Centre for Civic Education (CCE) assesses that in the most bloated Government of Montenegro – a record even by broader international standards – many government members have unclear responsibilities and measurable results. What is clear, however, is that numerous, often artificially created, ministries serve solely to balance party quotas. Therefore, the CCE is placing a spotlight on some of the most illustrative examples, and in this review – on the Minister without portfolio, Milutin Butorović.
CCE points out that the position of a minister without portfolio – or a ministry without a ministry – is not an unfamiliar practice in the organization of executive power in Montenegro. Several governments led by the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) used this mechanism. This practice was briefly discontinued by former Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić. It was resumed in the 43rd Government under Dritan Abazović, which included two ministers without portfolio, and continued with the reshuffling of Milojko Spajić’s 44th Government, which includes one such minister among its 32 members.
Since its first proposals for government organization in 2016, the CCE has advocated for a small, compact, and efficient government, and for adoption of a Law on the Government. CCE has provided numerous constructive comments to help shape that law. Within this framework, there is no place for a minister without portfolio – although, unfortunately, the latest available draft of the law still includes this provision.
Currently, the position of minister without portfolio, or as formally stated, the minister in charge of relations with the Parliament of Montenegro, is held by Milutin Butorović. Considering that all ministers are appointed by Parliament and equally accountable to it for their respective departments, the public – and perhaps even the minister himself – remains unclear on what exactly his job description entails.
A review of official activities on the Government’s website reveals that, among the 32 cabinet members, the minister without portfolio has by far the fewest recorded activities – all of which, over the course of his nine-month term, fit on a single page.
These include two congratulatory messages – one for the Municipality Day of Nikšić and one to Muslim believers for Eid, one announcement of a guest appearance on the public broadcaster RTCG, and one response to a media article regarding his salary. In addition, five other official activities are listed: two meetings – one with the Ambassador of the Republic of France to Montenegro, Anne-Marie Maskay, and another with Snežana Đurović from the Investment Agency; one public reaction to a nationalist statement by Dario Vraneš, Mayor of Pljevlja; and an announcement that the Government would submit a request to Parliament to hold an extraordinary session on the Budget on 21 January.
His fifth official activity, which drew particular public attention, was a business trip to Brussels for a meeting with Montenegro’s ambassador to the EU, Petar Marković. Notably, Marković had been in Montenegro just days prior as part of a consultation for which all ambassadors invited Prime Minister Spajić. Apparently, Butorović deemed that this was insufficient to gain a substantive understanding of the Government’s work and that it was necessary to set foot on Belgian soil – accompanied by the Secretary-General of the Government, his deputy, and to stay there for three days – all at the expense of Montenegrin taxpayers, in accordance with the travel platform and conclusions adopted at the 71st Government session.
In summary: two official meetings, one business trip, two congratulatory notes, one public response, and one announcement constitute the minister’s recorded activities – with no information available on any tangible outcomes from these.
Meanwhile, the minister without portfolio earned a net salary of €1,737.51 in March 2025, along with numerous benefits – including an office, staff, and use of a Mercedes E280 with license plates PGCG297 belonging to the General Secretariat of the Government. He personally drove this vehicle for several months (November and December 2024, and January 2025), covering up to 288 kilometers per day on the Podgorica–Nikšić–Podgorica route. Before and after that period, the same vehicle was officially assigned to a staff member of the General Secretariat, with travel logs indicating the same route and similar or unclear mileage, suggesting that the car continued to be used to transport the minister, likely with a driver.
The CCE once again urges decision-makers to end the practice of creating expensive and non-functional roles that serve only for party bargaining. Institutional accountability and rational management of public funds demand that the Law on Government clearly define competencies, and that positions without a clear mandate – such as the minister without portfolio – be legally abolished. The citizens of Montenegro deserve a government that works for them, not at their expense.
Nikola Mirković, Programme Associate