the bad weather which is expected over the weekend.The forecast predicts that on Saturday the country will be hit by a strong cyclone, which might bring heavy rainfall in the central and souther regions and snowfall in the north of the country.

The heads of states of Western Balkan countries have called for closer regional cooperation at their annual summit which was not attended by the Serbian president.This year’s regional summit on cooperation was held in Montenegro’s coastal town of Budva on Wednesday and was attended by the president of Montenegro, Filip Vujanovic, his Kosovo counterpart Atifete […]

After parliament endorsed the programme and structure of his goverment late on Tuesday, Milo Djukanovic has officially returned as Montenegro’s Prime Minister.Milo Djukanovic’s new government, led by his Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, has 16 ministers and 4 vice prime ministers. The former Prime Minister, Igor Luksic, has been appointed Foreign Minister and Vice Prime […]

Vote in parliament on new government put off to Tuesday, following opposition demands that a controversial vote in the town of Niksic be examined.Milo Djukanovic, Montenegro’s prime minister designate and head of the Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, had been expected to present the programme and structure of the new government on Monday. However, the […]

Marking 68 years since the first radio station started in Montenegro, the head of the public broadcaster, RTCG, says many challenges lie ahead, starting with digitalisation and financial stability.Speaking at the celebration on Tuesday in Podgorica, Rade Vojvodic, head of RTCG, addressed the many challenges facing the country’s oldest broadcaster. These include digitalisation as well […]

Refugees from Kosovo residing in Montenegro’s capital, whose barracks were burnt down in July’s fire, have been re-housed in more than 200 containers, until permanent homes for them are built.The installation of containers in the Konik camp, the largest refugee camp in the Balkans, which hosts around 1,500 mainly Roma refugees from Kosovo, was successfully […]

Montenegro’s civil society organisations and its Bosniak community have condemned the acquittal of nine former police officers, charged with committing a war crime against refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992.The Bosniak community in Montenegro has fiercely criticised the verdict in the trial of nine policemen charged with deportation of refugees.

Nine former police officers were once again found not guilty for committing a war crime against civilians from Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992.The presiding judge, Milanka Zizic, said while explaining the verdict that the defendants had arrested civilians unlawfully but that they cannot be held liable for committing a war crime. The nine former policemen […]

Filip Vujanovic, Montenegro’s President, said he expected NATO to invite his country to become a full member at the alliance’s next summit due to take place in 2014.The President of Montenegro expressed his country’s expectations in a speech given on Monday at the plenary session of NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly in Prague, highlighting that the new […]

Montenegro’s opposition party managed to convince its partners to respect the state symbols, but its success in making them condemn the war crimes committed in former Yugoslavia was partial.Almost a month after the October 14 elections Montenegro’s second largest town, Niksic, has the new local government. The opposition parties, Positive Montenegro, the Socialist People’s Party […]

Milo Djukanovic is the ruling party’s candidate as prime minister-designate, Svetozar Marovic, a party official, said on Friday, making his return to high office all but certain.Montenegro’s long-time leader and chairman of the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, which has held power since the early the Nineties, is slated to return to frontline politics […]

Kosovo and Montenegro have started consultations aimed at signing the international agreement on border demarcation, a legacy of the breakup of the former Yugoslavia.The commissions in charge of demarcating the borders between Montenegro and Kosovo met on Wednesday in the Montenegrin capital, Podgorica. They agreed on further activities necessary for signing the international agreement on […]