""Be the change you wish to see in the world" - Mahatma Gandhi
This story grew as we talked, and, ultimately, from you fable narratur (the story is about you). It is a paradoxical phenomenon that a Montenegrin citizen, deeply rooted in identity in the fight for freedom, humanity and heroism, shows and develops a surprising tendency towards unfreedom, dehumanization and violence. Two, it seems to me, are the most important, interdependent facts, crucial for understanding this phenomenon: first, the politicization of the individual, and second, the lack of constitutional-political culture.
The unnoticed flaws of contemporary political life – including multiple identity hypersensitivity, party self-sufficiency, populist emotional appeal and the rhetoric of so-called vengeful justice – have shaped and deceived political consciousness for years. Today's Montenegrin citizen was not formed spontaneously or all at once – he was prepared and nurtured, that is, he is the result of a long-term shaping process. The constant need to take positions, choose sides (political identification) and analyze everyday and insignificant political moves has led to the politicization of the personality, and therefore to the politicization of society.
It is difficult to dispute the fact that every political party that has declared itself as the protector of national and similar interests has as its mission to gather and discipline people of similar opinions. In other words, they primarily identify themselves through a national framework that functions on the principle of gathering and homogenizing “their own”. Unfortunately, this framework very often implies the production and emphasis of differences between individuals, as well as lines of division within society.
However, we cannot blame everything on political parties – no matter how well-coordinated and unscrupulous the means of political suggestion may be, the fact is that the majority will accept an opinion (or take a position) only if they are inclined to accept it, if it suits their way of thinking and feeling, i.e. if it otherwise suits them. In such an environment, the issue of freedom of thought is often reduced to a formal category, while real intellectual autonomy is increasingly disappearing. It is therefore not surprising that political messages often find extremely loyal supporters, whose enthusiasm crosses the boundaries of rational dialogue and enters the zone of political fanaticism.
Descartes founded the philosophy of the modern era with the sentence: Cogito ergo sum (I think, therefore I exist). And today, in Montenegro – and beyond – we rightly ask ourselves: do we think at all, or do we only exist politically? If freedom of thought is suppressed, if it has been replaced by collective fear and loyalty to party narratives, then we do not think – and therefore, we cease to exist as free beings. A fortiori, the question is not just why parties persistently offer such narratives, but why citizens so readily accept them. How is it possible that political consciousness still remains trapped in the need to cheer, to belong, to follow? The rhetorical question is what happens when the boundaries of belonging become a substitute for thought, and political positions a matter of habit, not judgment? Perhaps it is time to consider not only what we are told, but also why we so readily accept it.
It is time for citizens to break away from the degrading framework of political fan logic, to reject the inertia of belonging and to begin to perceive politics not as an arena for identity conflict, but as a tool for solving common problems – for the benefit of all, not just “their own”. We need a paradigm shift: instead of politics as a mantra of the past, we need the politics of the future. Only a society in which competence replaces belonging and performance overrides rhetoric can count on real progress. In other words, it is necessary for state power to work for the citizen, and not, as before – for the citizen to work for the party. Without economic and judicial reforms – progress remains a political platitude and justice is just an illusion, without the depoliticization of institutions and the return of dignity to education – our “steps forward” will become just an elegant way to go around in circles.
Although we have already become experts in its neglect, it is important to at least begin the topic of constitutional-political culture. This is a concept that goes far beyond mere legal form – it denotes the degree to which a society not only knows the principles on which the Constitution is based, but also lives them. In this sense, constitutional-political culture is nothing more than a mirror of the maturity – or immaturity – of a society to not keep its ideals and principles on paper, but to translate them into everyday political and civic practice. Namely, the basic postulate of constitutional-political culture is constitutional patriotism, which implies not only loyalty to the government, but also to the set of values that this basic contract between citizens and the state affirms, and which has an adequate modus operandi, i.e. the unity of constitutional-political consciousness and constitutional-political practice. However, experience shows us that constitutional-political culture exists only in the consciousness of certain individuals, while in practice it manifests itself only among the chosen ones. Therefore, the revival of constitutional-political culture, when it comes to Montenegro, means, in the simplest terms, that a citizen is more, much more, than a voter – and until citizens take that crucial step and become conscience and corrective, every constitution remains a half-read and half-understood document.
In the end, the Montenegrin citizen is not only a victim of political manipulations that tirelessly build an atmosphere of everyday uncertainty, but also an accomplice in his own lack of freedom, especially in the suppression of freedom of thought. It seems that we/you have forgotten that it is you who have the power to bring certainty, that you are the architect of your own freedom. The future of our children, grandchildren and those who come after us depends to a large extent on what this generation(s) decides today – what it thinks, what it says, what it keeps silent about and how it acts. That is why it is time to start thinking freely, feeling responsibly and acting humanly. Because, if we are able to think differently, perhaps one day we will live differently. What we leave to future generations is not only a material heritage, but also the spiritual matrix of society. If we want a different Montenegro for our children, we must start creating it now – with thought, word and deed. Therefore, be the change you want to see in our Montenegro! Otherwise, we will be left with relics of generations that were creators of ideas and ardent bearers of division. Take small steps – by not littering wherever you find them, by reading, listening to and watching quality media, by putting the welfare of the community ahead of personal interest, by creating and raising offspring in the spirit of family, education and progressive tradition. Take a step by greeting your neighbor, giving up your seat to an older person, helping the weaker, making someone else's hard work easier with a smile, showing patience in line, and thanking with respect those who provide you with a service every day – because it is precisely in these small, everyday gestures that great change begins.
The author is a doctoral candidate in legal sciences
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