Questions of the daily newspapers “Dan”:
- Is today’s Djukanovic’s expose something different from the one in 2009?
- Can Djukanovic and his Government fulfill all they had promised in Parliament today?
Research Coordinator Jovana Marovic replies:
As Djukanovic himself stressed that “there is no adequate legal state law applied and respected,” it is likely that the focus of the new Government will have to be exactly the harmonization of all legislation with the EU acquis (the precondition for progress in negotiations) and its full implementation. Until now, it was shown that the normative condition is much easier to meet in practice, and the enforcement of these standards always encountered difficulties.
Strategic goal of EU integration is connected to the need for attracting foreign investment. That is reflected in the commitment for the concept of public-private partnerships and concessions to be widely implemented. However, it is clear that the implementation of these projects did not follow the key principle of “value for money”. Hence, given the lack of adequate legal and institutional frameworks, as well as the lack of monitoring systems, the transparent and efficient implementation of these projects needs to be ensured.
Stressing that the Government will work together with Parliament and civil society to meet these goals, Djukanovic has said that the new Government will keep up the good practice which, in terms of civil society, began with direct consultation with the Prime Minister, participation in the creation of strategic documents and, finally, through direct participation in negotiating working groups. Given that the Prime Minister in his expose for the first time “recognized” civil society as a partner with credibility, you should expect that this practice will improve during his mandate.
The objectives outlined in the speeches of Djukanovic require comprehensive reforms across all areas (chapters) that are negotiated and which form the basis of the acquis communautaire, but also the reform of the organization of public administration. Progress of these reforms in the next four years, depends on the pace of their implementation, as well as on the progress in the fight against corruption and organized crime. The conditions for progress in the integration, therefore, are clear and they are identified in the expose. Will the rhetoric be onitored by the commitment of fulfilling actual conditions, it remains to be seen. Past practice, though, leaves room for doubt.
