In a swift legislative session, the Parliament of Montenegro approved **25 laws** in just **87 minutes** on March 14, 2024. The laws, accompanied by supporting materials totaling **4,457 pages**, were passed without detailed debate, prompting concerns over the erosion of parliamentary democracy and procedures. Milena Gvozdenović, Deputy Executive Director of the **Centre for Democratic Transition (CDT)**, highlighted these developments as indicative of a troubling trend in governance.
Gvozdenović emphasized that the lack of discussion raises serious questions about whether members of parliament have adequately reviewed the laws before voting. During the first session of the extraordinary meeting, **20 laws** proposed by the government were adopted in **1 hour and 11 minutes**, following brief remarks from the Minister for European Affairs and three opposition lawmakers. The second session, however, lasted merely **16 minutes**, sufficient only to pass an additional **five laws**.
The rapid approval of legislation has drawn criticism from various quarters. Gvozdenović pointed out that while the laws are claimed to be crucial for European integration, some lawmakers appeared to consider them unimportant enough to warrant serious parliamentary discussion. Significant laws, such as the **Law on Medicines**, which contains **360 articles**, and the **Consumer Protection Law**, comprising **435 pages of materials**, were among those passed without adequate scrutiny.
This practice of expedited lawmaking, according to Gvozdenović, started gaining traction during the passage of the so-called **IBAR laws**. Such a method has since become a modus operandi for the current parliamentary assembly. She noted that negative experiences from previous legislation, including amendments to the **Law on the Prevention of Corruption** and the **Law on Financing Political Entities**, have not prompted sufficient caution among lawmakers.
Despite these issues, some parliamentarians may believe they have effectively demonstrated efficiency in law adoption. Gvozdenović countered that their primary responsibility is to facilitate public awareness of legislative changes that directly affect citizens’ daily lives. She stressed that for the public, no law is trivial.
The urgency of European integration must not serve as an excuse for rushed legislation, which averages just **four minutes** per law without public consultation or consideration of expert opinions. Gvozdenović underscored that such practices will inevitably harm society in the long term. She called attention to the importance of transparent and inclusive legislative processes, which are fundamental to European democracy.
Gvozdenović concluded by asserting that if Parliament genuinely aimed to align with European standards, laws would first be thoroughly read and then thoughtfully debated. The effects of such legislation should be clearly communicated to citizens, reflecting the essence of responsible and democratic governance.
