The state on the altar of fascism

Every striking incitement of hatred and intolerance in our society is not just another daily political ploy that attempts to divert attention from the very poor and unenforceable legal solutions of the IBAR regulations and the rapid adoption of laws without public debates, from the unprincipled and sloppily slow reform of the electoral system, from the failure to elect judges of the Constitutional Court of Montenegro and members of the Council of the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services, from the tender for granting Montenegrin airports under concession, from the process of selling ships of Crnogorska plovidba and incompetent management in the maritime industry, from monitoring the poorly prepared tourist season, from institutional fraud that threatens the rights of educators and agricultural producers, from the secret agreement with the Japanese that (again) enables the construction of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal and a thermal power plant in Bar, even though a public debate on the National Energy and Climate Plan is underway...

The problems with neo-Nazism and fascism, as very dangerous social and cyclical anomalies, cannot be pushed off the public stage by shallow predictions that they will simply disappear with the increase in the economic standard and quality of life of citizens. Both highly developed and democratic countries have problems with these phenomena. In Montenegro, with equal attention, and according to the principle of double track, we must more effectively address the weaknesses of economic development, which are followed by high public debt, rising inflation and a large number of citizens living on the verge of poverty, but we must also monitor, prevent and suppress all ideological and identity conflict phenomena that directly threaten the cohesion of our very divided and fragile society.

Of course, neo-fascism in our region is not only induced by the global trend of populism and right-wing aspirations, but it represents an authentic and non-objectified phenomenon that generations of politicians in the Balkans have flirted with. Unfortunately, after the 90s, due to the unimplemented lustration process, this malignancy remained hidden thanks to party transformations and unprincipled political alliances. Therefore, today, in a kind of continuation of the bloody disintegration of the SFRY, we must once again be determined and repel the threats and lies of the bullies about their alleged vulnerability and disenfranchisement.

The recent installation (and removal) of a statue of the most notorious villain from this region during World War II confirmed the accuracy of criticisms that pointed to the collapse of our civil society, the false promotion of European values, and institutional inefficiency.

In such cases, in which crime cumulatively threatens public safety, human rights and freedom of media reporting, the state must react efficiently and the public should be informed in a timely and complete manner about any shortcomings in the work of its competent services. The event in Gornji Zaostr was marked by the public and violent expression of political views that caused a storm of reaction in our society. The very manner in which this media-announced and "unsecured" gathering was conducted was directed towards disrespect for the state of Montenegro and its Constitution. The open call for disrespect for the work of competent state bodies at this gathering was complemented by hate speech by Metropolitan Metodije. This hierarch of the Church of Serbia, who is recognized for his public addresses in which he emphasizes intolerance towards those who do not belong to his political and ideological orientation, during his speech attempted to tendentiously and unfactually justify the behavior of the war criminal and his violence.

Specifically, if in the coming period the actions of the Police Administration and the State Prosecutor's Office are not fully in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of Montenegro, the Law on Internal Affairs, the Law on the State Prosecutor's Office, the Law on Criminal Procedure, the Criminal Code, the Law on Misdemeanors, the Law on Border Control, the Law on Public Gatherings and Public Events, as well as the Law on Road Traffic Safety, then it can be publicly said that their officers also participated in this anti-state and anti-civilizational act!

The citizens of Montenegro must receive clear answers as to how participants in a public gathering were allowed to wear uniforms and display symbols that call for or incite armed conflict or violence. Why was the unhindered passage of police and other service vehicles by the organizers of the event not allowed? Who is actually the organizer of the event and who participated in its preparation, but also in the event itself? Were the participants in this public gathering warned of the obligation to respect the law? Were certain persons found to be in possession of the disputed statue during border checks? Will the prosecution ask the court to issue an order to enter the church and seize the monument?

If we accept the fact that the advocates of criminal ideology in Montenegro and their unscientific revisionism do not respect indisputable historical facts, then the view is imposed that nothing but court decisions can stop this sinister group. For criminal acts against the constitutional order and security of Montenegro, against state bodies, against public order and peace, as well as against humanity and other goods protected by international law, judicial practice must be uniform in the coming period. When pronouncing judgments for the aforementioned groups of criminal acts, it is necessary that certain sentences have legal consequences that determine the cessation, or loss of certain rights or the prohibition of their acquisition (e.g. cessation of the exercise of public functions or the prohibition of appointment to certain public functions, cessation or prohibition of the exercise of a certain profession or occupation, the loss or prohibition of the granting of certain permits or approvals determined by a decision of a state body or local self-government body), as well as the imposition of protective supervision under which convicted persons would be ordered to refrain from attending events where there may be a repetition of the criminal acts for which they have already been finally convicted.

With the eventual adoption of a legal text banning the display of neo-Nazi and fascist symbols and the activities of these organizations, it would be necessary to determine the mandatory publication of verdicts in the media for these cases.

The attacked Montenegro has no time for a subsequent response and in this unjust battle we must show our determination, because we have a peaceful soul and a clear conscience!