The Prime Minister's Op-Ed: The first year of freedom

The previous year was a story of freedom.

After 30 years of living under a hybrid regime, in an atmosphere of division and mistrust, and deliberately keeping citizens in the zone where they were struggling to "make ends meet", with unacceptably low average earnings, a unique moment in our political history happened a year ago. Freedom happened.

At the gate of that history, between extremes and uncertainty, reason and responsibility happened. Exactly one year ago, the political structures of the parliamentary majority, different in their political ideologies and perceptions, found common ground after citizens voted for change. Thus, the 42nd Government of Montenegro was formed, which decided to make reforms and turn towards citizens.

Towards citizens who are tired of daily politics and the race for seats ... tired of demagoguery and false patriotism, nepotism and nationalism. Towards citizens who want higher salaries and a better life.

We decided to change a paradigm, evidenced by the sad fact that the last hospital in Montenegro was built in 1974. We abandoned the concept of "development", which included privileged individuals, monopolies, corruption, crime and fabricated statistics.

We have also decided not to run away from responsibility, accept criticism and admit our own mistakes, because in this way we want to demonstrate discontinuity with the former government, which interpreted taking responsibility as a weakness, persecuted critics and covered up its own mistakes.

However, the most important constant in the last year remains and will remain - freedom. That is the most important result of 30 August and 4 December, the most significant achievement of our generations. Therefore, individuals who are not serious must know that the wheel of history will never go back.

Our Parliament is no longer bipolar, but finally looks like a real representative body of democracy, where the approach towards opposition MPs is delicate. With the maturing of a democratic society and a common democratic political consciousness, we will realise that this is one of the greatest features of our historical victory. I ask: is it the strength or weakness when the Government proposes and appoints people who openly criticize it? I believe it is its strength. The power of true freedom.

Representatives of the former regime scoff at this, as they reckon that one-sidedness in the parliamentary majority is a precondition for stability. Unfortunately, the place where the one-sidedness is still present in Montenegro is in the parliamentary opposition, where it is not possible to hear any dissonant political voice.

Criticism is one of the postulates of democracy, and it can only make us better and further motivate us to do more in the interest of our country. Equally, one of the imperatives for strengthening democracy remains increasing wages and improving the living standards of all citizens. A precondition for a strong Montenegro remains an economically strong individual. That is why we have launched four reform programmes: "Europe now!", "Montenegro now!", "Europe here!", and "Montenegro works!".

At the end of the last century, Vaclav Havel said: "Vision is not enough, it must be combined with venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps, we must step up the stairs".

This Government will not sit idly by and stare up the steps. Our steps are decisive, and our goal is clear. We will not make compromises on the issue of freedom, and that is why I will not give an inch on projects, which will create fundamental preconditions for all citizens to be independent after the adoption of the budget. That all citizens be free.

To whom this seems unreal, let's remember that our freedom seemed unreal one day before 30 August.