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Ten to Eight – Milan’s revenge

Good morning! You are reading a daily contextual review of the news that marked the previous day.

By Ljubomir Filipović, CdM observer

Knezevic to abolish SDT

After the Democratic Front (DF) issued an ultimatum to the government on December 28 to launch an initiative to amend the law, which would give way for the dismissal of prosecutors, this is now happening. Mr. Milan Knežević and his colleagues from the DF have been waiting for a long time to take revenge on the Special State Prosecutor’s Office (SDT) and the special prosecutor, Mr. Milivoje Katnić, and mostly because of the 2016 coup process. All of five ruling parliamentary caucuses supported the initiative, and if the law passes, a new prosecutor’s office will be established and the selection of prosecutors for the fight against organized crime will be unblocked. Some people already see this as a political showdown and a violation of the principle of separation of powers. But also, it will be a sign of the excessive influence of the DF on the adoption of public policies.

Healthcare in disarray

There is still no vaccine, and now, instead of the minister, the SNP is announcing the vaccine’s arrival in one week. The director of the Health Insurance Fund, Mr. Sead Čirgić, warns that due to the temporary financing of the budget, there may be a disruption in the supply of the health system with medicines and medical devices. Some drugs are already not available. In the Clinical Center of Montenegro (KCCG), 80 percent of the COVID-19 hospital capacity has been filled, and the director, Ms. Ljiljana Brankova Radulović says that is a reason for concern.

The patience of the citizens is running out, and while we are watching scenes from Serbia where citizens are being largely vaccinated, we have vague answers and false promises, while the minister is not sure about her statistics or whether, for example, a new strain of the virus has arrived in the country.

Who are Vučić’s men in Nikšić

The political opposition in Nikšić, which is ruling in Montenegro, is sparing no means to ensure victory in the elections in that city. Pobjeda analyzed who the “qualified consultants” were, who were escorted by the police from Nikšić and Montenegro, who helped the Democratic Front in the fieldwork. It turned out that all but one have connections with the authorities in Serbia. Local SNS activists and journalists, greedy local authorities throughout Serbia, came to liberate Nikšić, so it also gets a breath of fresh air.

Accusations and suspicions of interference by foreign actors in the elections should be addressed timely – the European Parliament’s rapporteur for Montenegro, Mr. Tonino Picula said for Nova M, commenting on the recent events in Nikšić.

The French oppose the EU enlargement

The majority of French citizens do not support the accession of the countries of the Western Balkans into the European Union, including Montenegro, according to a survey by the Open Society European Policy Institute. Montenegro did the best, while Kosovo, for example, if it was up to the French citizens, would never be a member of the Union. Prejudices about the Balkans, EU fatigue, populism, and ongoing crises create a bad climate for the region to join the EU. On the other hand, the stalemate in reforms, ongoing political crises, and ethnic tensions provide a good excuse for some in the EU to stop or delay the integration process.

That is it for today. Have a great day ahead.

 

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