State in Montenegro

The Constitution of Montenegro defines the country as a unified and inviolable state. Ratified and published international agreements and generally accepted rules of international law form part of the internal legal order, take priority over national legislation and can apply directly. Everyone must comply with the Constitution and laws and pay taxes and duties established by law. Citizens exercise sovereignty directly and through elected representatives; foreigners and citizens receive the rights and duties provided by the applicable law, while foreign participation in local government depends on legislation. The Parliament of Montenegro, the Skupština Crne Gore, has 81 members elected for four years. It adopts constitutional amendments and laws, approves the state budget and final account, adopts development and spatial plans and national security and defence strategies, supervises the Army and security services, confirms international agreements, decides on state borrowing and loans, and elects or dismisses the Government. Parliament also elects Constitutional Court judges, the Supreme State Prosecutor, the Ombudsman, Central Bank leadership and the Senate of the State Audit Institution. Regular sessions normally run from March to July and from October to December. Six thousand voters can submit a citizens' legislative initiative. Referendum rules belong primarily to the elections field; a referendum proposal can involve at least 10% of the electorate under the constitutional framework. The President of Montenegro is elected directly by secret ballot for five years and may serve a maximum of two terms. The President represents the state, promulgates laws, calls parliamentary elections, proposes a mandate for the Prime Minister and candidates for the Constitutional Court, proposes the Ombudsman, appoints ambassadors on the Government's proposal after the relevant parliamentary committee gives its opinion, and commands the Army through the Defence and Security Council. That council consists of the President, the Speaker of Parliament and the Prime Minister and is chaired by the President. The Government consists of the Prime Minister, at least one Deputy Prime Minister and ministers. It manages domestic and foreign policy, executes laws, adopts implementing acts and proposes the budget, final account, development and spatial plans and national security and defence strategies. The researched structure of the 44th Government comprises seven Deputy Prime Ministers, 25 ministries and two ministers without portfolio. The Secretariat-General coordinates Cabinet work, strategic planning, alignment with the European Union acquis and public information. State administration includes ministries and other administrative authorities. A law or a Government regulation can assign some public duties to local self-government or another legal entity. The Ministry of Public Administration covers administrative reform, the civil service, digital transformation, electronic government, electronic identification, trust services, open data, electronic democracy, public consultations, electronic petitions and accessibility. Administrative Inspection examines state and local administration, administrative procedures, civil-service duties and obligations toward citizens, including discrimination. A civil-service complaint can go first to the head of the institution; when a written response is requested, it is due within 15 days. A first-instance administrative appeal goes to the authority that issued the decision. A Government decision without an administrative appeal can be challenged in administrative litigation. Montenegro has 25 local self-government units: the capital Podgorica, the Old Royal Capital Cetinje and the municipalities of Andrijevica, Bar, Berane, Bijelo Polje, Budva, Gusinje, Danilovgrad, Žabljak, Kolašin, Kotor, Mojkovac, Nikšić, Petnjica, Plav, Pljevlja, Plužine, Rožaje, Tivat, Tuzi, Herceg Novi, Šavnik, Ulcinj and Zeta. A municipality is a legal entity with an elected municipal Assembly and a President or Mayor, administrative services, its own property and budget, own revenues and access to state assets. Municipalities perform autonomous duties, while local financing, equalisation and conditional grants are regulated separately. The Government may dismiss a local authority only after more than six months of non-performance. Municipal assemblies adopt local planning documents. The judiciary consists of autonomous and independent courts. The ordinary court network includes the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the Administrative Court, the Commercial Court, higher courts and basic courts. The Judicial Council elects and dismisses judges and court presidents, sets the number of judges, handles complaints and immunity matters and proposes court funding. The State Prosecution is a single independent authority with the Supreme, Special, higher and basic prosecution offices. The Prosecutorial Council governs the prosecution system. The Special State Prosecutor's Office handles organised crime, high-level corruption, money laundering, terrorism and war crimes. The Constitutional Court is a separate constitutional institution with seven judges, each serving a nine-year mandate. It reviews laws and other acts against the Constitution and applicable international agreements, decides competence disputes and certain constitutional complaints, and can examine alleged constitutional violations by the President. A constitutional complaint normally follows the exhaustion of effective legal remedies. Any person may initiate a review of constitutionality. Constitutional Court decisions are published, generally binding and enforceable. Electoral and referendum disputes primarily belong to the elections field. Independent oversight includes the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms, commonly called the Ombudsman, the State Audit Institution and the Agency for Prevention of Corruption. The Ombudsman has a six-year mandate and receives complaints about state bodies, local administration, local authorities, public services and bodies exercising public powers. Its work covers human rights, prevention of torture, discrimination, children's rights, vulnerable groups and gender equality. The State Audit Institution performs supreme audits of legality and performance involving state assets, liabilities, budgets, publicly financed entities and state property and reports annually to Parliament. The Agency for Prevention of Corruption handles conflicts of interest, gifts, sponsorships, donations, income and asset declarations, integrity plans, whistleblower and public-interest protection, lobbying oversight and related administrative or minor-offence proceedings. Public revenue comes from taxes, duties and other lawful sources; taxes and duties may be introduced only by law. The Central Bank is independent and protects monetary and financial stability and the banking system. The Ministry of Finance reported general-government debt of EUR 5,133.5 million, or 59.9% of gross domestic product, on 31 March 2026. Net debt was EUR 4,483 million, or 52.3% of gross domestic product, while local-government debt was EUR 27.5 million, or 0.3%. The 2026–2029 fiscal guidelines set 2026 revenue at EUR 3.5768 billion and an expenditure ceiling of EUR 3.158 billion, with a projected deficit of 3.7% of gross domestic product. The debt projection falls from 68.0% of gross domestic product in 2026 to 59.9% in 2029; these are official measurements and projections, not a universal cost imposed on each resident. Montenegro protects freedom of expression and the press and prohibits censorship. Media can be established through registration. The media framework includes the Law on Media, the law governing the public broadcaster Radio and Television of Montenegro (RTCG) and the Electronic Media Law. Ownership, public funding and advertising records are subject to transparency rules. Natural and legal persons may request access to public information without giving reasons. Requests can be submitted through electronic government services, by mail, email or orally for the record, and should identify the requested information, preferred access method and applicant. Any charge depends on the service; no universal state fee is established by the available facts. The security system includes the Ministry of Defence, the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Police Directorate, the National Security Agency, the National Security Council, the Cyber Security Agency and the Government Computer Incident Response Team, known as CIRT. The Army defends Montenegro's independence, sovereignty and territory, and Montenegro may participate in international forces. Democratic and civilian control applies to the Army and security services. A constitutional emergency can involve a major natural disaster, a technical or environmental accident, an epidemic, a major disturbance of public order or a threat to the constitutional order. Laws and regulations normally take effect on the eighth day after publication, unless an earlier effective date is justified. The President normally has seven days to promulgate a law, or three days under a speedy procedure, and the Prime Minister's mandate proposal must be made within 30 days after Parliament is constituted.