PODGORICA – Montenegro’s parliament has backed a proposal to introduce mandatory integrity checks for nominees for prime minister and cabinet posts, in a vote linked by the government to the country’s EU accession commitments. The proposal received the support of 56MPs, exceeding the required two-thirds majority.
The vote does not complete the constitutional amendment process. Parliament instructed its Constitutional Committee to prepare draft amendments within four days and submit them to MPs.
According to Radio Television of Montenegro (RTCG) the proposed changes would prevent anyone who fails to meet integrity requirements prescribed by law from being nominated to lead or join the government. They aim to strengthen accountability and prevent corruption and conflicts of interest.
MPs also supported a provision requiring the legislation governing these checks to be adopted by a two-thirds parliamentary majority.
The Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), the URA Civic Movement and the Democratic People’s Party (DNP) withheld support.
DPS leader Danijel Živković argued that the mechanism could undermine voters’ choices and questioned why checks would cover government nominees but exclude other senior officials. DNP opposed the changes because they did not address its demand to make Serbian an official language.
Deputy Prime Minister Momo Koprivica defended the proposal as a safeguard for democratic institutions and described it as a prerequisite for closing Chapter 23, which covers judiciary and fundamental rights in EU accession negotiations.
Reacting on X, Prime Minister Milojko Spajić said the vote had revealed which parties genuinely wanted Montenegro in the EU and which were prepared to obstruct its European path in pursuit of others’ interests.
