In an interview with Voice of America, the Minister of Human and Minority Rights in the Government of Montenegro, Fatmir Đeka, assessed that the positions of ministers from pro-Serbian and pro-Russian parties in the Government have, as he says, influenced the "destruction of the good atmosphere" that existed among the neighbors in the past.
But, he says, while their policy may represent a "weak point", it will not affect the realization of Montenegro's European agenda, nor things like recognizing Kosovo's independence.
In an interview with the Albanian service of the Voice of America, Đeka says that due to recent political developments in Serbia, where protests against the government are taking place, the influence of these political entities in Montenegro has recently diminished.
He also criticized Parliament Speaker Andrija Mandić's move towards the opposition, and commented on expectations from the new administration in Washington.
Đeka attended the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., along with the ministers of foreign affairs, transport, spatial planning, urbanism, and state property, and members of the Parliament of Montenegro.
Voice of America: The political crisis in Montenegro is deepening. The opposition is boycotting the parliament, accusing the ruling majority of endangering state institutions through unconstitutional actions. What is your assessment?
Student: This is a kind of crisis, but I cannot say that it is a crisis of the government. The government has a large majority in parliament due to the arrival of Bosniaks. We had several protests after the events in Cetinje. The parliament has been institutionally blocked these days after the Constitutional Committee of the Assembly voted to retire a judge of the Constitutional Court. The opposition has taken measures to block the work of the parliament. We as minority peoples had a joint meeting - Albanians, Bosniaks, Croats - we are preparing a joint strategy and are closely monitoring the crisis and we think that in the future as a minority we will have a common position... It is important that we do not deviate from our Euro-Atlantic path.
Voice of America: Let's dwell a little more on the political crisis. Do you think that the move by the Speaker of the Parliament, Andrija Mandić, who imposed a suspension measure on most of the opposition MPs who had been preventing the assembly from sitting for the past month, was justified and necessary? And what did the opposition achieve with this boycott?
Student: It is normal that when you are in opposition, you take action when there is an act such as the one passed by the Constitutional Committee which, according to the opposition and lawyers, is contrary to the Constitution. Several talks were held and international representatives mediated between the majority and the opposition. They made a decision to unblock the institutions in Budva after the local elections, an unblocking that the opposition requested... Now the opinion of the Venice Commission is being sought, so that the Constitutional Committee in the parliament can receive legal guidelines on how to proceed. This is the first time that the Speaker of the Parliament has taken such a measure. I will not comment further on the right that the Speaker of the Parliament has under the regulations. This was done in order to unblock the adoption of the budget... What is negative is that this is the first time that the Speaker of the Parliament has taken such a measure against MPs, a 15-day suspension, I think.
Voice of America: What do you think about this measure as a minister?
Student: When I say it's the first time, it means I don't have a positive opinion about it. I think of it as a move that has never been taken before.
Voice of America: I also want to ask you about the agreement proposed by the opposition to overcome the crisis. How do you assess that agreement, which aims to create consensus on important issues that have the potential to divide public opinion in Montenegro?
Student: I am generally in favor of bringing the positions closer together and for there to be a conciliatory spirit. We have some ministers in the government who sometimes distance themselves from the positions of the government when it comes to regional policy, when it comes to the issue of Kosovo. You know that when it comes to Croatia, we adopted an unnecessary resolution in parliament and then they put the speaker of the parliament and some others on the list of persona non grata. After the reconstruction, several ministers from the Democratic Front entered the government. Although they are not key for decision-making - because 90 percent are pro-European and pro-Euro-Atlantic forces - these political entities, which are part of the government but do not share the ideas of the majority of the government and the population in general in Montenegro, should be closely monitored knowing that 80 percent of the population in Montenegro, according to research, supports membership in the EU, reliable and secure membership in NATO and that we have good relations with our neighbors. Sometimes the policies of these entities have influenced us to spoil the good relations we had before with our neighbors. I think that the dominant political forces are for what we as a national minority advocate for, for integration into the EU and Euro-Atlantic structures.
Voice of America: Have these ideological, but also practical, differences in foreign policy affected the fulfillment of the European agenda so far?
Student: No. The government has its own agenda. The vast majority of the government is made up of subjects who have common ideas in their programs and we have fulfilled them. We received the IBAR, fulfilling the conditions required of Montenegro to become a member of the EU in the future. We have some conditions and chapters to conclude and to elect judges of the Constitutional Court. With the arrival of the new government, the judicial council was elected, we elected the Supreme State Prosecutor. Several moves were made and then the IBAR was approved.
Three chapters have been closed. Croatia has stopped the closing of one due to moves in parliament… The government is doing its job, but it has to be in coordination with parliament. What could happen in the future, I hope it will not happen, but these entities that do not accept Kosovo as an independent state due to their ideology and attitudes, and who are part of the government and who support the government, could be our weak point on this path. However, knowing that the opposition is also pro-European, Montenegro's progress is unstoppable, although we must always be on guard against evil.
Voice of America: Is there a real risk of withdrawing recognition of Kosovo?
Student: No. Not in any way.
Voice of America: What would be your position?
Student: We would not have been part of that government if such a step had been taken. If such a step had been taken, we would not have been part of the government.
Voice of America: The influence of Russia and Serbia in Montenegro is a constant concern of regional experts, but also of critics of your government. How present is that influence? What is the danger that comes from it?
Student: Russian influence is not direct, it is indirect through Serbia and the influence has existed in all periods and not in this government, but also before. Russia, maybe even a decade ago, has always tried to influence Montenegro through Serbia in one way or another. Knowing now what is happening in Serbia, I think that there are some movements being made there that have the support of its neighbors, Croatia, the European Union. Even Madonna supported the student protests in Serbia and we think that there will be movements there as well, which are expected. This influence that Serbia has constantly tried to have through these entities that I mentioned, the Democratic Front, to have its hand in Montenegro, will fade.
And at this moment when these protests are happening in Serbia, it is already clear that in Montenegro these subjects are weaker or I can say paler these days, with these actions that are happening there. So I think that we should continue to monitor. When I say that we must be wary of evil, we should carefully monitor this indirect influence of Russia in Montenegro. I know that a large, inseparable part of Serbian state policy is that Montenegro should not be an independent state, that it should not be a member of NATO, that Montenegro made a mistake when it recognized Kosovo as an independent state and in many other things, and that is evident. But the vast majority in Montenegro does not think so and that is why Montenegro is where we are. But the recent actions that have taken place with our neighbors, which were initiated by these forces that have the support of Serbia, have slightly spoiled the atmosphere with our neighbors, not in a way that we have a diplomatic blockade, but the atmosphere that we had as an example as a country in the region.
Voice of America: Do you support the demands of the students in the student protests after the events in Cetinje? They are demanding accountability from the security sector. Do you think the government should be held accountable for what happened?
Student: I am a member of the Government and some of my statements and opinions are limited, I cannot give them as an ordinary citizen. Normally, students have the right to protest, it is the right of citizens to demand accountability. What happened affected all of us. In a very small country, it is like 7.000 or 8.000 murders a day in the US, based on the number of inhabitants. In a small country like Montenegro, having so many murders in one day was very fatal and touching not only for the city, but also for the entire country, and then it also encouraged protests. There were some changes in the police, some measures were taken in the security sector, some police chiefs were dismissed, but as a member of the Government I am always limited in comparison to how I would think if I were in someone else's shoes. But the right to protest and to demand in one way or another what they think is theirs with legal and democratic rights, in a democratic country that wants to be a member of the EU, that is quite normal. How far it will go and how events will unfold, we will see.
Voice of America: When do you expect the analysis of the performance of government ministers regarding the events in Cetinje to be completed?
Student: I don't have any opinion or accurate information. The Prime Minister's responsibility is how he will act and what will happen. It is important that I don't want what happened in Cetinje to happen again.
Voice of America: We already have a new administration here in Washington. You were a participant in the National Prayer Breakfast, where President Trump addressed the attendees. What are your expectations for the new US administration's engagement in the region?
Student: We have a strong diaspora here in the US, especially in New York and parts of New York. The arrival of a Republican or Democratic president has not made much difference where we are from. I see that there will not be much difference in politics in the Balkans. I think it will be a policy of starting the EU integration process or reconciliation, or various agreements, as the President (Trump) said, so that there is peace in the whole world. I would like them to go in that spirit. I have never doubted American politics. Maybe because we Albanians are pro-American, we do not notice the differences in who is the president.
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