The dilemma of whether he will issue an apology for the observed errors and shortcomings and whether he will retract the contested Dictionary was immediately resolved by the president of the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts.
"I don't even think of retracting or apologizing, I don't see why. I really don't know why I should apologize, because we worked," said Momir Đurović, president of CANU.
The most vocal critics of Rječnik, Adnan Čirgić, Suljo Mustafić, Nik Đeljošaj, Genci Nimanbegu, Danijel Kalezić, Vukić Pulević, Čedomir Bogićević and Dritan Abazović, did not appear at the session, although they were invited.
"Their non-appearance speaks volumes about the strength of their arguments," said Tatjana Bečanović, president of the Council.
The dictionary has flaws, say the Council, but Montenegro needs it.
"I have nothing to blame the professional team, the people who worked with Rajka's help, on this especially valuable book, but it lacked critical readers REZ It was not necessary for Montenegro to have two faculties for Montenegrin language and literature, it needed a Dictionary , and that story about Rječnik is much older than all political associations", believes Bozena Jelušić, a member of the Council.
"It's a very good book, out of 12 references, maybe you'll find about twenty that need to be supplemented and corrected, that's negligible," said Đurović.
"The problem is the following, that this project does not have a reviewer," says Šerbo Rastoder, a member of the Council.
One of the current questions is what Montenegrin literary and cultural heritage is like and whether it corresponds to contemporary civilization trends.
"The problem of Montenegrin culture is the following, that you don't have a positive definition for a Turk, you simply don't and that's a fact," adds Rastoder.
He criticized politicians who abuse their position, as well as numerous quasi-patriots.
"People, they don't allow the Montenegrin Academy to become Montenegrin, why, because if the Montenegrin Academy becomes Montenegrin, then many troughs in Montenegro will collapse from which Montenegrin quasi-patriotism is fed. REZ This is Montenegro, in this Montenegro everything is politics, and when science becomes politics and when politicians start dealing with science, then there is only a problem".
CANU says that the damage has already been done, not to the Academy, but to the whole society.
"The manhunt that was launched against Rječnik is really a great shame for Montenegro. REZ The damage is very great, and it is not primarily a damage to the Academy, believe me, it is a damage to the Montenegrin youth, to the students who lost the vertical value, spitting up everything fell to us, this is such political irresponsibility, that I have no words," said Jelušić.
"We have a political parade, a parade, it will cost Montenegro, those who do it do not know how much it will cost Montenegro, in the 21st century, if someone burns a book, please, if someone burns a book, if someone asks the Parliament to withdraw the book, so to cross myself, I personally don't live in that civilization, I hope you don't either," says Đurović.
We all live in Montenegro, where the rule of law, pervasive corruption and unemployment are the biggest problems in the 21st century.
Bonus video:
