Although bombastic announcements about waste management and major steps toward a circular economy society constantly come from the highest state authorities, the fact is that currently in 27 municipalities, we have more than 300 illegal dumpsites, and for years we have been among the countries with the lowest recycling rates in Europe.

Besides illegal dumpsites sprouting like mushrooms, the best example of unfulfilled ecological promises is the collector in Podgorica, whose construction has been awaited for decades, despite being highlighted as the first major project ready for implementation every time a new city government takes office.

It is easy to notice that the pattern of political elites is identical regardless of ideological orientation — during election campaigns they emphasize the green agenda and promise reforms, but when they come to power, little changes in practice.

The reason can be found in the fact that ecological projects are not politically attractive, require long-term commitment, and it often happens that public interest and green standards are outweighed by the business interests of big capital.

Besides illegal dumpsites and the collector (which is more a political than ecological issue), illegal logging is one of the biggest ecological problems in Montenegro. Although laws regulate forest exploitation, their enforcement is weak, and illegal logging is still present throughout the country, especially in the northern regions.

Also, some Montenegrin rivers have been devastated by the construction of small hydroelectric plants, while some suffer from illegal gravel extraction, and many cities face problems with air quality.

That there hasn’t been systemic work on raising ecological awareness is also shown by the latest negative example — tons of sewage spilled in the Bay of Kotor without adequate response from responsible institutions.

Citizens increasingly recognize that green strategies are just part of pre-election folklore, so a logical question arises: Does Montenegro have politicians who, by promising ecological reforms, are stealing our future?

Tijana Raičević,
Project Manager at UZOR