Hundreds of Montenegrins gathered on April 22 in front of the parliament building to protest against the adoption of agreements with the UAE on cooperation in tourism and real estate projects.

The protest took place during a debate in parliament on the adoption of special laws on the agreements. The deals were signed by Prime Minister Milojko Spajic earlier in April but faced serious opposition from some political parties and from President Jakov Milatovic, who claim they would breach several existing laws.

Spajic claims that the agreement would bring investments worth €30bn or more to the country but has not provided information on what these estimations are based.

The protesters – citizens and representatives of the NGO sector – claim the agreements pose a significant risk to the public interest, constitutional order and Montenegro's European path.

Plans to allow UAE-based developer Eagle Hills to develop Velika Plaza, Montenegro’s longest beach and one of the longest in Europe, have sparked protests by environmental groups and ordinary citizens over the past weeks.

“Ecological Montenegro, born in 1991, was built on promises of nature protection, but after a long and serious illness of corruption, undermining the law and undemocratic methods of autocracy that we are witnessing today, it passed away in 2025 in the midst of its youth at the age of 34, after the Government signed the Agreement with the UAE,” Jovana Janusevic from the Centre for the Study and Observation of Birds, said during the protest, public broadcaster RTCG reported on April 22. She urged MPs to reject the agreements.

Vanja Calovic Markovic, executive director of the MANS anti-corruption NGO, said that Montenegrins will fight to preserve the country’s nature.

“Citizens will fight, they have united throughout Montenegro – [representatives of] all religions, all nations, all political affiliations - everyone wants our pearls to remain for us, the citizens of Montenegro, and not for us to be their waiters, cooks and maids. To manage ours in the public interest,” she said, according to RTCG.

“Members of the parliament, remember that you once had a backbone. Is it possible that all of those armchairs have been distorted. We chose you to work in our interest, not yours and in the interest of any investor. If you choose your pockets today, instead of citizens, you can be sure that we will not stop. We defended Tara and defended, we will defend our sea as well,” Markovic added.

The head of the Ulcinj municipality, Genci Nimanbegu, said as reported by RTCG that if MPs adopt the agreements, that will mean "destruction of democracy".

Milatovic has criticised the agreements as well, saying they have many deficiencies, including legal, economic and environmental, and urged parliament not to ratify them.

“I call on all MPs in the Parliament of Montenegro to take into account all the arguments presented in the previous period by representatives of the non-governmental sector, heads of competent state agencies, as well as representatives of local self-governments, when voting for the Agreement on Tourism and Real Estate Development between Montenegro and the UAE,” Milatovic said as quoted by RTCG.