State assistance is selective, politically motivated and neglects the needs of citizens

The situation in Komarnica may appear calmer at first glance, but in essence it is deeply worrying and far from stable. The water has receded, but the consequences remain and cannot be ignored - damaged road infrastructure, compromised terrain safety along the river, and perhaps most importantly, a sense of uncertainty among the people who live there. Today, the residents of Komarnica fear not only the consequences of recent floods, but also the realization that there is no permanent, systemic solution to protect them.

The biggest problem in this part of the municipality is not nature itself, but the absence of a long-term state response to recurring risks - President of the Municipality of Šavnik Jugoslav Jakić said in an interview for ETV Portal.

LEFT TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES

As Jakić explained, Komarnica has been facing extreme weather conditions for years, while the local government, with limited resources, is forced to repeatedly repair damage instead of addressing the root of the problem. He believes that such an approach exhausts the community and sends the message that people in this area should accept a state of emergency as normal.

He points out that the issue of Komarnica and flooding is merely a symptom of a deeper problem - the long-term neglect of the north and rural areas. In addition to protection from natural disasters, Šavnik, Jakić emphasizes, urgently needs serious support in the development of road infrastructure, utility systems, and basic living conditions. Without this, he believes, there can be neither economic development, population retention, nor sustainable use of the natural resources this municipality possesses.

- What is being sought here are not privileges, but basic conditions for a normal life. If the state wants balanced regional development, then it must also be present where challenges are greatest and capacities weakest. Otherwise, we risk entire areas becoming deserted, only to be mentioned when a natural disaster occurs. Ultimately, without state assistance in these areas, local communities are left to fend for themselves. And when a village disappears, the state disappears from those areas as well - said the head of the Municipality of Šavnik.

He reiterates that Komarnica is not merely a local issue of the Municipality of Šavnik, as it is sometimes portrayed, but a state issue par excellence. Therefore, according to our interlocutor, the lack of interest at the state level is particularly concerning. He recalls that after the most recent floods no one showed interest in the situation in Komarnica, no one from the Government came to visit the area, nor did anyone attempt to assess the scale of the problem and the needs of the people living in Šavnik.

THE BURDEN OF THE PROBLEM ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT

This is, he says, especially incomprehensible given that Komarnica is legally and institutionally under multiple layers of state protection.

- This area was declared the „Dragišnica and Komarnica“ Nature Park in 2018, with the aim of preserving natural values and ensuring sustainable development. At the same time, Komarnica is part of the „Emerald Network“, meaning that Montenegro has assumed an international obligation to protect this area through the Bern Convention, and it has also been recognized as a potential „Natura 2000“ site, which will be of particular importance in the process of accession to the European Union. In addition, clear legal restrictions under the Nature Protection Act apply, which imply the responsibility of the state for the management and protection of this area - Jakić stated decisively.

Under such circumstances, he stresses, it is completely illogical to shift the burden of the problem onto local government. Jakić says that Šavnik does not shy away from responsibility - quite the opposite. The local administration, as our interlocutor explained, has done everything within its power: it has prepared project documentation for the construction of a bridge, as one of the key infrastructure solutions that would significantly improve the safety and functionality of this area. However, he adds that the implementation of such a project exceeds the financial and technical capacities of a small municipality and requires direct involvement from the state.

- Last year’s experience further confirms this need. Even then, assistance from the state level was absent at the most critical moment. Only after several days, when the local administration had already taken all available measures and practically halted further escalation of the floods, did a visit by the President of the state and the engagement of the Montenegrin Armed Forces follow. I want to emphasize that the role played at that time by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Montenegro, General Zoran Lazarević, was extremely important and professional, but that does not change the essence of the problem - the reaction came too late. Therefore, it is entirely legitimate to expect that someone from the extensive government administration comes to Komarnica, sees the situation on the ground, and assumes part of the responsibility. Otherwise, the impression is created that state assistance is provided selectively, along political lines, rather than in accordance with legal obligations and real needs - said Jakić.

He also pointed out that last year’s floods laid bare the true state of the system. According to him, they showed how quickly and solidarily the local community can act when faced with a crisis, but also how fragile that system is when timely and coordinated state support is absent. They also demonstrated that problems such as those in Komarnica cannot be addressed sporadically and symbolically.

- If we have not learned a lesson from those experiences, then we risk returning to the same issues every year, with increasing damage and diminishing trust among people that things will change. In the end, I want to clearly state: citizens of Montenegro live in Šavnik. They should not be viewed through a party or political lens, but as people to whom the state owes security, protection, and equal treatment - Jakić emphasized.