DFC: The political agenda behind culture - non-governmental organizations as promoters of ethno-nationalism

Non-governmental organizations in the field of culture and education with a Serbian character are an important channel for the spread of Serbian and Russian influence in Montenegro, wrote the Digital Forensic Center (DFC), in the analysis "Political agenda behind culture: Non-governmental organizations as promoters of ethno-nationalism".

"Hiding behind a manipulative narrative about the threat of Serbianness, as well as the protection of Serbianness religion, culture and language, they continuously spread ethno-nationalist and ethno-phyletic ideologies in Montenegro. Their engagement is based on the promotion of Serbian unitarism, which is manifested by promoting the idea of the Serbian world. The action is based on opposition to the civil organization of Montenegrin society, and especially on the negation of Montenegrin identity and statehood".

Therefore, says the DFC, the financing of those NGOs is a problem, which, they remind, the Digital Forensic Center pointed out in the study Unbreakable ties or geopolitical strategy - the influence of Serbia in Montenegro.

Funding for the census campaign

They point out that the Government of Serbia, i.e. the Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region, which functions within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has been funding certain NGOs in Montenegro for years.

"The Director of the Administration is Arno Gujon, who is politically active in the extreme right To the bloc of identitarians in France evolved into political involvement in the Government of Serbia. Guyon himself confirmed that the Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the region provides significant financial support to organizations in Montenegro. He announced at the session of the Diaspora Committee in the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in December 2022 that Serbian organizations from Montenegro will be allocated three times more money in 2023 than in the previous year. The session was also attended by the presidents of Montenegrin municipalities and municipal assemblies from the Coalition for the Future of Montenegro. According to data from the website of the Administration for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region, during 2022. 3.830.000 dinars were allocated to organizations with a Serbian sign in Montenegro, while 2023. 9.630.000 dinars have been earmarked for projects that, with their quality, contribute to the preservation and strengthening of ties between the home country and Serbs from Montenegro," writes DFC.

Money is allocated to organizations and projects that supposedly promote culture, education and tradition, but in fact they try to impose on the public that Serbia, the Serbian language, culture and tradition are dominant in Montenegro, says DFC.

"At the same time, the sovereignty of Montenegro, the uniqueness of Montenegrin identity, language, tradition and culture is being denied, the secular and civil character of the state is collapsing and the Euro-Atlantic path of Montenegro is being threatened. The money of the Government of Serbia is received by organizations close to the Serbian Orthodox Church and pro-Serbian and pro-Russian political structures in Montenegro. He directs himself to finance numerous forums, public appearances, activities on social networks and in the media with the aim of providing support for extreme nationalist and right-wing political options the activities of non-governmental organizations that were allocated funds from the Serbian budget during the population census campaign in Montenegro held at the end of 2023."

They gave examples of projects that were financed.

"Thus, the unregistered pro-Serb and pro-Russian portal IN4S received 2023 dinars from the aforementioned Administration in 400.000 for a project called Anti-Serbism in Montenegro. The Serbian National Council of Montenegro, whose founder and president is Momčilo Vuksanović, is for a project that includes publishing activities called In response to the population census in Montenegro in June 2023, Vuksanović received 300.000 dinars in January In 2024, at the forum entitled The Position of the Serbian People in the Countries of the Region, held as part of the Svetosava festivities in Čačak, he announced that they expect the results of the census to show a significant increase in the number of citizens of Montenegro who declare themselves as Serbs and who speak the Serbian language period, the Serbian National Council of Montenegro, which was founded on the initiative of the Serbian National Council, and whose founder and president is also Momčilo Vuksanović, received 300.000 dinars for the Academic Tribune project were organized in the Serbian House in Podgorica and Pljevlja and the topics covered were: Either Njegoš or Tito, Perspectives of the Serbian people in Montenegro, Montenegrin identity puzzle, Montenegro and the recognition of the fake state of Kosovo. The participants were promoters of Serbian national thought Marko Carević, Novica Đurić, Budimir Dubak, Milo Lompar, Dejan Mirović, Dragoslav Bokan, Srđa Trifković and others," writes DFC.

Funding in 2024

"According to the Decision on the distribution of funds for financing projects to support activities from Article 36 paragraph 1 of the Law on Minority Rights and Freedoms for the year 2024, the Montenegrin Fund for the Protection and Exercise of Minority Rights decided is significant funds in the amount of 189.150 euros to non-governmental organizations with a Serbian sign. These are: Association of Serbian Hosts of Montenegro, Serbian Cultural Society Vuk, Serbian Informative and Cultural Club Sveti Sava, NGO Cultural Scene, S-Mediji, Serbian National Council of Montenegro, NGO Bisernica, Serbian Literary Cooperative and Conference of Serbian National Organizations from the Countries of the Region . It is interesting that the mentioned organizations are connected with the same persons, representatives of the Serbian community in Montenegro. Although organizations act as separate entities, they are in reality managed or controlled by the same people, thereby multiplying access to resources without essential differences in the goals and projects they implement. Also, all these organizations operate within the Serbian House. The group of people who are the founders of the mentioned organizations are Momčilo Vuksanović, Tatijana Raspopović, Ivana Kruščić, Đorđe Grujić, Ljubomir Peković, Božidar Leovac and Predrag Milačić," the statement added.

DFC indicates that the Serbian Orthodox Church and its clergy in Montenegro provide significant support to the mentioned organizations.

"This is evidenced by the praise of Metropolitan Joaniki for the work and merits of the Council of National Assemblies and the Serbian National Council. On November 26, 2024, he said that people are gathered around the Council stood up in defense of the holy places when a plague arose that five or six people, manipulated by various services, gathered with the intention of handing over churches and monasteries to the crucifixes, which appeared in Montenegro. Joanikije especially thanked Momčil Vuksanović who, as he states, played an important role in the defense of the Serbian language and the Cyrillic alphabet."

At the same time, DFC adds, in 2024, those organizations applied to the Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the region, where they were awarded funds in the amount of 2.600.000 dinars for projects with a similar theme.

"The above-mentioned individuals, through the same organizations, applied for publishing projects, academic forums, Serbian electronic newspapers and joint activities of the Serbian people in the region. The Serbian informative and cultural club Sveti Sava received funds in the amount of 200.000 dinars from the Administration for the Days of the Serbian Parliament project - National holidays. On December 1, 2024, a Ceremonial Academy will be organized on the occasion of the 106th anniversary of the Great Podgorica Assembly of the Serbian People in Montenegro and the Unification Day. Montenegro and Serbia. This indicates that the Government of Serbia finances proxy actors in Montenegro who organize events celebrating the decisions of the Podgorica Assembly in 1918, which is a symbol of the disappearance of Montenegro as a state and its unconditional annexation to Serbia."

DFC states that the Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the region is based on the decision to co-finance projects that contribute to the preservation and strengthening of ties between the home state and Serbs in the region to organizations from Montenegro for the year 2024. allocated a total of 9.420.000 dinars.

"This indicates that the Government of Serbia allocates significant funds for actors and organizations from Montenegro that align their activities with the interests of the regime in Serbia and try to influence the perception of citizens on important socio-political topics. The projects for which the organizations received financial assistance from Serbia are aimed at to the negation of the history, culture, tradition and national identity of Montenegro. This represents a strategy of action and indirect interference of the regime in Belgrade in the internal political and social conditions in Montenegro," says DFC.

It is evident, they believe, that the financing of non-governmental organizations with a Serbian sign in Montenegro, both by Montenegrin and Serbian institutions, points to a "coordinated strategy of promoting narratives that support Serbian nationalism, unitarism and the idea of the Serbian world". "Such organizations, formally independent, function through an interconnected network of the same actors, thus multiplying access to funds and achieving politically motivated goals".

"The analyzed financing practice not only violates the principles of transparency, but also has wider geopolitical implications, as it represents an instrument of expanding the influence of the regime in Belgrade and, indirectly, Russia, on the social and political conditions in Montenegro. Therefore, it is necessary to review the criteria for the allocation of funds, to strengthen the control of the implementation of projects and ensure that they really contribute to the preservation of the multicultural and civil society in Montenegro," the announcement reads.