Montenegrin Ministry defends Ulcinj school director appointment amid ethnic controversy

A dispute has emerged regarding the appointment of Snežana Živanović as the director of the JU Secondary Mixed School ‘Bratstvo-jedinstvo’ in Ulcinj. The Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation defended the decision, stating that Živanović secured first place on the ranking list with a score of 97.5% following a formal competition and commission review.

The Ministry dismissed claims that the selection was based on political or national affiliation, asserting that Živanović possesses B2-level proficiency in the Albanian language and has been an employee at the school since 2008. The Ministry emphasized that professional results and legal procedures remain the sole criteria for selection.

Nik Đeljošaj, Vice President of the Government and leader of the Albanian Forum, has criticized the appointment, calling on Minister Anđela Jakšić Stojanović to resign. Đeljošaj argued that the decision implies a lack of qualified Albanian professionals for leadership roles in Ulcinj and suggested that the true criterion for the appointment was the candidate's ethnicity. He characterized the Ministry's explanation as an insult to the Albanian community.