Latest EU Strategy for the Western Balkans presented yesterday in Strasbourg shows that Brussels is well aware of the lack of political willingness of the local authorities to fight against corruption and organized crime.
For the first time in its official document, the EU pointed out to the phenomenon of state capture, and warned about “links with organized crime and corruption at all levels of government and administration, as well as a strong entanglement of public and private interests”.
MANS particularly welcomes the EU’s insistence on concrete results which imply conducting of more efficient investigations that would result in final court rulings for corruption which would be fully enforced. Brussels also expects for system institutions to fight against corruption without compromise.
Especially encouraging is the announcement of adoption of new EU action plans, as well as the fact that success of reform processes will no longer be measured by the number of adopted documents but, as stated, efficiency of justice that the system is able to provide to citizens and businesses, instead of current sentiment of “impunity and inequality” in the face of justice.
The EU Enlargement Strategy emphasizes the importance of proposed measures related to confiscation of illegally acquired assets or assets without coverage even before the ruling, deprivation of the right to public office, as well as disruption of criminal networks and their financial foundations through systematic financial investigations.
All this points to a conclusion that the reforms can no longer be fabricated, as well as that Brussels will closely monitor everything that is happening in Montenegro, while any lack of concrete results in fight against corruption and organized crime will be perceived as a clear lack of political willingness and the EU aspirations of the ruling elite.
MANS
