The presidential campaign so far has been calm and with less national rhetoric, but in the second round of the election it is possible to see an increase in tensions and harsher words, if the race turns out to be uncertain, said expert in psychology and communication Srđan Vukčević.
He said that two levels of communication are clearly visible in the campaign so far.
"One is public, where most candidates manage to stay at the level of cultural and respectful dialogue. The second level is the communication of party activists who are on social networks", said Vukčević to the MINA agency.
As he stated, the public campaign is with "raised guard" and in it the candidates try to look decent and civilized.
"The hidden campaign takes place through mimes and fake profiles on social networks who know very well what their party's task is. "It mainly refers to the personal discrediting of the candidate and an attack that is not supported by arguments but by labeling," Vukčević pointed out.
He said that presidential candidates learn the form, but not the essence of communication.
"In some cases, the messages that are heard can be very emotional and aimed at creating fear and mistrust towards other parties, or they can be emotional so that they call for love, honor, honesty and the like," said Vukčević.
In order for the message to have weight, according to Vukčević, it should reflect the essence and reality.
"The messages put out by the informed public are perceived as controversial and contextually undefined," added Vukčević.
He assessed that the campaigns in the previous elections were sharper in the communication of political leaders.
"Now we have a situation where some candidates who are normally moderate look aggressive compared to the candidates who previously used very harsh rhetoric," said Vukčević.
This, he adds, is a kind of paradox that is good on the one hand, and on the other it indicates that you have to look at what is happening on the field or in reality.
Vukčević said that now it is not so much necessary to listen to what the candidates say, but to watch what they are doing, and especially what their activists are doing on the ground.
"One is verbal advocacy for certain values, and the other is behavior that essentially determines those values. In my opinion, those two things do not match", Vujčević said.
He believes that it is good that the tone during the presidential campaign is calmer.
"I have emphasized many times that leaders' emotions are transmitted from small screens to their followers, but also to all other citizens, in milliseconds. It is not difficult to turn on sympathizers and followers. The more emotional the message and the more demagoguery it contains, the more dangerous it is for society," Vukčević pointed out.
When asked if he thinks that national rhetoric has died down in this campaign, Vukčević said that there are messages that can be interpreted as nationalist and that have the potential to encourage national rhetoric.
"So, she has not completely quieted down in her verbalization, but she is less than before," added Vukčević.
He pointed out that some economic and social issues are being promoted in the campaign, which could be interpreted as silencing the national rhetoric compared to the previous elections.
"However, the messages of the candidates and other political actors in the campaign may differ at different moments of the campaign, so it would be necessary to monitor the entire course of the campaign in order to obtain a more complete understanding of the influence of national rhetoric", noted Vukčević.
He said that the candidate can suppress his national rhetoric in public appearances if he works with a team of professionals who keep his behavioral "slips" under control.
"This does not mean that there is no national rhetoric in the candidates, it's just that it is not in the public," said Vukčević.
He believes that, as the final of the campaign approaches, and therefore the situation becomes more stressful, some of the candidates will surely "slip" and return to "factory settings".
"In the long run, it is very difficult to be what you are not. The real face comes to the fore when you no longer need those you wanted to seduce during the election. That's why people have memories and put statements in a longer-term context", said Vukčević.
However, adds Vukečević, extra caution and reading between the lines is needed.
According to him, a citizen should be able to notice, verbalize what he notices and make decisions about candidates based on intuition and knowledge.
"Not everyone will be able to, nor will they, because there are lovers and those who have an interest. However, there are more and more people who are aware and observe the events and behavior with reserve and pause", said Vukčević.
As he said, the recognition of phenomena and the scanning of reality in relation to these phenomena serve the purpose of citizens holding their leaders responsible for their behavior and realizing that they are not mere observers, but active participants in the process of selecting political leaders.
When asked how he comments on the fact that some candidates, who have been on the political scene of Montenegro for a long time, regret some earlier statements and call for reconciliation, Vukčević said that this can be positively evaluated by some citizens, especially those who believe that politicians must take responsibility for their actions and change their behavior in accordance with social expectations.
"However, as these same candidates have not clearly and unequivocally limited themselves from their statements and behavior in the past, citizens are skeptical of their calls for reconciliation. This is because they feel that such calls are not sincere or that they are motivated by political interests, and not by a sincere desire for reconciliation and building a better future for everyone," Vukčević said.
As he said, feeling guilty for a bad deed is a good thing, while doing something bad and not feeling guilty is problematic, because it indicates a lack of remorse and an absence of intention to improve one's behavior.
"If a candidate says in the same sentence that he regrets having said something, and then emphasizes that he is neither remorseful nor ashamed, then citizens can rightfully have a feeling of mistrust and doubt what he is saying," added Vukčević.
He said that political leaders are people like everyone else and that they too can change and progress over time.
"However, an apology alone is not enough, but a visible behavior that is stable over time and which is at the same time an expression of responsibility and empathy", pointed out Vukčević.
Advertisements and marketing campaigns, he said, cannot erase the years of experience and behavior of a political leader.
"They can help to present them in a different light, but we make the final assessment based on overall behavior and decision-making over a long period of time," said Vukčević.
Vukčević stated that in the second round of elections, it is usual to see an increase in tensions and a "dirtier" campaign, especially if the race turns out to be uncertain.
He said that the stakes will be higher and thus the stress will be higher, so behavioral "slips" will be more visible.
"Candidates and their parties will try to mobilize their voters and attract the votes of voters who voted for other candidates in the first round, which can lead to harsh words and mutual accusations," Vukčević believes.
He said he hopes that the candidates and parties in the second round of the campaign will maintain a civilized and fair tone in their messages, without making baseless accusations or spreading incorrect information.
According to Vukčević, that would be in the best interest of all citizens and the democratic process in Montenegro.
"It is a sign of true maturity to run a campaign in accordance with the highest standards of ethics and respect for the opposing parties and their supporters, in order to ensure a fair and democratic election process," said Vukčević.
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