Nikolić: Serbia is trying to "copy paste" politics to establish a paternalistic relationship over the Serbs in the region

The Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) is still discussing whether the party will contest the elections independently or with partners, but regardless of the decision on that issue, the electoral list will be a "mirror" of personnel and structural reforms and generational changes, he said. in interview for the Voice of America MP of DPS in the Parliament of Montenegro Andrija Nikolić.

As Nikolić emphasized, the partners of the opposition DPS will be all those who see Montenegro as part of the Euro-Atlantic structures.

In the previous days, Nikolić visited Washington, during which, among others, he met with the special US envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, and members of Congress.

The meetings, Nikolić stated, were part of regular communication with international partners who reiterated that Montenegro is still an important partner of the USA.

"There was a lot of interest in what are reflections of external influences on political processes in Montenegro. There we tried to, through the example of historical revisionism initiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia, draw a parallel with what we are experiencing in our region because It seems to us that the Republic of Serbia is trying to establish a paternalistic relationship over the Serbs in the region with a 'copy and paste' policy, which significantly affects political relations in Montenegro," said Nikolić, adding:

"We also talked about Russia's malignant influence. You have witnessed that James Rubin, an official of the State Department who visited Podgorica recently, expressed a very clear expectation of the future Montenegrin government, which will be formed after some of the next parliamentary elections, to seriously deal with system of Russian disinformation in Montenegro through the action of certain media structures and not only media structures on the territory of our country."

"We insisted on the fact that the current situation in the region is very sensitive and that therefore additional care should be taken and that additional attention should be sought from both the American Congress and the State Department in terms of additional presence through what is political life in Montenegro." , Nikolic said.

VOA: Did they promise you that?

Nikolic: We have also heard from Congress and the State Department that the situation in Montenegro and the region is being monitored. We know that the focus of the American administration is dominantly on the issue of Serbia and Kosovo, that is, on the attempt to normalize relations between Serbia and Kosovo. We also warned that, regardless of the concessions that Serbia receives in connection with the attempt to normalize relations with Kosovo, we have not yet seen concrete progress on the other side. We have not seen joining the sanctions against Russia, we have not seen any concrete outlines of the process that would suggest to us that things are moving forward in terms of resolving relations with Kosovo. On the contrary, we warned that it seems to us that due to such an indolent attitude of Serbia, Montenegro is becoming a "soft belly" for what is the influence that flows from Serbia and Russia to Montenegro through long-established political and other divisions.

Voice of America: Can you give me concrete examples of that influence and meddling, especially before the extraordinary parliamentary elections?

Nikolic: I think that the most concrete example of Russia's interference in internal political affairs in Montenegro was given by the European Parliament when it announced that Russia dominantly exhibits its influence in Montenegro through pro-Serbian political or ideological sentiments, as well as through the Serbian Orthodox Church. Finally, this is also visible through the actions of certain political structures that have not yet found the strength to civilly condemn what is Russia's aggression against Ukraine. At the same time, you see that initiatives are being announced in the Montenegrin parliament to review Montenegro's vote in the Council of Europe for the admission of Kosovo to that organization. We think that all these events do not happen spontaneously, but that they are provoked by ties that are traditional, that are maintained and that have their own reflection on the political life in Montenegro.

"All those who see Montenegro in the West are partners"

Voice of America: By decree of outgoing President Milo Đukanović, elections are scheduled for June 11. Is DPS going to those elections independently, are you looking for partners and who do you see as a partner after the elections?

Nikolic: The format of going to the elections is still being discussed, different scenarios are being analyzed. Regardless of how we will present ourselves in those elections, our electoral list will be a mirror of what the reform of our politics is, both personnel, structural and essential. It will also be a mirror of the change of generations of people who dominantly presented a political process that was linked to the restoration of independence and the integration of Montenegro into Western structures, and it will be a way out to meet what people in Montenegro expect from the Democratic Party of Socialists, above all I mean its voters.

We have already launched an intensive political action of visiting our municipal boards. We are raising and mobilizing our party network and I believe it is a good warm-up for what is to come in the elections. As far as we are concerned, partners are all those who observe Montenegro and work to ensure that it maintains the status of a multi-ethnic social community of all those who see Montenegro in the West as part of European and Euro-Atlantic structures. Not much imagination there. I think that people in Montenegro know what DPS offers, they know what DPS advocates, and they know that in terms of political orientation, DPS has already asserted itself and that certain results are behind that affirmation.

Voice of America: Do you also look at Europe now in the context of partnership?

Nikolic: I think that at this moment it is too early to talk about potential partners, we need to see how we will be distributed in the parliamentary elections. I believe that we have the personnel capacity to manage the country, that we have the experience, I have already told you that, and that based on the experience we have, we have the right to recommend ourselves to the citizens for the exercise of social and political responsibility. What the citizens will say in relation to our innovative political offer, we will see in the parliamentary elections, and then when we receive that feedback from the citizens who are the most authoritative, I think that the ball will be in the court of the Democratic Party of Socialists and that we will, according to that unwritten democratic as a rule, as the most dominant political force - independently or in a coalition - it will be the ones who will ask about how the future government in Montenegro will be formed.

Voice of America: You mentioned the reforms in the party, the change of generations, the innovative offer that the acting president of DPS also spoke about. What does this innovative offer mean, what kind of generational change is it, who will take it over?

VOA: Well, I think that the change of generations was announced by the election of the acting president of the Democratic Party of Socialists, Mr. Danijel Živković, and that in this sense, the Democratic Party of Socialists once again installed some democratic standards in Montenegro, because for the first time you heard from the DPS the recognition of the results of some elections in Montenegro for these 30 years. DPS said for the first time: 'Congratulations, take over the exercise of socio-political responsibility, in us you will have a partner for all constructive policies that you will promote.'

The Democratic Party of Socialists, i.e. its president, accepted responsibility after the unsatisfactory result in the elections and ceded his place in the party to another man who is a representative of the new political generation. Therefore, I think that we will slowly enter into a process that includes the Democratic Party of Socialists of the new political generation. When I say that, I am primarily referring to the generation of people who entered politics during the last four-year term, or in the previous term of parliament from 2016, which asserted itself through political engagement in parliament, and I think that fact is appreciated by the entire democratic public in Montenegro, not only supporters of the Democratic Party of Socialists.

Voice of America: What is the new thing that you will offer, especially bearing in mind that during the three-decade rule, the DPS was followed by accusations of corruption and insufficient fight against organized crime, not only in the domestic public, but also in the reports of the EU, the State Department, and international non-governmental organizations ?

Nikolic: You said that there are these permanent accusations against the Democratic Party of Socialists. We do not overlook them, we only warn that in the three years since the change of government in Montenegro, not one of the officials of the Democratic Party of Socialists has ended up on the dock. I think it is a narrative that primarily had the political function of demonizing the Democratic Party of Socialists. We do not overlook that there were certain weaknesses and there were, as happens in politics, especially when one system is managed for a long time, as is the case with Montenegro. However, I want to say that the citizens relieved us of those weaknesses that were burdened to us.

They relieved us of the state and political responsibilities of managing the state during the previous year. Now the responsibility is in another yard, but also the citizens did not relieve us of what are the best performances of our policy and what are the historical achievements of Montenegro during the previous 30 years. It is our duty to preserve it, to build our policy on those achievements. The new time in politics calls for new ways of acting. So it will be one of the novelties as part of the reform process we are starting. The Democratic Party of Socialists, regardless of these traditional accusations, is reforming much more than it wants to be presented.

Voice of America: When is the new DPS president expected to be elected?

Nikolic: We announced from our Main Board that we will hold immediate party elections in the party immediately after the end of the extraordinary parliamentary and presidential elections. So that after the extraordinary parliamentary elections, which we hope will be held on June 11, all the prerequisites are created to organize direct party elections for the new party leadership in a regular procedure and appoint a new team of people who will lead the Democratic Party of Socialists in the next period.

"I believe that the inauguration will take place in democratic conditions"

Voice of America: The newly elected President Jakov Milatović takes office on May 20 and will be inaugurated in the Parliament of Montenegro, not in Cetinje, as was the case in previous years. Will DPS attend the inauguration?

Nikolic: We haven't talked about that topic yet, because that decision caught us a bit, so to speak, not in the sense that it surprised us, but it happened a couple of days ago. We expected that the future president of Montenegro would express his respect for the capital, for the symbol of Montenegro's longevity. That did not happen and I am afraid that it fits into the narrative that was already pushed by the Democratic Front, which meant that Cetinje was stripped of its constitutional and symbolic attributes.

And yet I believe that if the inauguration will take place in regular, peaceful and democratic conditions, there is no reason for it to be otherwise because Mr. Milatović has achieved significant support from the citizens of Montenegro. He has received the trust shown both as a citizen and as a politician, and I want to believe that he will make an effort to be at the, let's say, historical minimum of respect for the national interests of Montenegro. If he follows what are the national interests written in the Declaration of Independence, after the restoration of our statehood in 2006, I think that the job will not be difficult for him.

Voice of America: The newly elected Montenegrin president announced in a series of media interviews, including for the Voice of America, that Montenegro will remain on the Euro-Atlantic path that has been set. Will you work with the new president to ensure that this is indeed the case?

Nikolic: I think that we were sincere and that we showed this sincerity in action, when we announced that we were ready to be a constructive partner, regardless of the fact that we are in the opposition, with all policies that work to strengthen the Euro-Atlantic integrity of Montenegro. When I say Euro-Atlantic integrity, I mean the rule of law and the fight against corruption and organized crime and the promotion of all human rights and freedoms. Improvement of all progressive policies related to a democratic society. In order to overcome political polarization in Montenegro, we supported the concept of a minority government, and you can see what that support turned into. It has turned into an abuse of the government system where we have a situation where a deposed government governs the country, more than the government that has full legitimacy achieved in the elections...

We have simply a demonstration of political non-culture where, faced with the lack of political legitimacy, you do not want to organize special elections and return the mandate to the citizens to decide whether you have done a good job. I want to say that I am sure the time will come for a new evaluation of DPS. What it means? This means that at some point, whether it's now or in a year, two, three, the citizens will draw a line and say: 'These are the effects of a political alternative that has been saying for the past 30 years that it can do it better and smarter than it did. that was done by the Democratic Party of Socialists, and these are the effects of the Democratic Party of Socialists during the previous 30 years'. And let's then rationally put it on the scale and compare what are the real achievements of the Montenegrin state and what are the real successes and how much could realistically be done during the previous 30 years, but also during these three years.