Milatović: Institutional crisis must not deepen; economic program to be discussed Thursday

Montenegrin President Jakov Milatović said the institutional crisis must not be allowed to deepen further, commenting on the situation created in Parliament after the session requested by the opposition to dismiss Parliament Speaker Andrija Mandić was not held.

Milatović stressed that every MP has the right to their own position, but said MPs should hold debates and present their positions to the public.

He said institutional irresponsibility must not be answered with similar actions, as that only deepens the crisis and damages parliamentary democracy.

Speaking about the “Euro model” economic program, Milatović said a roundtable would be held on Thursday, expected to include Prime Minister Milojko Spajić along with other economic and social actors.

He stressed it was positive that the program had brought wage and pension increases back into focus, but demanded answers on how it would be financed, on wage policy, and on the sustainability of the pension system.

Milatović also criticized the fact that the six laws tied to the program were adopted without broad public debate, saying these issues should be discussed openly before going through parliamentary procedure.