Montenegro’s Parliament approved constitutional amendments on Monday evening introducing integrity checks for prime minister-designates and members of the government.
The proposal received the support of 56 MPs, including members of the ruling majority, part of the opposition, representatives of minority parties and independent lawmakers.
Under the amendments, anyone who fails to meet legally established integrity requirements cannot be nominated as prime minister-designate or appointed as a member of the government, according to Montenegro’s public broadcaster, RTCG.
The aim is to make government formation more transparent and accountable while strengthening safeguards against corruption and conflicts of interest.
The specific criteria and screening procedures will be established through a separate law, which must be approved by a two-thirds majority of all MPs.
The amendments to Article 91 of Montenegro’s Constitution also establish a two-thirds parliamentary majority requirement for laws governing the electoral system, property rights of foreign nationals, and integrity checks for government candidates.
Deputy Prime Minister Momo Koprivica said the measures would strengthen democracy and institutional integrity, adding that voting rights would remain unaffected.
The next key step will be defining the screening rules in legislation, which will determine how the new constitutional requirements are implemented in practice.
