PM Krivokapić: Montenegro can only be successful as a civil, democratic and ecological state

Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić and President of the Parliament Aleksa Bečić organised a reception at Villa Gorica on the occasion of Independence Day. Prime Minister Krivokapić said that the period from the restoration of independence to the final change of government was marked by an equals sign between independence and privacy.

"Independence had to result in greater unity, integration of all its citizens, harmony, and care for each other, nurturing the original values of our ancestors, strengthening civic awareness, true democracy, clear vision, enlightenment of all of us, prosperity, social justice, applying the law without selectivity, respecting political rivals and elevating political culture. And what did we have? Permanent divisions, which created only uncertainty as to whether we would survive, whether we would preserve peace that was constantly threatened by the strengthening of demagogic nationalism, while genuine concern for Montenegro and its citizens remained an elusive category. This created the Montenegrin reality, which until the change of government was turned towards the past and imaginary enemies," Krivokapić said.

The Prime Minister said that such an environment was imposed as a political vision in which the same actors changed ideological matrices.

"They intimidated us with a potentially worse situation with an always clear scenario: Divide and rule. While deceiving us in this way, they rewarded themselves generously, leaving us with a reality in which their future and kleptocracy are in direct correlation. We, the others, in anticipation of a worse future, accepted the present as a tolerable possibility of survival, and, most often, only at the level of satisfying elementary existential needs. In the absence of political vision and long-term planning, everything was based on the alleged need to preserve the nation, to preserve positions and the present without a clearly projected future," said Prime Minister Krivokapić.

The Prime Minister said that the years after the restoration of independence had passed in the dilution and negation of social norms, in the erosion of moral values, in hypocrisy.

"Today, we are creating a state turned towards all citizens. This is the phrase that must be very clear in our lives: a civic-oriented system. So far, that has not been the case," said PM Krivokapić.

The Prime Minister pointed out that the Government is fully committed to opposing criminal systems in politics and the economy, and that the new government has a common obligation to fight against what poses a danger to Montenegro.

"We can only achieve that together. Of course, with the support of our international partners, relevant non-governmental organisations," said Prime Minister Krivokapić.

The Prime Minister said that the basic priority of the Government is to enable young people to stay here, and not, as it has been so far, to choose between two extremes.

"One extreme is to adapt to the value system that is disturbed and the other, emigration. The only future of Montenegro is young people. The pillar of our state, finally, must be highly educated, emancipated, eloquent, resolute and ethical young people who will lead Montenegro to prosperity, but also all those who perceive this state as the greatest good," said Prime Minister Krivokapić.

The Prime Minister called on the international community to show understanding. "We are not asking for any privileges, we want to achieve what we set out to do in cooperation with them, and that is to be the first next member of the EU and to share European values," said PM Krivokapić.

The Prime Minister emphasised that the most difficult moment for Montenegro is the battle with the pandemic, which we managed to bring to an acceptable level.

"That is possible only by respecting the measures and creating the preconditions for economic prosperity. If we turn to patriotism based on commitment, respect for professional ethics, respect for each other, and not looking at who is who, Montenegro will be the best. Montenegro must be a civil, democratic and ecological state, that is our need, that is the most important thing for the future and prosperity of Montenegro," said Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić.