In an interview for the CdM portal, a member of the Democratic Party of Socialists’ (DPS) presidency and their MP, Andrija Nikolic, was adamant – Montenegro government is on the verge of collapse. According to him, Montenegro has been blocked for a year already, and an extraordinary election is the most realistic option for overcoming the crisis.
On the statement of the US Deputy Assistant Secretary, Gabriel Escobar, that the latest NATO Summit had unofficially concluded it was dangerous to share all the information with the new government in Podgorica, Mr Nikolic says it shouldn’t be surprising, as the international partners of Montenegro recognize the character of this government and warn it for getting far away from the European and Euro-Atlantic values.
Commenting on a slowdown in the enlargement policy and its impact on the Balkans, he said: “The EU enlargement to the countries of the Western Balkans par excellence is a security issue for the region. If, even after the formation of the new government in Germany, and the upcoming presidential elections in France, there’s no agreement within the EU on starting negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania, the enlargement policy and membership prospects of the WB will definitely be jeopardized, with possible far-reaching consequences for the stability of both the region and Europe, as we’ve learned that the Balkans doesn’t know how to take care of its own security.”
As for the state of play in Montenegro in terms of politics, Mr Nikolic notes that “Montenegro has been shaken by the most serious political and social crisis since the restoration of independence”.
He continues: “Since May this year, that is, since the dismissal of the Justice Minister, Vladimir Leposavic, and the adoption of the Srebrenica genocide resolution, the government has no support in the parliaments and lost any legitimacy. The country has been blocked for six months. It’s why it’d be best to have the extraordinary election in order to get out of the crisis”.
