News
Parliamentary program, Rule of law
Prosecution’s accountability to Parliament: A duty, not a choice
Invoking the protection of “circumstances of individual cases” cannot serve as a basis for the prosecution to entirely refuse parliamentary oversight. The applicable legal framework and established practice indicate that the Supreme State Prosecutor (SSP) and the Chief Special Prosecutor (CSP) are required to respond to invitations from competent parliamentary committees and participate in their…
Re-form for Growth: Small Grant Facility – Call for Proposals
The project “WB Reform and Growth Monitor”, implemented by members of the Think for Europe Network (TEN) and Transparency International in Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH), supported by the European Union, announces a Call for Proposals for the ”Re-form for Growth” Small Grant Facility (SGF). The objective of this Call is to empower civil society organisations to provide independent monitoring,…
Proposed Laws on Internal Affairs and the National Security Agency Still Contain Controversial Provisions
Last week’s amendments proposed by the Government to the proposed Law on Amendments to the Law on Internal Affairs introduce several improvements. However, the draft law still contains controversial provisions, as does the proposed Law on the National Security Agency. We recall our key objections to the earlier versions of the draft amendments, which we…
Space for Civil Society in Monitoring the Reform Agenda
The second meeting of civil society on the implementation of the Reform Agenda 2024–2027 and the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans was held, with assessments that better coordination in reporting is needed, as well as more significant involvement of civil society in verifying the fulfilment of reform steps. During the meeting, the content of…
Accountable public finances, Public administration reform
Strengthen Public Procurement Oversight, Not Weaken It
During the public consultation process, we submitted comments to the Ministry of Finance on the Draft Law on Amendments to the Public Procurement Law. We raised concerns regarding the proposed abolition of the Public Procurement Inspection and highlighted the insufficient capacity of the Budget Inspection to oversee contract implementation. We called for extending anti-corruption measures…
The Government’s Proposal of Constitutional Amendments will not Enhance the Role of the Prosecutorial Council
The constitutional amendments proposed by the Government, in the part relating to the Prosecutorial Council, do not resolve the key conflict of interest and the inappropriate concentration of power in the function of the Supreme State Prosecutor, who by virtue of office presides over the Prosecutorial Council. At the same time, by introducing a qualified…
Stop the Increasing Use of Non-Transparent Intergovernmental Agreements
Members of Parliament should refrain from voting on the new agreement with the UAE, which once again provides for exemptions from public procurement and competitive procedures, until the Constitutional Court delivers its decision on the previous agreement. Provisions that exclude the application of national legislation pose a threat to transparency and competitiveness, run counter to…
EU accession negotiations, Parliamentary program
Decision Year, No Roadmap: Government and Parliamentary Committees Late With Work Plans
The Government and Parliament are entering a pivotal year for concluding negotiations with the European Union without work plans: the Government lacks an approved work programme, and parliamentary committees have not adopted their annual plans. We call on decision-makers to adopt work plans as a matter of urgency, so as to allow both institutions and…
Other, Public administration reform
Decentralisation of Spatial Planning Only on Paper: Municipalities Without Staff
Only nine out of 25 municipalities have established local spatial planning companies, of which only two are operational, although the legal deadline for their establishment expired in May 2025. Many municipalities are still drafting founding acts for these companies, some are considering joint establishment with other municipalities, while others have no solution in place. The…
Legislative Framework of Spatial Planning in Montenegro: Two Decades of Turbulent Change
The legislative framework for spatial planning in Montenegro has undergone a turbulent two decades, passing through four transformative phases that have redefined construction and development practices in the country, reflecting broader political and economic trends, according to research by Institute Alternative. The initial phase, defined by the 2008 Law on Spatial Planning and Construction of…
Scheduled, double-booked, postponed: Prime Minister’s Questions– an obligation on hold
In just over two years of Milojko Spajić’s Government, the Prime Minister has appeared in the parliamentary plenary on only 11 of the 18 sessions planned (61%). Notwithstanding the established practice of holding Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQ) on a monthly basis during the regular sittings of Parliament, in 2025 Spajić answered MPs’ questions on only…
Reform Agenda and Civil Society: Frequently Asked Questions Answered
The Institute Alternative organised an internal meeting on Wednesday, 10 December, dedicated to the implementation of the Reform Agenda 2024–2027 and the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. The meeting brought together representatives of key institutions responsible for implementing reform measures, as well as representatives of civil society. Participants included representatives of civil society and…