PM Lukšić signs agreement with opposition on language issue, optimistic regarding election law

Podgorica, Montenegro (8 September 2011) – Prime Minister Igor Lukšić signed an agreement with the opposition leaders on the name of language taught in schools. The language issue has been at the centre of political debate in Montenegro for the past few weeks and was closely tied with the discussions on the Election Law, which is to be voted on soon in the Parliament.

Prime Minister Lukšić said the agreement, which puts Montenegrin as official language and Serbian, Bosnian and Croatian as languages in official use, “ensures full protection from any kind of discrimination” and will hopefully lead to the adoption of the Election Law, an important requirement for the opening of EU accession talks. The curriculum for 2011-2012 will be based on the previous year’s curriculum acknowledging the specificities of all languages.

“We are now able to utilise in a good way the richness of the Montenegrin society, of our civic state, by implementing a truly European solution to the issue of language,” said PM Lukšić explaining that the agreement will help eliminate the identity divisions from the Montenegrin society.

PM Lukšić concluded by thanking the opposition leaders for the intensive and respectful dialogue, which in his words “testifies to the potential of Montenegro to face every issue in a European manner” and he believes this proves that Montenegro is ready to undertake “European commitments.”