Belan: Montenegro urgently needs a new Government - every day of the current one is a lost opportunity

Montenegro is being shaken by serious political and social turbulence. The ruling coalition is falling apart, protests and blockades are becoming a daily occurrence, and the escapes of convicted criminals further undermine trust in institutions. Systems are collapsing one after another, starting with the security sector, which is bursting at the seams. Instability has become a reality, while insecurity and concern about the country’s direction are increasingly pronounced.

There is a growing number of those who believe that this Government, in its current composition, can no longer respond to the challenges of the moment and that a reconfiguration of power is necessary.

The leader of the Liberal Party and one of the leaders of the European Alliance Vatroslav Belan said in an interview to Portal ETV that Montenegro lacks a stable and genuinely pro-European government that would be fully dedicated to the final stage of negotiations with the European Union.

- In the European Alliance, we have long advocated the position that Montenegro urgently needs a truly pro-European, progressive, and stable Government that will be fully focused on fulfilling the tasks of the final phase of EU accession negotiations and that will be firm and resolute in rejecting all internal and external attempts to jeopardize this strategic goal - Belan said.

He pointed out that the current government does not meet the demands of the moment in which Montenegro finds itself.

- Everything that is happening within and around the current Government, and everything it produces in Montenegrin society and politics, clearly shows that it lacks the necessary capacity and character for this historic moment and the opportunity that has once again opened before us - he said.

Belan believes that European integration has not been recognized as a key topic in the public discourse.

- Would a completely uninformed person, judging by the main daily topics and media headlines, be able to conclude that our society is approaching the very final stage of the EU accession process and that this is the main political topic - one of the leaders of the European Alliance emphasized.

According to him, everyday problems dominate citizens’ conversations.

- Strikes, blockades, the imposition of topics aimed at destruction and instability, often by the very actors in power, chaos in the security sector, the near collapse of the public healthcare system, an increasingly poor standard of living, and ever-declining purchasing power - Belan said.

He also recalled the most recent blockades by freight transport operators.

- We feared how long the blockades organized by the Freight Transporters’ Association would last, as we had fuel reserves for only a few days - he said.

Finally, Belan stressed that political change is necessary.

- Therefore, as far as we are concerned, a new parliamentary majority and a new Government should have been formed long ago. Every day this Government remains in power is another lost opportunity for developments in Montenegro to move in a significantly more positive direction - emphasized one of the leaders of the European Alliance.