The Constitution of Montenegro does not acknowledge Roma as a national minority, a fact underscored by the tangible actions of the authorities—budget allocations for cultural centers benefitting other minorities while the Roma community remains consistently overlooked, stated Mensur Šalaj, president of the Roma Council.

“The Committee on Economy, Finance and Budget of the Parliament of Montenegro has earmarked 600,000 euros for cultural initiatives: 250,000 euros for the Temple of St. Petka in Danilovgrad, 200,000 euros for the Cultural Center of Bosniaks in Podgorica, and 150,000 euros for heritage in Tuzi. Can you guess how much was allocated for the Roma? Not a single cent! It’s as if they are invisible—except during celebrations of April 8 (Roma Day) or November 5 (Roma Language Day),” he announced.

He recalls that on April 8 last year, he inquired with the Speaker of the Parliament, Andrija Mandić, regarding the possibility of recognizing Roma in the Constitution as a national minority and the need to amend the census for their political inclusion.

“What was the response? ‘We’ll consider it after the census.’ The census has concluded, nearly six months have gone by—yet nothing has transpired. Instead, discussions have arisen around making the Serbian language official, with Bosniak Party officials also advocating for Bosnian to be recognized as an official language. In February, the Roma Council submitted a proposal to reduce the electoral threshold from 0.7% to 0.35% to facilitate at least minimal political representation for Roma. Once again—no response,” stresses Šalaj.

He argues that the political elite in Montenegro “consistently dismisses the Roma.”

“They erase them from both political and social life, only to hypocritically show up at events aimed at combating discrimination. These are not mere oversights—this constitutes systemic discrimination! The Roma are not seeking charity, they are demanding fundamental rights: political representation, acknowledgment, and funding comparable to that provided for other minorities. If the government does not awaken to these realities and take decisive action, the message is unmistakable—Roma are viewed as second-class citizens in their eyes,” the statement concludes.

News