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26 March 2025
Dear colleagues,
At the invitation of the City Assembly of Podgorica, a Congress mission was carried out to observe the early local elections in Podgorica held on 29 September and I had the pleasure to lead this delegation. While we could only deploy a limited delegation due to the late arrival of the invitation, we were nonetheless able to conduct a thorough mission. It marked the first time the Congress has deployed an election observation mission in Montenegro since it became independent, and we really much appreciated receiving such invitation.
On election day, our teams visited 55 polling stations, observing the entire process from the opening of the polls to the counting of the ballots and what we saw was an overall calm and orderly election. The procedures were mostly followed, and the use of electronic id seemed to ensure confidence in the identification of voters. One of the most common issues we observed was breaches of the secrecy of the vote due to the polling station layout. Voting screens were placed in a manner that successfully prevented voters from photographing their ballot papers, but it led to voters not always being able to maintain full privacy. Not all polling stations were accessible to people with disabilities, but we welcomed the possibility for some of them to vote by means of mobile ballot boxes. We also observed some inconsistencies with the sealing of ballot boxes with wax while counting was sometimes negatively affected by rushed procedures and we recommend taking steps to address these issues and reinforce electoral integrity.
We also noted the lack of clear distinction between polling officials and party representatives, which often made us wonder who was responsible for what. Polling station officials were appointed by political parties at the very last-minute, which limited the training they received, and should therefore be minimised. As in other member States, we therefore recommend depoliticising and professionalising the election administration through systematic and compulsory training and a requirement for all accredited persons to wear ID badges.
Let me now turn to the campaign: candidates were able to campaign freely, and many participated in televised debates, which we believe was a positive feature of democratic life in Podgorica. We encourage the authorities to continue their efforts to strengthen the regulatory framework governing media ownership in order to prevent undue political and foreign influence on local campaigns. At the same time, we regretted that, as is often the case in capital cities, the race was largely dominated by national politics rather than local issues. National-level politicians played a significant role in the elections, often leading electoral lists without the intention of taking up their seats if elected. This practice undermines the autonomy of local governance but also shifts attention away from the immediate needs of communities.
In addition, this situation facilitated the widespread use of administrative resources for campaign purposes at different levels of government. We heard numerous reports suggesting that public funds, institutions and employment contracts were used to benefit some candidates, creating an uneven playing field. Unfortunately, the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption only addressed some of these allegations, due to lack of resources.
The same can be said on campaign and party financing. We noted that the legislation did not sufficiently prevent opaque financing practices, such as using third parties, financing political advertising or underreporting costs and that the oversight mechanism in place, under the responsibility of the Agency for the prevention of corruption, was not sufficient to deter violations. We therefore recommend stricter regulations on campaign financing and more effective enforcement mechanisms to ensure full transparency and accountability.
Looking ahead, we believe that Montenegro would benefit from significant reforms to local self-government and electoral law. We were informed that the government is working on such reforms, as was the case during the Monitoring visit back in 2023, but broad political will is lacking. Besides, local elections, such as in Podgorica, Niksic, Budva and Savnic, are too often used as negotiation tools for national political discussions, undermining local self-government in Montenegro. We also think that the introduction of a unique election day at local level, a proposal put forward by the Ministry of Public Administration, would be a positive development. The current system of rolling elections results in almost continuous state of campaigning, making it difficult for local governments and election administration to focus on governance rather than election-related activities.
Due to election being held on different days and the absence of a strict residency requirement, voters can de facto register and vote in multiple municipalities to influence electoral outcomes. The situation is fundamentally problematic, and we would like to see the authorities introducing a residency requirement to prevent electoral tourism. Such issues led to the unresolved situation in the municipality of Šavnik where local elections have remained incomplete despite nine rounds of voting between October and December 2022 and new elections in Šavnik should be held without further delay.
In conclusion, beyond legal concerns, inclusivity remains an area for improvement in Montenegrin politics, as women and young people continue to be underrepresented both as candidates and in the media coverage. While Montenegro’s gender quota has led to some improvement in the representation of women, particularly in the City Assembly of Podgorica where nearly 40% of councillors are female, it is clear that additional measures are needed to encourage more diverse participation. We also believe that independent candidates should be given the opportunity to run in local elections, as their exclusion limits voter choice and restricts political competition.
Dear colleagues, the resolution also tasks the Monitoring Committee with pursuing a political dialogue with the authorities to address key issues identified during the mission and I would like to reiterate the Congress’ readiness to support the efforts of the authorities of Montenegro in this regard.
Thank you for your attention.