The new, 28th convocation of the Parliament of Montenegro ended a months-long political crisis by electing the 44th Government of Montenegro, headed by Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, at the session held on October 31, 2023. What was presented as a new chapter of parliamentary activity aimed at forming a stable majority soon revealed numerous shortcomings: differing interpretations and amendments to the Rules of Procedure resulting in the abolition of opposition oversight mechanisms, failure to adopt the work plans of parliamentary committees, an increase in legislative initiatives by MPs without proper analysis, and the adoption of government-proposed laws without public debate and within very short timeframes.
This analysis provides an overview of key events that marked the work of the Parliament from the constitution of the 28th convocation until October 10, 2024, when the autumn session began. In addition to the issues mentioned, other observed problems include the frequent postponement of approved oversight hearings, cancellation of Prime Minister’s Question Time, as well as the emergence of disputes over who may (and who may not) be summoned before parliamentary committees. We also examined how thoroughly MPs prepare the legislative proposals they submit to procedure, and whether, in doing so, they consult the Parliament’s expert bodies – the Parliamentary Budget Office and the Research Centre.