The attempt to obtain greater rights for Serbs in Montenegro cannot be compared with the way in which similar rights were achieved by members of the Albanian nation in North Macedonia, the interlocutors of "Vijesti" assessed.
That issue was brought up to date again after the negotiations on the formation of a new government in Montenegro began, according to the statements of officials from Serbia. One of them was the Minister of Defense of Serbia and the President of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). Miloš Vucevic. He said that Montenegro and North Macedonia have sinned against Serbia by recognizing the independence of Kosovo and that it will backfire on them, just as in Ukraine it backfires on all those who "promoted Kosovo and Metohija" as an independent state.
"I wouldn't sleep peacefully, but that's a question for Skopje, and let Podgorica see what it's going to do." I see that the biggest question for them now is whether they allow Serbian parties, or a Serbian party, or a coalition to come into power with, conditionally speaking, some small ministries. In North Macedonia, 25 percent of Albanians have 50 percent of power, and in Montenegro, 30 percent of Serbs cannot have two ministries or even one," said Vucevic.
Such a claim was met with harsh, mostly negative reactions in Montenegro. President of the country Jakov Milatovic said that any attempt to directly or indirectly interfere with foreign actors (from the region or the rest of the world) in the creation of the Government in Montenegro is unacceptable.
Not perceiving the assessment of Belgrade officials as interference in the internal affairs of Montenegro, the deputy of the New Serbian Democracy (Nova), which claims to represent the interests of Serbs in Montenegro, Jovan Vučurović he says that it is a "postpalice" that Montenegro is a civil state, but also that the Serbian people are discriminated against and cannot exercise their rights.
He believes that a parallel cannot be drawn with the Albanians in North Macedonia, stating that they were "militant" and that the Serbs will do it in a democratic way.
President of the Serbian National Council Momcilo Vuksanovic, however, he tells "Vijesti" that Serbs are by no means a minority in Montenegro, and that's why the population census is not allowed, because then the Constitution would have to be changed, so that Cyrillic would be a constitutional category.
Political analyst from Skopje, Židas Daskalovski considers that a parallel cannot be drawn in this case, but for other reasons in relation to the Montenegrin MP.
The Ohrid Agreement introduced positive discrimination
The rights of Albanians in North Macedonia are based on positive discrimination. The Ohrid Agreement ended the months-long conflict in Macedonia in 2001 between the People's Liberation Army and the security forces of the Republic of Macedonia. According to the agreement, the Constitution was also changed and positive discrimination was introduced for the Albanian population in the civil service, army and police.
In addition to other measures, wider use of the Albanian flag and language is allowed.
Positive discrimination is provided for in the Constitution of Montenegro, which states that members of minority nations and other minority national communities are guaranteed authentic representation in the Assembly of Montenegro and assemblies of local self-government units in which they make up a significant part of the population, in accordance with the principle of affirmative action. Proportional representation in public services, state and local self-government bodies, etc. are also guaranteed by the Constitution.
In practice, it is different, and in Montenegro there are no quotas for minorities in the judiciary and the army. This was insisted on several times in political discussions, but Bosniaks, Albanians, and Serbs never entered those institutions "according to quota".
In order for the state to commit to that, it would be necessary to change the Constitution, which requires the support of 53 out of 81 deputies in the Assembly.
According to Montenegrin laws, Serbs are not a minority nation in Montenegro.
Explaining the situation in North Macedonia, a political analyst from Skopje, Židas Daskalovski said that, conditionally speaking, the Macedonian side made concessions even in the nineties.
"Slowly, she allowed the increasing rights of Albanians, the use of the language and education in Albanian. All this accelerated after that war conflict in 2001, and then the Ohrid Agreement was adopted. That agreement was sponsored by the big powers from Europe and the Americans".
He states that this started reforms that resulted in Albanians having guaranteed seats in the public administration, their right to the approval of a "double majority": "In essence, the deputies who are Albanians are the majority and can always veto a decision that, for example, The Macedonians want to push through, but it doesn't suit them. It refers to their cultural rights and what is happening in education".
According to that agreement, Daskalovski says that Albanians received guaranteed positions in the judiciary, prosecutor's office, and public administration under the quota system... "That was the main reform. Informally, but almost as a rule, it happens that after every election, the party that gets the most representatives among the Albanians is part of the ruling coalition. Albanian parties and Albanians always have a piece of the pie in power. Since 2001, in every government, the Abana party has the most deputies".
"America and the EU would not want the same rights for Serbs"
Daskalovski notes that Albanians have gained an even greater right to use their language since Zoran Zaev came to power, and who, due to the need for the Albanian party to be his coalition partner, allowed Albanian to be the second official language, even ignoring the Council of Europe and the recommendations of the Venice Commission. Along with Macedonian, Albanian became an official language in 2019, according to the Law on Languages.
"The law is written that way and it is stated in the Constitution that members of the community that has more than 20 percent have the right to use their mother tongue at all levels. Albanians are now fighting to change that, to state in the Constitution that it is the Albanian language," said Daskalovski.
He states that it is obvious that the situation is different in Montenegro: "I don't even see that America or the EU are pushing for such an agreement to be reached. They would probably not want to please the Serbs in Montenegro, because they see Serbia as a threat".
He said that maybe there were some tensions during the time when the DPS ruled and (Milo) Đukanović, but to think that Serbs and Montenegrins are very close as nations.
"You don't even have to formally arrange it to be an agreement, if the situation is in order. People live there without any problems... Macedonians and Albanians are still quite different, starting with the language," Daskalovski said.
Nova MP Jovan Vučurović tells "Vijesti" that unlike the "Albanians from North Macedonia who set fire to that country", the Serbs created Montenegro and its identity and were embedded in its foundations.
"It is also important to mention that the leaders of the Albanian rebellion, which the Macedonian state characterized as classic terrorism, are today in the highest positions in that country and what is most interesting is that they are accepted as partners by those same Western addresses that do not want cooperation with Serbian politicians in Montenegro. "Montenegro is our country, which was created by our ancestors, and we will realize our rights in a democratic way, and everyone will be obliged to respect the reality in which Montenegro lives," said Vučurović.
He said that "Montenegro is only a civil state on paper, and that it is the most ordinary postman's post that has nothing to do with the truth."
"In reality, it is different, after the referendum, Montenegro was formed as an anti-Serbian state in which discrimination and persecution of an entire nation, the Church, and all others who were political dissenters of Milo Đukanović are allowed. "No one must be persecuted in Montenegro anymore and every nation must be equal in order for Montenegro to be stable and prosperous," said Vučurović.
Vuksanović: Serbs in Montenegro are not looking for dominance, only equality
The President of the Serbian National Council, Momčilo Vuksanović, believes that the project of assimilation of the Serbian people in Montenegro into the national Montenegrins is being implemented in Montenegro, and that this is shown by the attitude of the new government that should be constituted, towards the political representatives of the Serbs.
He said that as far as the percentage representation of Serbs in Montenegro is concerned, that remains to be seen. "Personally, my opinion is that the census is not allowed in Montenegro in order not to achieve the right results, because if the right results were to be achieved, then something would have to be changed, the Constitution should be changed, we should use the Cyrillic alphabet equally. .. even though the Constitution stipulates that Cyrillic and Latin letters are equal".
He said that even from the Constitutional Court, which is supposed to protect constitutional norms, the Cyrillic board with the name of the institution was removed.
"Can you imagine the environment in which the Serbian people live? If the Cyrillic alphabet should be ostracized, then the Constitution should be changed, and while this Constitution is as it is, with which we are also not satisfied, the Cyrillic alphabet will then be equally represented in all state institutions. "Individuals can do whatever they want in their companies in whatever language they want, but in state-owned companies, they should and should have Cyrillic inscriptions," he said.
Vuksanović said that Serbs in Montenegro are not seeking any kind of domination, only equality with other national communities.
“But as you can see, we can't get that. Other national communities, although there is no majority, are united against the interests and position of the Serbian people in Montenegro".
Asked if he believes that the elections are voted on according to the national principle, he answered in the affirmative.
Brnabić: Serbs are a significant part of Montenegro, I don't know why they can't be in the government
Prime Minister of Serbia Ana Brnabic asked to comment on the formation of the government in Montenegro and the fact that Serb representatives will not be part of it, she said that she did not know why Serbs could not be part of the government.
"I hope that we will cooperate with that government, we will do our best, and why the Serbs cannot get or participate in the government in Montenegro, I do not know, but I certainly think that they are an important part of Montenegro," she said.
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