CEMI - Centar za monitoring i istraživanje

Political corruption – Montenegro story

06. Jan. 2017. in publications

The problem of corruption is highlighted as one of the major problems that Montenegrin society faces on its European path. For a long period of time, from the major international addresses Montenegro has been constantly receiving messages whose content is similar and substance almost always the same and it comes down to the fact that corruption in Montenegro is present and concrete effects to the institutional fight against corruption in all segments of social life are missing or are not visible. These messages have been always interpreted in Montenegro in different ways, which is not a coincidence, considering the political circumstances in which Montenegro is rising from the renewal of independence to the present. On one hand, representatives of the governing elite always use the opportunity to present themselves “in the eyes of the international public," as social actors which have been constant, persistent and committed in "fight against this negative social phenomenon”. On the other hand, representatives of the other - opposition political "half", they are just as constant, persistent and committed in claiming that the "governing elite is responsible for why the corruption in Montenegro, once and forever is not being stopped." If we compare both attitudes, except the essential difference that is obvious, we could notice one similarity among them: they don’t have a solution to overcome the problems that undoubtedly exist. Condition of things remains unchanged. Corruption is still a part of everyday life of average citizen of Montenegro, and even worse, the tendency to corrupt behaviour in the system of values of the citizen is something that lasts and over time it has been identified with him and gets a social and moral justification. Therefore, the approach to this problem in Montenegro must be much more serious and thorough from what the politicians are offering to us today.