Montenegro to review all honorary citizenships, including that of Putin’s “favorite” propaganda anchor Ekaterina Andreeva

Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić has launched a broad review of all honorary citizenships granted by the country, according to a report by local broadcaster Adria TV. The decision comes less than two weeks after an investigation by the team of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny revealed that Russian state television anchor Ekaterina Andreeva, known for her work on Kremlin-backed Channel One, was granted Montenegrin honorary citizenship in 2011 for “special services to the country.”

According to the investigation, this status has allowed Andreeva to travel visa-free across the European Union — even after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The video report, available on YouTube, called Andreeva “Putin's favorite propagandist.”

Officially, however, Spajić’s decision was prompted by a case involving Kosovar businessman Naser Ramaj, who stands accused of evading more than €2.2 million in taxes. Prosecutors allege that Ramaj and Valentina Grubović, while managing the company Alart Centar Budva, failed to report income from real estate sales. A court in Kotor has approved the indictment, and Spajić has directed Interior Minister Danilo Saranović to immediately begin the process of revoking Ramaj’s passport.

Ramaj was granted honorary citizenship in October 2023 thanks to his investments in the Porto Budva project, a seaside development in Budva valued at approximately €80 million (more than $90 million). In Montenegro, honorary citizenships are awarded based on recommendations from senior government officials. Ramaj’s citizenship was approved under the previous government, which was led by Prime Minister Dritan Abazović.

The current PM has raised serious doubts about the legality of the honorary citizenship process, noting that in Ramaj’s case, a positive opinion from the finance ministry was issued without verifying the recipient’s actual economic activity in the country.

“Granting citizenship to a person under investigation for tax evasion and financial fraud can damage the international reputation of Montenegro, especially in the eyes of [our] partners from the European Union, which can negatively affect future investments and negotiating position in [the country’s] European integration,” Spajić said in a letter to the Minister of Police.

As part of the review, authorities will now assess the real economic and developmental contributions made to Montenegro by its “honorary citizens.”

“If it turns out that honorary citizenships were granted as 'personal favors' or without clear criteria, this undermines citizens' faith in the rule of law and opens up space for clientelism and political corruption,” Spajić noted.

According to the NGO Center for Civic Education, by the end of 2022 Montenegro had granted over 1,000 honorary citizenships. Under pressure from the European Commission, the country officially ended its “golden passport” program, but it is still processing earlier applications. The EU has flagged the practice as a security risk and a potential channel for money laundering and corruption.

Montenegro hopes to conclude accession negotiations with the EU by the end of 2025, and to become a full member of the bloc in 2028. However, the country has so far completed fewer than 20% of the negotiation chapters required for membership.