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…
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…
EU accession negotiations, Parliamentary program
Amendments to the Law on Internal Affairs retain controversial provisions
The proposed amendments to the Law on Internal Affairs retain controversial provisions – despite prior commitments, both the public consultation and the European Commission’s opinion have been omitted The proposed amendments to the Law on Internal Affairs, despite announcements about the professionalisation of the police, do not guarantee legal certainty or judicial protection in procedures…
Our comments on the Draft Strategy on Public Procurement
Within the public consultation process, we submitted comments, proposals and suggestions to the Ministry of Finance on the Draft Strategy for Improving Public Procurement and Public-Private Partnership Policy for the period 2026–2030. In our submission, we highlighted the need to strengthen the legal framework for preventing corruption in the public procurement system, in particular by…
Review of the European Commission Report: Better Scores, but the Same Warnings
According to the assessments given for 33 open chapters, Montenegro has indeed achieved its best progress score so far – 3.63. However, the recommendations in the cluster of fundamental rights are more specific this year, reaffirming the requirements from Montenegro to deliver more tangible results. Our detailed overview of readiness and progress scores by…
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Podcast, Public administration reform
Public Sector Under the Labor Inspectorate’s Scrutiny: Fewer Inspections, More Initiatives
Most of the initiatives received by the Labor Inspectorate concern the public sector; however, the private sector is subject to more frequent inspections, as irregularities there tend to have more serious consequences, explained the Chief Labor Inspector in our ReForma podcast. He announced plans to strengthen the Inspectorate’s capacities, which would, among other things, enable better oversight…
Podcast, Public administration reform
#ReForma: On Employment and Challenges in the Capital City
The Capital City is in the test phase of an application that will, within its human resources records, also include records of service contracts, with implementation expected in the coming weeks, announced Slađana Anđušić, Secretary for Local Self-Government and Cooperation with Civil Society, speaking on the IA’s #ReForma podcast. On the topic of local-level employment,…
Podcast, Public administration reform
Discrimination in Public Sector Employment: Difficult to Prove, but Widespread
Discrimination in public sector employment is difficult to prove; however, cases before the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms indicate that discrimination is most prevalent in the area of employment and labor relations, with nationality and political affiliation being the most common grounds. On the issue of discrimination in public sector employment, the many challenges…
Podcast, Public administration reform
The second episode of IA podcast (Re)Form with Marija Hajduković: Counting public administration employees
In the second episode of the IA podcast (Re)Forma, we discussed the activities undertaken in the process of public administration reform, the importance of data accessibility, and the announced (urgent) amendments to the Law on Civil Servants and State Employees with Marija Hajduković, General Director of the Directorate for Strategic Planning in Public Administration, International…
Podcast, Public administration reform
The first episode of our new podcast “(Re)Forma”: Institutions should not enhance the reduction of competitiveness of employment process
Political parties promise meritocracy, but only declaratively. In the first episode, Milena Muk, a public policy researcher at Institute Alternative (IA), explains what changes need to be made in the legal framework and practice so that public sector employment becomes more competitive. The lack of progress since the change of government in 2020 regarding public…
Podcast, Public administration reform
Stevo Muk in the Podcast “European Talks”
Winds of change in Montenegro: What to expect in the next period? The recent elections in Montenegro suggest that major changes could soon take place in the country in the Western Balkans. Montenegro has opened all chapters in the process of negotiations with the EU, but how far has the enlargement process really progressed and…
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