00:00Montenegro has a new face, and she is part of it.
00:04Ines Murdovic has made it her mission to free the country from the long reign of corruption
00:08that took hold under the ousted autocrat Milo Djukanovic.
00:12Let's not forget, Milo Djukanovic was still wearing sweaters when he came to power.
00:19The once fresh-faced member of the Yugoslav Communist League remained in power for over 30 years.
00:26Milo Djukanovic is the face of the old Montenegro.
00:31Under him, Montenegro became known as a kind of mafia state in southeastern Europe,
00:36with organized crime, political instability and systemic corruption impacting the daily lives of the country's 600,000 inhabitants.
00:46The turning point came in 2023, when Djukanovic was unseated from power following waves of protests over years.
00:57Now, the country is vying for EU membership in 2028.
01:01But it first needs to ferret out corruption. It's no easy feat.
01:07Ines Murdovic takes us to Kolasin.
01:11For a few years now, it's been home to this luxury hotel.
01:18Milo Djukanovic family and inner circle are all millionaires.
01:26This hotel is a symbol of their power. It was built by his son's company.
01:33Ines is convinced it was used for money laundering, but finding hard proof is difficult.
01:39Either way, she says, the Djukanovic's clan's lingering influence is hampering political renewal.
01:46Take this highway, for example. It's really more of a blockade to the country's fresh start.
01:52Djukanovic commissioned it in 2014. It's oversized and overpriced.
01:57The price tag of one billion euros is hard for this small Balkan nation to pay.
02:02Montenegro had to settle a loan from China in installments that will go on for years.
02:11Much of the work was done by so-called favored firms.
02:15This substation was built by a company owned by Milo Djukanovic's son.
02:23The old regime's legacy weighs heavily on the country.
02:30We met Montenegro's new president of the Supreme Court, Valentina Pavlicic.
02:35She, too, wants to confront the country's dark past.
02:40And yet...
02:44Our institutions weren't prepared for what was coming.
02:50Within one year, authorities have had to handle several highly complex cases involving organized crime.
02:58What can you do if you don't have the qualified staff?
03:03Who's to blame then?
03:09One such complex case shows why some change has been hard to bring about in Montenegro, even after Djukanovic was
03:16removed from power.
03:182013 saw a spectacular break-in at the Supreme Court.
03:21Evidence vanished, police and prosecutors in the dark.
03:26All suspects released.
03:28It was all rather suspicious, and now Pavlicic presides over the country's Supreme Court.
03:37Even as Montenegro is struggling with its past, it's foraging ahead.
03:43Most of the population supports the government's course to join the EU.
03:50Corruption is hard to measure, but we're fully aware its legacy is a serious obstacle for economic development.
03:58Among other aspects, corruption gets in the way of free-market competition.
04:07The new government points to progress in advancing the rule of law.
04:13The former Supreme Court president has already been convicted, along with several judges and special prosecutors.
04:21So have the former chief special prosecutor, the president of the commercial court, the director and two assistant directors of
04:29the police, and the director of the National Security Agency.
04:33This is a testament to Montenegro's momentum in the fight against corruption.
04:42Even if the forces of the old guard remain strong, they're now facing more than just a pro-EU government.
04:49Unlike in the past, they're now having to answer to the public.
04:53One current example, a road near the coast is being modernized.
04:58Contractors offered a set price and then suddenly demanded more money.
05:04One official refused to approve the extra costs and took it to Ines Murdovic.
05:13A local official came to ask us for help.
05:18He needed to sign off the extra costs.
05:23We went to the media and sparked a lively reaction.
05:28All of a sudden, the contractors announced they didn't need the extra funds anymore.
05:35Montenegro is changing.
05:37The EU has signaled openness to the country becoming its next member.
05:42As long as it can meet the criteria and is able to shake off the shadows of its past.
05:49The EU has signaled openness to the equipment.
05:50The EU has one in the United States in a country.
05:51The EU has been with the European Union of New Zealand.
05:52The EU has signed up for the EU and its next member.
05:52The EU can also introduce the EU and its next member of the EU.
05:52The EU has signed up for the EU.
05:53You
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