Prime Minister's Questions session: Eurobonds emission, EU integration

Podgorica, Montenegro (25 April 2018) -- Prime Minister Duško Marković said during the Prime Minister's Questions session in the Parliament earlier today, responding to the question by an MP on the effects of emission of 500 million Eurobonds on the public debt and achievement of fiscal consolidation goals, that the transaction reduced the pressure on public finance over the medium term and enabled a part of the funds, of about EUR 100 million, to be used for the repayment of obligations in the next two years, thereby reducing the need for borrowing.

The Prime Minister also stressed in the Parliament that the process of European integration does not concern only the government and the ruling coalition, but all the stakeholders of the Montenegrin society.

"I therefore underline it is necessary for the opposition to return to the Parliament in order to boost the electoral framework in line with what is stated in the Report. Furthermore, I call on non-governmental and civil sector organisations not to seek support for joint and constructive work at other addresses besides these legitimate and domestic ones," Prime Minister Marković said, adding that the doors of his Office and the Government are always open for them and interested individuals, but also for all the citizens.

Prime Minister Duško Marković said after the Prime Minister's Question session today that for the billboards set up in Budva, the Government would not allow the redrawing of history. 

"The Government has already been determined about this through the Ministry of Culture. It is a falsification of history, it is an irresponsible attitude of the Budva authorities. Montenegro and Budva citizens see what kind of authority they have. We will not allow forgery of history. We will respond to this attack on our state and its history with our attitude, and at some other stage perhaps by initiating some appropriate procedure," the Prime Minister said.

Asked by reporters to comment on the praise of top European Union authorities on European integration of our country, on the one hand, and the request of four non-governmental organisations to activate clauses, on the other, as well as to answer whether it might have been a word on activating the balance clause at meetings with European officials, Prime Minister Marković said that nobody even thought about it.

"What balance clause? Nobody mentioned this, no one thought about it... You saw that the Report was positive... It is not even in the subconscious. It is only in the subconscious of some people here who want to show for a variety of reasons that this Government is incompetent with constitutional obligations," the Prime Minister said, adding that this Government has achieved the best results in the field of public finances, economic growth and European integration.

Asked to comment on the fact that the European Commission Report noted that there is no progress in media policy, as well as yesterday's qualifications issued at the session of the Council of public service broadcaster Radio and Television of Montenegro (RTCG), the Prime Minister said that the Government fulfills its obligations towards the RTCG, that the Contract between the Government and the RTCG, by which EUR 40 million will be allocated for the public service in the next three years, have been adopted, and that the Government therefore fully fulfills its obligations.

The Prime Minister said that he would not comment on the work of the Council of Radio and Television of Montenegro (RTCG).

"The Government will not deal with the way the Council works, topics that are discussed on the Council, and access of the Council members. The Government responsibly fulfills its obligations and fully contributes to making the media scene better in the future than it is today," he said.

Answering the question of the journalist whether the Government will help reconstruct the Morača Sports Centre so that the basketball club Budućnost VOLI could play matches of the Euro-league in Podgorica, Prime Minister Duško Marković said that the Government will allocate funds for this.

PUBLIC RELATIONS SERVICE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF MONTENEGRO