The European Union (EU), although in principle critical of identity divisions and nationalist rhetoric in Montenegro, often chooses a pragmatic approach in practice, especially towards politicians who currently ensure institutional stability, which in the case of official Podgorica is reflected in "quiet diplomacy" towards the head of parliament. Andrija Mandić (New Serbian Democracy), although he persistently insists on so-called polarizing topics.
"Vijesti"'s interlocutors thus answer the question of why EU officials are silent, or why they do not more directly condemn Mandić's "identity story", which he repeated in recent days during his visit to the Conference of Speakers of Parliaments of EU Member States in Budapest.
On that occasion, he spoke about amendments to the Law on Montenegrin Citizenship, "preserving identity", entering the EU "with our heads held high"...
Docent at the University "Donja Gorica" Nikoleta Djukanovic She told "Vijesti" that the EU is facing many crises, and that recently they have taken on a special shape and dynamics in the openly hostile stance of the President of the United States of America (USA). Donald Trump towards the Union.
"What has been obvious for many years is that the policy of conditionality towards the Western Balkans is absolutely not producing sustainable results, as was the case for the countries of Central and Eastern Europe," she says.
CONSTANT COMPROMISES
According to Đukanović, the EU is absolutely aware that it does not have adequate mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating the results achieved in the integration process, and that it is now clear that the new negotiation methodology is not yielding the expected results.
"The proof of this is that democracy in the Balkans is increasingly collapsing rather than strengthening, so the data indicating the democracy index, corruption index, institutional transparency, etc. in Montenegro and other countries are more than disappointing. It seems as if the EU is powerless to adequately condition and manage the reform process," the interviewee concludes.
She stated that, however, the fault lies not solely with the Union, but rather with the fact that Montenegro, like other Balkan countries, has not completed the democratization process and does not yet have concrete results in the negotiation process with the EU.
"The fact that every government camouflages this fact with the narrative that other countries are worse than us, or that we are less bad than the worst ones - is political manipulation that brings nothing to the citizens, but obviously completes the work that the parties need," said Đukanović, adding that one of the manifestations of such a state of affairs is "the Union's constant compromises with the authorities in Montenegro."
"Previously, these compromises were made on the line of stabilocracy-corruption, and today they are tolerated at the expense of changes of government, with constant maneuvering on the line Brussels-Belgrade-Moscow. While criticism is constantly coming from the EU parliament, the member states support us, which reflects on the one hand the Union's not-unified position on the further development of enlargement - whether to support unconditional enlargement or one based on merit," she notes.
The Union has repeatedly warned that political polarization, identity divisions, and nationalist rhetoric are negatively affecting Montenegro's accession process to that community.
COURAGE IS NOT CONSENT
Project Coordinator, Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM) Milena Kovačević, she told "Vijesti" that the EU generally warns of the negative consequences of political polarization and nationalism, and in practice often shows pragmatism, especially when it comes to politicians who currently hold key levers of power and represent stability in an institutional sense.
"First of all, we cannot ignore the fact that the European Union itself is currently facing deep political divisions. In many member states, there is a strengthening of the right, a rise in Euroscepticism and an increasing use of identity rhetoric in public discourse," she said.
Kovačević reminded that warm welcomes in diplomatic circles, such as those Mandić encounters, often do not reflect substantive support for a specific policy, but rather speak more about the culture of dialogue, the current political reality and the European custom of communicating with officials, regardless of political background, within official channels.
“In this sense, cordiality in protocol should not be confused with agreement on values,” she adds.
The EU Delegation in Podgorica, in response to the question of why no one from the EU, if that community constantly warns that identity divisions are distancing Montenegro from membership, openly opposes Mandić's advocacy of these policies, who these days, while traveling around Europe, has been talking about changing the Law on Montenegrin Citizenship, told "Vijesti" that, as they previously stated, member states determine the conditions for acquiring and losing citizenship.
"However, they must take into account EU law," they added.
The Delegation stated that Montenegro, as a candidate country, should refrain from any measures that could jeopardize its strategic path towards the EU or the security of the EU, including when using its powers to grant citizenship.
"We have requested that, before making any decision, Montenegro fully inform the EU of its intentions," the Delegation reminds.
Mandić said that Montenegro wants to enter the EU with dignity, fulfilling all necessary obligations and respecting all prerequisites, while preserving history, tradition and identity. He stated at the Conference of Speakers of Parliaments of EU Member States that Montenegro, which he believes will soon become the first member of the Union, is deeply committed to the European idea.
ABSTENTION SO AS NOT TO HANG UP COOPERATION
He is in a meeting with his Luxembourg counterpart. By Klod Visel in Budapest said that the Law on Montenegrin Citizenship represents a potential problem for the Montenegrin diaspora in Luxembourg.
The Parliament announced that a special segment of the conversation was dedicated to the topic of the numerous Montenegrin emigrant community in Luxembourg.
"It has been determined that the current Law on Citizenship, which revokes Montenegrin citizenship if a person accepts the citizenship of another country, poses a potential problem for our diaspora, potentially opening the possibility of challenging Montenegrin citizenship for those expatriates who acquired Luxembourg citizenship after that law came into force," the statement said.
Vesel, as he writes, concluded that he would be happy to visit Montenegro and that it would have the full professional support of his colleagues from the Luxembourg parliament on all issues, including the possible amendment of that legal solution.
Without further details, the Parliament announced that Mandić also spoke with the President of the European Parliament (EP) in Budapest. Robert Metsolom. He stressed that it would be an honor to host Metsoli during her visit to Montenegro, which will take place soon.
Milena Kovačević, responding to the question of why EU officials are "silent" on Mandić's rhetoric and whether they are thereby encouraging him to continue with his agenda, said that the answer probably lies in pragmatism, that is, that the EU currently sees Montenegro as the country that has advanced the furthest in the negotiations and as crucial for the stability of the Western Balkans.
"That is why the tactic of 'quiet diplomacy' is often chosen, that is, refraining from direct criticism so as not to jeopardize institutional cooperation with the current holders of power," said the interviewee.
Kovačević said that, however, this silence, whether intentional or not, leaves room for politicians like Mandić to present their agenda as legitimate and compatible with European values, "which in the long term may obscure the standards that Montenegro should meet on its path to the EU."
The EU and identity issues can (not) go together
Responding to the question of whether the EU and identity countries can coexist and whether this can be balanced, Kovačević replied that the Union is based on the principles of multiculturalism and interculturalism, which implies not only the coexistence of different national identities, but also the equality of all religious, linguistic, gender, sexual and other minority groups.
"That's why it's clear that identities and the EU can go together," she argues.
The interviewee said that for Montenegro, which has an extremely complex identity structure, a true European breakthrough does not mean the suppression of any identity, but rather their integration and togetherness through a political culture that focuses on common interests, civil rights and respect for diversity.
"It is time for us in Montenegro to ask ourselves how long we will revolve around only one form of identity, most often the national one, and build politics exclusively on that basis? European values teach us that identity is not the only, nor the exclusive political resource, but that the essence lies in respecting diversity, equality and common interest. It is time to shift the focus," said Kovačević.
Nikoleta Đukanović said that the Union is facing an increasingly pronounced restoration of sovereignty, anti-European and right-wing parties, which indicates that it is possible that the candidates' European integrations are also based on nationalist, right-wing matrices relying on pro-Russian influences.
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