Regarding the article "Vijesti", published on May 11th under the title "Broz again among Montenegrins", they reacted Boban Batricevic i Stefan Todorovic, which are mentioned in the article.
We publish their response in full:
“On May 11, 2025, an article by a journalist was published on the 'Vijesti' portal Aljoša Turović: 'Broz again among Montenegrins'. Since the article was written unprofessionally, which we attribute to the journalistic inexperience of its author, and that in some segments it is tendentious, bringing the signatories of this response into a context that does not reflect our views at all, we are forced to react and point out that our views on this issue have not been interpreted correctly, and we demand from the editorial staff of 'Vijesti' to publish this response of ours.
First, regarding the exchange of views on the usefulness of erecting a Tito monument in Cetinje, Mr. Turović says that the signatories of these lines 'opposed it', stating our full names and the institution in which we work. If Turović had seriously learned the craft of journalism, he would have explained to the readership that we did not object but rather expressed the view that a broader social debate should be held on the erection of the monument in general, that it is necessary to revalue and adapt the anti-fascist tradition to modernity, to deprive it of the previous ideologized and monocentric approach.
DON'T MISS IT
Secondly, Mr. Turović calls us 'pro-Montenegrin analysts', which we consider very mean since he put us as a counterpart, as he says, 'pro-Serbian politicians' from Podgorica, referring to the circus performer Vladislav Dajković. We do not want any national labels to be attached to us, and we emphasize to Mr. Turović that we are not analysts, but members of the academic community who have a critical attitude towards the current government in Montenegro. We expressed our thoughts on Tito's monument, where we have not once questioned the positive achievements of Tito's time and anti-fascist heritage, as citizens of Cetinje because this is our city.
This cannot be discerned from Mr. Turović's writing, since he, by schematizing and pre-set stereotyping the controversy as a conflict of 'two nationalisms', placed us in the context of Montenegrin nationalists.
Third, the fact that the previous claim is correct is confirmed by Mr. Turović's choice of interlocutors. Without entering into his right to choose interlocutors, it is symptomatic that for his article he did not invite any of the participants in the exchange of opinions who sought a broader social and intellectual debate on the valorization of the anti-fascist heritage, nor any of the signatories of this reaction to explain their positions. Instead, Mr. Turović decided to present our positions to the readership himself, doing so wrongly and maliciously, while engaging Mr. VB who has repeatedly written in a dehumanizing manner about one of the two signatories of this response, calling him the most mundane names and insults.
Fourth, we would like to reiterate - we are not explicitly against the erection of a monument to Tito in Cetinje, nor will we take steps to challenge this action. As we said in our texts, we proposed to the initiators of the erection of the Tito monument a joint debate on what kind of anti-fascism we need in the 21st century. In our opinion, Tito is a positive historical figure in the Montenegrin and Yugoslav context, but from the Cetinje context we believe that Tito and Cetinje do not have as many connections as some local figures from the rich anti-fascist history of our city. We are against great-state nationalisms and are explicitly in favor of the civic organization of Montenegro.
"That is why we appeal to Mr. Turović to learn his journalistic craft and stop the long-standing practice established under the previous editor, of writing about us personally and the institution we work for in a negative context, without any basis or facts."
Bonus video:
