The cost of food in the parliament restaurant has risen notably, and with the introduction of the new price list comes a new regulation—Members of Parliament (MPs) are now required to settle their bills immediately.

Previously, MPs, along with government guests and journalists, enjoyed meals at considerably lower prices than those found in other restaurants in Podgorica. However, they will now face much higher costs, especially for fish dishes.

On the daily menu for Tuesday, when “Vijesti” reporters visited the restaurant while awaiting the commencement of the parliamentary session, options included vegetable soup for three euros, braised beef priced at six euros, chicken in peanut sauce for 12.5 euros, both Viennese and Parisian steak at 9.5 euros, vegetable risotto at 7.5 euros, and squid at 18 euros. Salad portions ranged from 1.8 to three euros, which was also the cost for cakes and fruits.

In comparison, last year, the same dishes were priced between 1.4 euros for soup and eight euros for a portion of squid.

The Assembly restaurant was closed for food service for the final two months of last year as it awaited the conclusion of an appeal process regarding the food procurement tender.

The State Property Administration sought “catering goods,” including “food, beverages, tobacco, and related products,” divided into seven categories (fresh meat, cured meats, fish, vegetables, etc.) with a total estimated value of 272,727 euros excluding VAT.

After completing the appeal process, contracts with suppliers were finalized on January 22nd.

Changes in Payment Policy

Previously, MPs and staff of parliamentary caucuses had the option to defer payment for meals and drinks consumed at the restaurant. In such instances, the unpaid amount was invoiced to the respective parliamentary caucuses, which would clear the debt at the beginning of the following month. This practice appears to have been discontinued with the new pricing policy.

MPs who spoke to “Vijesti” indicated that while they may not frequently use the restaurant’s services, they now pay for their meals right away when they do.

The Vice President of the Assembly, Nikola Camaj, highlights that the new prices are now in line with “those of other restaurants offering similar menus.”

“As you are aware, the Parliament restaurant has resumed full operations following a prolonged closure. Personally, I prefer having meals at home with my family, but when that isn’t feasible due to work commitments, I appreciate the friendly service and quality of the Parliamentary restaurant. I recall many past articles discussing the unreasonably low prices in the Parliament restaurant, so I trust that ‘justice’ has now been served,” stated Camaj.

According to Boris Bogdanovic, the President of the Democratic Party Caucus, he has used the restaurant fewer than five times in his nine years as an MP and plans to visit infrequently going forward. He underlined that every MP from his party pays for their meals independently.

His party colleague, Nikola Rovčanin, noted he had dined at the restaurant several times but hasn’t visited in the past six months, always paying out of pocket rather than on the party’s account.

Concerns About Affordability for Staff

Member of the SD, Nikola Zirojevic, shared with “Vijesti” that he has utilized the services of the parliamentary restaurant throughout his parliamentary tenure, as well as during his term as secretary of the parliamentary caucus from 2019 to 2023.

“I’m unsure how significant the price increase is. The last information I received was that the restaurant was out of food due to the tender issue. Regarding the restaurant’s services, I plan to use them again in the future when there is food available,” he pointed out, adding that he has no complaints about the quality of the food or services provided.

He mentioned that the restaurant’s proximity is convenient since it allows MPs to stay on-site and follow the session from there, facilitating quick responses if needed.

“Concerning the pricing, my overall impression is that it aligns with that of nearby restaurants. It’s not as inexpensive as before, so the narrative of it being too cheap is no longer valid,” he affirmed.

Zirojević also raised concerns about whether it proves economically viable for Parliament employees to use the restaurant, given their salaries are lower than those of MPs, suggesting that parliamentary subsidization of meals might be beneficial, especially on long session days.

He elaborated that MPs currently have two payment options—either to pay for their meals directly or to have the costs covered partially or completely by their party or political entity.

Representative of the Albanian Alliance, Ilir Chapuni, expressed that he seldom utilized the parliamentary restaurant, though he would do so as needed in the future.

He finds the prices reasonable but not necessarily affordable for everyone.

“MPs might comfortably dine there daily, but I doubt that regular workers would find it feasible,” noted Chapuni, adding that he hasn’t compared prices recently since he hasn’t dined at the restaurant this year.

He also stated that he consistently pays in cash, as he does not affiliate with any parliamentary group.

The Bosniak Party (BS) parliamentary group reported that they occasionally make use of the parliamentary restaurant, acknowledging an increase in prices compared to the previous year, but remarking they are still lower and more acceptable in comparison to other dining establishments.

They added that they primarily handle payments privately, although there are instances where the club covers food and drink expenses.

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