Milatović for Portal ETV: I will not allow Montenegro’s civic character to be undermined, nor the public interest and the state’s European course
In an exclusive interview for Portal ETV ahead of two decades since the restoration of Montenegro’s independence, President of Montenegro Jakov Milatović sends his most direct political messages to date - on selective justice, institutional responsibility, the country’s European future, and the red lines he claims he will never cross for the sake of political compromise.
Speaking to Portal ETV, Milatović openly states that Montenegro can no longer survive as a system in which „nobody is responsible“, warning that the judiciary must treat ordinary citizens and the most powerful individuals equally, while insisting that the state must finally provide answers about the origin of enormous wealth accumulated during the transition period.
Discussing the country’s European path, the President of Montenegro claims that the summit in Tivat on June 5 will send „three strong messages to Europe“, including that Montenegro should become a member of the European Union by 2028. At the same time, he acknowledges that the country still suffers from serious internal weaknesses - from an inefficient judiciary to the need for deep institutional reforms.
In the interview, Milatović also speaks about his mandate, political pressures, the constitutional limits of the presidential office, and why, as he says, he will never agree to compromises that endanger the civic character of the state, the public interest, and Montenegro’s European course.
PORTAL ETV: You stated that „true justice begins where there is no selectivity“, and that every case must have a clear outcome and visible accountability. What exactly does that mean?
MILATOVIĆ: It means that the law must not choose which cases and which people it will deal with.
The state must address contracts, concessions, tenders, arbitrations, and decisions that cost citizens millions much faster and more seriously. Justice exists when citizens know who signed a suspicious decision, who violated the law, who harmed the state, and who will be held accountable for it.
Montenegro cannot join the European Union with a justice system that is fast for the weak and slow for the powerful. That must change.
PORTAL ETV: Does this mean that you recognize elements of selective justice in the actions of state institutions? If so, can you provide specific examples and areas where it is most pronounced?
MILATOVIĆ: Citizens recognize selectivity when they see that some cases are opened in one day, while others remain stagnant for years or even decades.
As long as the „winners of the transition“, both former and current, who accumulated wealth under suspicious circumstances, are not called upon to prove the origin of their assets, Montenegro will not be a just society. There are many examples - both you and I know them. The problem is that we do not know how they acquired that wealth: whether through political, friendly, and business arrangements with certain officials or through innovative business ventures. This is a question that only the competent institutions can answer.
Those institutions must enforce the law equally toward ordinary citizens, ministers, directors of state-owned companies, and anyone who signs decisions on behalf of the state.
A system that delivers statutes of limitations instead of efficiency, that is unable to bring those convicted by final judgment to justice, and that for years has failed to locate suspects for the gravest criminal offenses - requires accountability and reform.
MONTENEGRO MUST NO LONGER BE A STATE WITHOUT ACCOUNTABILITY
PORTAL ETV: Does institutional accountability or institutional irresponsibility prevail in Montenegro today, and where do you see the key points of responsibility?
MILATOVIĆ: A dangerous habit of avoiding responsibility prevails. When a law is bad, they say Europe demanded it. When a contract is unclear, they say it is the experts’ job. When damage is caused, nobody is responsible. That is not how a state can function.
The key responsibility lies with the Government, Parliament, the judiciary, and independent institutions. The Government must propose laws that are constitutional, clear, and verified. Parliament must read laws, debate them, and oversee the executive branch. The judiciary must complete proceedings, while independent institutions must protect the public interest.
Montenegro must no longer be a system in which nobody is responsible.
THREE STRONG MESSAGES WILL BE SENT TO EUROPE FROM TIVAT
PORTAL ETV: Montenegro will become the center of Europe on June 5. The event is of exceptional importance, and you significantly contributed to making it happen. How do you view that summit?
MILATOVIĆ: In the year when we mark 20 years since the restoration of independence, all of Europe is coming to Montenegro. This is the largest event of its kind in Montenegro’s history, and I am pleased to host it. The summit in Tivat is the result of the trust I have built with the most important decision-makers in the EU. My team, in coordination with other competent authorities and EU partners, is working with great dedication and responsibility to ensure the successful organization of this extremely demanding event.
Three strong messages will be sent from Tivat: First, that Montenegro is ready to become an EU member and that this should happen by 2028. Second, that Montenegro’s example will encourage other candidate countries by showing that reforms and a new political culture pay off. And third, that especially in the context of current global challenges, Europe needs euro-optimism more than ever.
WE WILL PRESENT THE TRUTH TO EUROPE
PORTAL ETV: What will we essentially present to Europe then, a stable and functional system ready for the next phase of integration, or a country still facing serious internal weaknesses?
MILATOVIĆ: We will present the truth. And that is the best way for Montenegro to present itself to Europe.
We will present a country that has a historic opportunity to become the next EU member state. A NATO member state. A country whose citizens strongly support the European path and which has for years fully aligned its foreign policy with the EU. A country with regional credibility and a clear European orientation.
But we must not hide the challenges we face. The judiciary is still not efficient enough. Institutions must become more professional. Public property must not become political spoils. The fight against corruption must be intensified, and the Constitutional Court must be fully functional. Electoral reform must be implemented. These are our tasks, which we must successfully resolve in the coming period.
THE GOAL IS TO COMPLETE MY MANDATE IN A MONTENEGRO THAT IS AN EU MEMBER
PORTAL ETV: What are you personally most proud of in your mandate so far, in terms of concrete and measurable results beyond political rhetoric?
MILATOVIĆ: When I assumed office in May 2023, it was in an environment of deep political and institutional paralysis - with a dissolved Parliament, a caretaker Government, and a dysfunctional judiciary that had long been operating in an acting capacity. Despite such a legacy, I set an ambitious but achievable goal: Montenegro in the European Union by 2028. That objective became the main priority of my work, and every foreign policy activity and domestic decision was aimed at convincing both our partners in Brussels and our citizens that Montenegro possesses the capacity for that historic step forward.
Symbolically, my goal is for the end of my first mandate to coincide with full EU membership in 2028, which would represent an achievement more enduring than any daily political victory, even the historic victory in the presidential elections, when the citizens of Montenegro chose a European future over Balkan wandering.
The efforts made so far and the confirmation of Montenegro’s new international credibility have been crowned by hosting the aforementioned summit in Tivat, as well as by the invitation for me to address the European Parliament in June. That is not merely personal recognition, but proof that Montenegro is on the right path. In the coming period, I will continue to contribute uncompromisingly to that goal, insisting on essential reforms that will permanently place our country among developed European democracies.
At the same time, for the first time since the restoration of independence, citizens in Montenegro have in the President of the state their own voice whenever the public and state interest is endangered by other decision-makers.
This means that laws, contracts, and important decisions are no longer adopted in silence simply because of political bargaining or agreements among the powerful. Citizens now know that every decision must pass the test of the Constitution, public interest, and European rules.
Unfortunately, the instruments available to the President of the state in Montenegro are rather limited, despite the fact that it is the only office directly elected by citizens.
THREE PILLARS OF A MODERN MONTENEGRO
PORTAL ETV: What concrete steps will you take by the end of your mandate by which citizens will be able to clearly evaluate you, and for what are you prepared to bear personal political responsibility if those results fail to materialize?
MILATOVIĆ: My presidential work rests on three inseparable pillars that define the direction of modern Montenegro. The priority is completing the process of accession to the European Union, as a generational goal with no alternative. That path is accompanied by uncompromising protection of constitutionality and legality, through which, within the scope of my authority, I guarantee the stability of the legal order and institutions. Finally, my work is dedicated to strengthening the civic character of the state while deeply respecting the national and religious particularities of every individual. Through this harmony of European aspirations, rule of law, and inclusive society, I strive to be a guardian of stability and an advocate for a Montenegro in which everyone feels respected and protected.
IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO PROTECT THE CONSTITUTION - IT MUST BE EXPLAINED TO CITIZENS
PORTAL ETV: Can you single out one decision or move from your mandate that you would approach differently today, and what did you learn from that experience?
MILATOVIĆ: My experience so far as President has taught me that the correctness of a decision often depends on the way it is communicated; I realized that certain actions required earlier, simpler, and more direct explanations in order to be fully understood.
In Montenegro, it is not enough to protect the Constitution. It must also be explained to citizens what that decision means for their lives. If a law is returned, citizens must know that it is not procedure for procedure’s sake that is being defended, but their money, their property, their rights, and equality before the law.
Performing this duty means having the responsibility and willingness to listen to and understand different, often opposing political and ideological views. Although such a process of inclusiveness and respect for differing beliefs is extremely demanding, it remains the only correct path toward genuine social understanding and stability.
THERE CAN BE NO COMPROMISE OVER A EUROPEAN MONTENEGRO
PORTAL ETV: Is there a clear line you would not cross for the sake of political compromise, and can you provide a concrete example of a situation in which you would firmly say „no“, even at the cost of political consequences?
MILATOVIĆ: Before entering politics, I was both educationally and professionally accomplished, so I do not see politics as something for which I would sacrifice any life principle. In Montenegrin politics there are too many people who have been politicians their entire lives and who, outside politics, never achieved professional success. They are forced to make compromises every day just to maintain their position. I am not one of those people, which is why my position is significantly different.
There can be no compromise regarding a law that is unconstitutional. There can be no compromise regarding a non-transparent contract that harms the state interest. There can be no compromise regarding security laws that infringe on citizens’ rights without oversight. There can be no compromise regarding attempts to turn Montenegro into a state of peoples instead of a state of citizens. And there can be no compromise regarding a European Montenegro.
THE STATE MUST WORK FOR ITS CITIZENS
PORTAL ETV: What kind of Montenegro do you want to leave to future generations?
MILATOVIĆ: A Montenegro in which a child does not have to leave the country in order to succeed, as was the case for many people until now, including myself. A Montenegro in which a young person does not need connections to get a job, a patient does not need connections for a medical examination or a better place on a waiting list, an entrepreneur does not need connections to obtain a permit, and a citizen does not need connections to receive what legally belongs to them.
A Montenegro in which the north is not used only for pre-election visits, but for production, tourism, agriculture, education, and life. A Montenegro in which we do not cover the coast in concrete, but treat it as a resource from which we live and secure development. A Montenegro in which state property is not an opportunity for party bargaining.
A Montenegro in the EU, but not as a poor relative and the last in line, rather as an orderly, solidary, and economically strong state.
That is the meaning of May 21 after 20 years. It is not enough for us to have a state. The state must work for its citizens.