Montenegro’s parliament approved constitutional amendments late Monday designed to strengthen integrity checks for high-level government officials. The move, which requires candidates for prime minister and ministerial positions to undergo vetting before their nomination, is intended to identify and mitigate potential conflicts of interest.
The legislative package received support from the ruling coalition, independent lawmakers, and a representative from the European Alliance. However, the session saw notable absences, as the Democratic Party of Socialists, the country’s largest opposition group, and the pro-Serb Democratic People’s Party declined to participate in the vote.
Deputy Prime Minister for the Political System, Justice and Anti-Corruption, Momo Koprivica, clarified that the new rules do not bar business owners from public office. Instead, they mandate that individuals must choose between maintaining private business interests and serving in government. The government also committed to drafting supplementary legislation to establish specific procedures for these integrity assessments.
The Democratic Party of Socialists voiced opposition to the process, arguing that such matters should be handled through standard legislation rather than constitutional changes. They expressed concern that post-election vetting could undermine the political will of the electorate and suggested that a more comprehensive dialogue was necessary to ensure proper legal safeguards.
These reforms are viewed as a critical milestone in meeting the requirements of Chapter 23 of Montenegro’s EU accession negotiations, which focuses on the rule of law, anti-corruption measures, and public accountability. European officials have urged the swift adoption of these changes to help the country remain on schedule to provisionally close all negotiating chapters by the end of the year.
