Montenegro’s Economic Development Minister Nik Đeljošaj said on 30 October 2026 that he did not expect the Euro model to cause a drastic rise in prices, while opposition lawmaker Andrija Nikolić urged the government to help citizens immediately rather than wait until January. Their comments came during a question session in the Parliament of Montenegro, where lawmakers questioned ministers about prices, wages and pensions.
The minister said limiting margins was not planned primarily because of the Euro model or wage increases, although both were among the reasons for considering such measures. Countries across the region were already preparing for January, he noted, with this year’s movements in energy prices also pointing to the need for preparation.
Nikolić, head of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) parliamentary group, argued that the government had promised January measures to curb prices by limiting margins but should help citizens sooner because of expected strong inflationary pressure. He put Montenegro’s inflation rate above that of 90% of EU countries and described the developments as showing “incredible unseriousness by the prime minister and the executive system.”
Energy-market exposure was another concern raised by Đeljošaj. He linked the energy crisis to relations between the United States and Iran, and said Montenegro was exposed to oil-price movements because it does not produce oil and instead buys it. If prices rise, measures are available to protect the most vulnerable groups, he added, while maintaining that the Euro model would not push prices sharply higher.
On the proposal’s details, the prime minister was continuing discussions with ministries and seeking the consent of the relevant departments, according to Đeljošaj. He did not know whether the Ministry of Finance had submitted its opinion. Đeljošaj had voted for the Euro model but opposed one bill in its package concerning local government financing, citing limited local-government revenues.
Wages, pensions and public finances
Addressing living standards, Đeljošaj told lawmakers: “I am convinced people in Montenegro live better today than five years ago.” Citizens had less need to organise their lives outside the country, migration was lower and indicators pointed in that direction, he said. European integration had also had a positive effect on people, while EU accession should contribute to higher living standards.
Đeljošaj said the government should assess investments entering Montenegro’s market and key projects that had been launched. Citizens could expect higher wages, and the executive was responsible for delivering its programme. He did not regard wage growth as corruption of citizens, but as an expected development alongside higher living standards and the arrival of investment.
For pensions, Đeljošaj said the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund would be financed through the state budget, as the state had taken on funding for the Health Fund, whose system he described as functioning. Budget financing was a secure way to meet the pension fund’s obligations and safer than the previous arrangement because the fund would not depend on the economy. “Nobody paid those contributions to ask for the money back after 20 years,” he said.
Turning to pension levels, Nikolić said economic policy lacked projections and that he saw no creation of new economic value or state revenue that could support an agreement with social partners on wage increases. He cited 130,000 pensioners, with the minimum pension at 456 euros and expected to reach 500 euros after a further increase. Asking how people could manage on 500 euros while paying for firewood, bills and food, he argued that margin limits would mean little to pensioners.
The DPS’s “Plan for All” proposes a linear 30% increase in pensions, Nikolić said. He also argued the Euro model could not apply to only one social group and that citizens should decide whether life was better than five years earlier.
