Only four out of a total of 25 municipalities in Montenegro responded to the initiative of the Centre for Civic Education (CCE) for the systematic verification of employees’ qualifications, while only two – Podgorica and Kolašin – recognized this issue as a priority and submitted the requested data to the Government’s Interdepartmental Working Group.
At the beginning of February 2026, CCE addressed all municipalities with an initiative to, within their respective competences, initiate a process of systematic verification of personnel files of employees in bodies, services, and public enterprises established by them. The aim of this initiative is to enhance institutional integrity and strengthen citizens’ trust in the work of local self-governments.
However, after nearly two months, the response from local self-governments remains extremely low. Particularly concerning is the fact that, according to available information, only two municipalities have included this issue among their priority activities and acted in line with Government recommendations.
It is important to note that all municipalities had been aware, even prior to this initiative, of their obligations under the Conclusion of the Government of Montenegro No. 08-011/24-4050/2 of 11 July 2024, which envisages the submission of employee data to the Interdepartmental Working Group. Despite this, it is evident that a significant number of municipalities have neither acted upon Government recommendations nor been further motivated by CCE’s initiative. This raises concerns about the commitment of local authorities to upholding legality and professional standards, despite the undeniable public interest in this matter.
The Municipality of Kolašin is the only one that submitted clear and comprehensive data, including information on the level of education, educational institutions, as well as where and when those qualifications were obtained.
The Capital City of Podgorica stated that it had already submitted the requested data to the Interdepartmental Working Group in August 2024. They also emphasized that the verification of diplomas had been a planned activity of the competent Secretariat for Local Self-Government and Cooperation with Civil Society, noting certain legal and procedural limitations in conducting detailed verifications. In several cases, identified irregularities were reported to the competent authorities; one unlawfully established employment relationship was terminated, while another case is still ongoing.
The Municipality of Nikšić expressed principled support for the initiative but indicated that it would act in accordance with the guidelines of a future working body of the Ministry, which indicates insufficient awareness that the Interdepartmental Working Group had been established two years ago.
The Municipality of Zeta announced cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation and the submission of data only after receiving CCE’s initiative, further confirming that previous Government recommendations had not been implemented.
We recall that the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation established the Interdepartmental Working Group for the verification of educational credentials in May 2024, following findings indicating the existence of a significant number of disputed diplomas. These findings further underline the need for local self-governments to actively contribute to ensuring legality and professional standards in the public sector.
CCE notes that the absence of a systemic response from most municipalities points to the necessity of stronger institutional pressure and more proactive action by competent authorities, in order to ensure that tasks of public interest are performed by qualified and competent individuals.
Snežana Kaluđerović, Senior Legal Adviser