Montenegro's membership in the European Union (EU) by the end of this decade can very easily become collateral damage to the personal, party and national interests of other countries, all in the name of patriotism and European values.
This was assessed by a journalist and analyst for "Vijesti". Željko Pantelić, commenting on the recent conflicting views of Montenegrin and Croatian officials over the reasons why Croatia blocked Montenegro from closing Chapter 31 (foreign, security and defense policy).
President of the Assembly Andrija Mandic he recently stated that Croatia did not block Chapter 31 because of the resolution on Jasenovac, but because of Prevlaka and the ship "Jadran".
A Croatian politician in the EU Parliament reacted to that Tomislav Sokol (HDZ), who said that the reason for the blockade was the anti-European and Greater Serbian policy promoted by Mandić, in order not to cause instability. He said that Prevlaka and the "Adriatic" are open topics, but that they are not the reason for the blockade.
"Sokol's message is as follows: Zagreb does not want Montenegro to be brought into the EU by a ruling coalition whose ranks will include representatives of the so-called pro-Serbian parties, ie NSD and DNP. The Croatian national interest, regardless of who is in power in Zagreb, is for Montenegro to be as far away from Serbia as possible, regardless of who is in power in Belgrade," says Pantelić.
He assessed that, in this sense, they are trying to abuse European integration in order to help the parties in Montenegro that share their attitudes towards Serbia and the Montenegrin Serbs to return to power.
"So, the sparking has just begun and Montenegro's membership in the EU by the end of this decade can very easily become collateral damage to the personal, party and national interests of other countries, all in the name of patriotism and European values".
Đukanović: Everything depends on us
Docent at the University of Donja Gorica Nikoleta Djukanovic she said that the reasons for blocking Chapter 31 are very clear, and that she believes that neither the Government nor the EU have unknowns or conflicting interpretations when it comes to Croatia's decision.
"The truth is that there are more specific activities of representatives of the authorities in Montenegro, which were the reason for such a reaction, so some of them can stand out more in the foreground, but they all stem from the same problem".
She said that it is an indisputable fact that Montenegro did not fulfill all the requirements from this chapter, since good neighborly relations are the core of Chapter 31. She assessed that in the last few years we have been intensively damaging relations with our neighbors, among which Croatia has a special place, precisely because member of the EU.
Đukanović states that Mandić, defending the indefensible, is trying to open burdensome issues between the two countries, which other constituents of the government also dispute, in order not to find an alibi for his policy and the damage done to the state of Montenegro.
"However, what we are witnessing every day is precisely the implementation of the ethno-nationalist right-wing policy of a part of the parliamentary majority, their essentially anti-European, anti-democratic and anti-conciliation propaganda from which the Resolution arose, the glorification of Milosevic's and Vucic's policies, the problematization of the 'Adriatic' issue, the Prevlaka, but and the frequent protest notes we get from the neighbors".
Croatia sent a note of protest to Montenegro on May 15 last year due to the intention of the parliamentary majority to vote on the resolution on the genocide in Jasenovac initiated by the pro-Russian Democratic Front parties. The Montenegrin Parliament adopted the Resolution on Genocide in the Jasenovac, Dachau and Mauthausen camp system at the end of June last year. Less than a month later, the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs announced in a note addressed to the Embassy of Montenegro in Zagreb that the President of the Assembly Andrija Mandić, MP Milan Knezevic and Deputy Prime Minister Aleksa Becic declared undesirable in Croatia...
Đukanović pointed out that these messages are not so much opposed as the president of the Montenegrin parliament is trying to justify the damage he caused to Montenegrin citizens.
"On the other hand, Croatia's message is clear. However, everything depends on us, and their position on the issue of tolerating the growth of anti-democratic and anti-European policies in the candidate countries, which, paradoxically, are progressing in the integration process, will not be tolerated".
Pantelić: Mandic did not tell the truth, Sokol what we all know
Pantelić pointed out that Mandić and Sokol are "a typical Freudian example of the narcissism of small differences".
"All their differentiations stem from their national commitment, while the rest of their worldviews are more or less the same. If, by any chance, Mandić was a Croat, he would be in the hard right wing of the HDZ or the Homeland Movement, just as Sokol, if he were a Serb from Montenegro, would be a member of the NSD. Nationalists of all colors have this common feature that they perceive their nationalism or nationalisms that are in line with their interests as patriotic, right and desirable, and define those they see as rival or enemy as anti-civilizational, wrong and criminal".
He said that, in this particular case, Mandić did not tell the truth, and that Sokol was honest and "said what we all know":
"Croatia did not block Montenegro because of Prevlaka, and the Resolution on Jasenovac was used as a good excuse by part of the ruling coalition in Podgorica".
Pantelić pointed out that Mandić's party is a minority partner in the ruling coalition, and the Government Milojko Spajić she did not make any move that could be characterized as anti-European.
"As far as Greater Serbian politics is concerned, it does not differ much from Greater Croatia, for example in Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose main promoter is the HDZ, the Sokolov party. I will remind you that according to the confession of the Croatian member of the European Parliament and former ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina Željana Zovko, Croatia issued one million and one hundred thousand passports to BiH citizens".
He pointed out that the fact remains that the issue of Prevlaka is the most serious problem and the most difficult issue to solve between Montenegro and Croatia.
"That dispute will emerge in the final phase of negotiations when Podgorica is motivated to make concessions because EU membership will be within reach".
The border between Montenegro and Croatia in the area of the Prevlaka peninsula has been disputed since the breakup of the former Yugoslavia in the 90s. Prevlaka is located at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor...
Vuksanović: A message that bilateral issues should not be ignored
Director of the Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM) Nevenka Vuksanović she said that Croatia has the right and responsibility to express its views on the process of accession of new members, especially from a regional perspective:
"Sokol's claim that the reason for the blockade is anti-European and Greater Serbian policy sends a clear signal about Croatia's concerns regarding the stability of the region and the political orientation of Montenegro, which is all based on the previous adoption of the resolution on Jasenovac".
She assessed that Sokol's mention of Prevlaka and the "Adriatic" as open but not key issues shows that bilateral issues are not ignored, but that they are in the background compared to the political and perception of Montenegro's European path.
"Mandić's claim should be understood as an attempt to divert attention from political accusations. Of course, the EU does not tolerate the strengthening of non-European ideas and I believe that in the coming period we will witness some obstructions from Croatia, especially if Mandić's rhetoric does not change".
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