Minority rights - a challenge on the road to EU integration

It is usual that in the countries of young democracies, seemingly not very significant topics and phenomena in society, take on versatile and, most often, different connotations depending on the level of interest and the side from which they come, thus creating a circle of infinity in anticipation of adequate answers to important questions that burden society.

In politics, most often, it is difficult to admit failures and mistakes in the exercise of power, in (not) taking the necessary steps in making decisions, creating and communicating certain positions in the face of significant events. Of course, in the performance of state affairs, the primary responsibility is always in making decisions, in dealing with challenges that stand in the way of the needs and expectations of the public. Democracy, in the wishes and needs of society, but also as the most frequently spoken word in the construction of the necessary institutions of the system on the way to the emancipation of the entire social community, must sublimate all factors in itself if one wants to achieve the goal and enjoy the fruits of the highest value level of development of human civilization.

Fortunately, the awareness of the public, especially the intellectual elite, is maturing every day, and with its public constructive and critical opinion on current needs and phenomena, it indicates which way to go if we want to be in the society of developed countries and peoples as soon as possible.

It is clear that the set goal can only be achieved by joint efforts; commitment and synergy of all parts of society. It is nice to hear from the relevant international officials that Montenegro can serve as an example to others in the region on the way to EU integration, on the way to emancipation and the overall progress of society. But there is also the statement that it must be additionally engaged in fulfilling the necessary conditions and criteria in order to finally become the first next member of the EU.

Therefore, the decision-makers, those who work and act on the basis of the trust received from the holder of sovereignty, i.e. the citizens, are on the move.

It does not have to be considered primary who appears most often and the most on the public scene, because nowadays that same public scene is endless, but who is the most useful to that same public scene with his commitment and contribution to the betterment of the entire society; majority and minority, civil society, communities and individuals, creators - all parts of society. Therefore, the new political moments that are happening in our society, as necessary as they are, make the final goal more uncertain.

The instability of political conditions causes a number of other unwanted effects at a time of great need for society as a whole. Above all, the direction of action must be the fulfillment of the necessary criteria on the path of society's integration into the most widely developed EU community. Among other things, back in 1993, with the well-known criteria from Copenhagen, the EU set clear conditions for countries aspirants to join the Union, among others the political criterion which implies the stability of institutions as the basis of a democratic order, the rule of law, respect for human rights and the rights of minorities, as well as acceptance political goals of the EU (European Council in Copenhagen June 21-23, 1993).

Thus, respect for human rights and the rights of minorities, as one of the fundamental principles of the functioning and survival of the EU, is clearly presented to societies that aspire to become full members of the community of European nations and countries. By respecting the adopted norms, resolutions, documents and strategies... in the areas of human rights and freedoms, realistic assumptions are created that with the respect of positive regulations at the national level, the participation of minority representatives in the executive power will be less questionable before and after the election processes.

Respecting the specificities of minorities, especially members of the Albanian people in Montenegro as a community of non-Slavic origin, creates prerequisites for meeting their needs and interests because everything that is in the interests of minorities and not to the detriment of other peoples in Montenegro should be supported by the institutions of the system. Especially since, as has been said countless times, they want integration with their full identity and do not want ghettoization at all. It is obvious that there is a lot of progress, so to speak, in all areas, starting with education, culture, media... but, of course, there is still room for greater achievements, above all in more pronounced participation and representation in all government bodies as one of the Government's challenges of Montenegro, then the application of the law, i.e. a stronger implementation of what is institutionally foreseen. All the more so because minorities have made a significant contribution to all democratic and integration processes in Montenegro.

The institutionalization of the adopted rules traces the course of action in the long term because, otherwise, the responsibility falls on those who should point out non-compliance with them. Therefore, the holders of political positions from among such communities, working on the institutionalization of the agreed principles of action, simultaneously contribute to the affirmation of mutual trust as a pillar of synergy for the common good. With the maximum valorization of the existing energy resulting from the desire for equal rights and opportunities, there is no fear of the phenomenon of ghettoization of an individual or any community, which is confirmed by the past experience of multi-partyism in Montenegro.

Freedom and equality ensure the permanence of democratic values ​​in a society, and it is everyone's duty to contribute to the construction of these fundamental values ​​on the way to the prosperity of the social community. The contribution of minorities on this path is irreplaceable, especially in the heterogeneous region of South-Eastern Europe, which for three decades of transition still fails to find a formula to release the burden of the past.

True commitment to the path of integration will reflect the satisfactory reports of the rapporteurs on the progress of Montenegro in the integration process, which is taking too long and which must be intensified only by engaging all structures of society, leaving aside divisions and differences, and valorizing creative, intellectual and personnel potential at all levels. The sooner this happens, the closer we are to the final goal towards the EU.

The author is a political scientist, with a master's degree in international relations and diplomacy