Europe Day – 9 May, which is celebrated in countries across Europe, is celebrated in Montenegro with numerous reconsiderations. On one hand, the official standpoint of our country is that we are determined on the road to the EU integrations and fulfillment of all requirements of the European agenda. On the other hand, Montenegro still bears the heavy burden of decades long problems that are slowing its steps towards Europe, in the fields such as the rule of law, human rights protection, freedom of media and expression, the economic situation, and the most recent corona virus pandemic.
In such an atmosphere, a change of government took place in Montenegro after more than 75 years, when the new structures inherited all the above problems, but also the foreign policy commitment of Montenegro. It is natural that citizens expect positive changes after this change, promised in the pre-election period. Progress must happen, because Montenegro is in a crisis of integration processes, and there have been no visible results in this regard for a long time, and citizens are tired of hiding of the state behind the presented enthusiasm for the EU integration, and justifying for the lack of progress in this regard by national and religious divisions, which they use to increase their support and maintain power. Citizens are also tired of worn-out phrases about the state’s commitment to overcoming the crisis and improving the quality of their lives, which is not happening, so the new government has even greater responsibility and expectations are certainly high.
Although it must be acknowledged that the inherited situation is a difficult starting point for achieving quick and visible results, the new government still makes mistakes similar to the previous one, through party recruitment, nepotism, lack of transparency, and insufficient representation of members of minority population in public administration. In addition, we remain burdened with a number of challenges such as migration, security, economic development and connection with the region countries and regional development.
Corona virus pandemic also revealed the new weaknesses of the European Union that entered in this health crisis without good coordination so, the borders closed in panic, human rights were endangered, and the entire economy fell into an uncertain state. Democracy, solidarity and peace are the values on which the European Union is based, and we all need the renewal and confirmation of these values in order to continue jointly towards the construction of the European Montenegro. That is why we need a stronger encouragement from the European Union, and a better understanding for the opportunities that prevail in Montenegro, which will certainly fasten the process of the EU integrations, and therefore the expected better quality of life of Montenegrin citizens.
