Novalić: Institutions must systematically tackle crime without populist promises and actions

The Centre for Civic Education calls on the competent institutions to approach the fight against crime more responsibly, decisively, and systematically, without populist promises and actions, while strengthening preventive mechanisms, ensuring more efficient prosecution of perpetrators, and consistently protecting victims’ rights – said Programme Assistant at this non-governmental organization Alma Novalić.

On the occasion of the European Day for Victims of Crime, marked today, she pointed to serious and long-standing shortcomings in the work of relevant institutions in the areas of prevention, detection, prosecution, and adequate sanctioning of criminal offenses.

- An insufficiently effective institutional response weakens the rule of law and encourages the recurrence of various forms of crime, leaving severe consequences for victims, their families, and society as a whole - Novalić emphasized.

Although Montenegro is formally close to achieving its decades-long foreign policy goal - full membership in the European Union - the society continues to face serious security challenges.

- According to the 2025 Global Organized Crime Index (GI-TOC), Montenegro ranks tenth in Europe and 64th in the world in terms of organized crime levels, placing it among the European countries with the highest levels of organized crime, which confirms the depth and complexity of the problem - Novalić stated.

The fight against organized crime and corruption remains one of the key obstacles to progress in negotiating Chapters 23 and 24, which, she added, require the establishment of an independent and efficient judiciary, as well as the strengthening of citizens’ security through consistent enforcement of the law.

- Measurable and sustainable results in these areas are imperative on Montenegro’s European path - Novalić stressed.

Financial crime, she said, remains a deeply rooted problem.

- It is marked by weaknesses in the management of public funds, irregularities in the financing of political activities, the presence of large-scale corruption, and the ignoring of opinions issued by the State Audit Institution (SAI) by the competent investigative authorities. All of this directly undermines citizens’ trust in institutions and the legal order - Novalić said.

Prolonged and violent clashes between organized criminal groups have further destabilized the security environment in Montenegro and represent a serious warning about the insufficient capacity of the security sector.

- It is particularly concerning that some recent clashes have taken place in public and busy areas, as well as cases of murders following several prior attempts, where the police failed to act preventively. Additionally, the recent escapes of some convicted individuals from Podgorica and Budva seriously undermine the credibility of the competent institutions. The failure of leadership structures to assume responsibility in such situations sends a bad message to the public - Novalić emphasized.

She added that the state’s treatment of the victims of the mass shootings in Cetinje in August 2022 and January 2025, as well as of their families, has exposed institutional weaknesses.

- Both in the prevention and prosecution of such crimes, and in providing adequate support to the affected community. The right of victims to dignified and compassionate treatment, access to justice, and material, psychological, and social support is not only a moral obligation of the state, but also an internationally recognized standard, defined in documents such as the UN Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power - Novalić said.

The citizens of Cetinje, unfortunately, had to seek justice in the streets, while their demands have largely remained unmet.

- The Centre for Civic Education expressed its support and solidarity with them by awarding them the 2025 Human Rights and Civic Activism Promotion Award - Novalić concluded.