In his opening address, the President of the Parliament of Montenegro Andrija Mandić reminded the audience of the adoption of the Nicholas Constitution of the Principality of Montenegro, the first constitutional act in our state history, which marked Montenegro's entry into the circle of modern European states. That Constitution, as he pointed out, established the division of power, defined the rights and duties of citizens and gave a key role to the Assembly as an expression of the will of the people, marking the transition from a patriarchal system to a modern constitutional monarchy, while preserving identity, tradition and historical heritage.
Mandić emphasized that the St. Nicholas Constitution reminds us that the constitution is not only a legal act, but a social agreement and the foundation of trust between citizens and the state. He pointed out that the current Constitution of Montenegro, adopted almost two decades ago, does not fully reflect the actual situation in society and that a large number of its provisions are ripe for harmonization with modern Montenegro, particularly highlighting the issue of the status of the Serbian language. In this context, Mandić emphasized that the Assembly must remain the central place of dialogue, confrontation of ideas and corrections of social processes, which is a promise inherited from the time of the Nikoljdan constitution itself.
"Citizens of Montenegro are not looking for miracles, but only that the current highest legal act represents the reality of this country. Nobody wants the current status of other languages in the Constitution to change, but it is time to correct the historical injustice created by the people who shared Montenegro for 30 years, and to be responsible exactly as our ancestors were responsible, whom we are mentioning here today," said Mandić.
According to the President of the Assembly, today's Montenegro is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and democratic state whose stability rests on the respect of all its citizens, but also on a clear awareness of its own historical roots. The President of the Assembly concluded that Montenegro's European path does not represent self-denial, but an opportunity to bring into the European family the values that have adorned Montenegro for centuries - freedom, courage and heroism.
"In the past, our Montenegro measured its progress towards the realization of centuries-old aspirations by the width of its borders and liberated areas, because as Prince Nikola said, among other things, in his throne speech on Nicholas Day, December 6, 1905:
"Borders used to hide only six small tribes, and in that insignificant space, the last ray of that all-Serbian independence smouldered."
- pointed out Mandić.
He concluded that unlike the time of our ancestors, our borders today are the standard of living and the happiness of people, and that our dream is for Montenegro to be a country of happy, free and rich people, and that these are precisely the territories that we are liberating today and for which we are fighting together. After the reception, the celebration on the occasion of this important jubilee continued with an appropriate program
