Support from New Serbian Democracy (NSD) MPs Andrije Mandić for sending Montenegrin soldiers to the European Union (EU) mission to assist Ukraine, a typical political bargain made to show the unity of the government Milojko Spajić (Europe Now Movement).
In these words, a professor of international relations at Boston University Vesko Garcevic comments for Vijesti on yesterday's decision by the pro-Serbian and pro-Russian NSD.
Six of their nine parliamentarians, including Mandić, who heads the Assembly, have "raised their hand" in favor of sending troops to the EU mission to support Ukraine. On the other hand, their colleagues from the Democratic People's Party (DNP) Milan Knežević, with whom they have been in coalition for years, abstained. The Socialist People's Party (SNP) also supported the proposal. Vladimir Joković.
Garčević believes that a decision like the one made by the NSD is only possible if that party has been promised or already offered something else.
"To me, honestly, this seems like a typical political trade. Probably to show some 'magnificent unity' of the current Government, given its ideological and other diversity... So, maybe this is a simple trade in which they will, in some way, get something else that is important to them, or they have already got, or they were promised, by another part of the majority," he said.
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Vijesti reported at the end of May that one of the disagreements within the ruling majority was the issue of the decision to send soldiers to the EU mission. The newspaper's source in the executive branch claimed at the time that the head of the Security and Defense Committee Miodrag Laković (Europe Now Movement) allegedly wanted the parties of the former Democratic Front (DF), NSD and DNP, to support the proposal to send soldiers to the mission.
Laković then told the newspaper that he thought the ruling majority should be united when it comes to EU foreign and security policy...
Mandić supported the proposal to send soldiers to the mission as a member of the Supreme Command at a session of that body at the end of August last year, but the proposal was put on the parliamentary agenda almost 10 months later. Representatives of the former DF abstained at the session of the Security and Defense Committee on May 29, at which the proposal was given the "green light".
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Mandić's cabinet and the NSD did not respond to Vijesti's questions yesterday - whether they had betrayed the support of their voters by voting, whether this represented a turn in their policy, how they explained their support given that the NSD is considered a party close to Moscow...
Based on the EU Council Decision of 17 October 2022, an EU military assistance mission was established to support Ukraine. The proposal on the deployment of members of the Armed Forces of Montenegro (AVCG) to the mission envisages that the Ministry of Defence will determine which soldiers will go, the duration of the rotation, the preparation, training and equipping...
The West will not be impressed.
When asked by Vijesti whether the NSD's move represents a turning point in their policy, Garčević replied that this cannot yet be seen or stated.
"First of all, I don't expect this to be a turning point. That will soon become clear. To conclude that they have changed their political views and moved closer to the line advocated by the EU, in this case on Russia and Ukraine - we will only be able to see that if it becomes a constant," he said.
The interlocutor assesses that the question arises as to whether this will affect NSD voters, adding that it may affect a certain number of them.
"... How do we reconcile some hard-line voters who would suddenly change their views? In principle, it could have an impact, but I don't believe it would be significant," he says.
He says that the impact would only be significant if there were a real change in the course of Mandić's party.
"Which we could see in other issues. However, honestly, I don't expect that to happen. I expect this to be a kind of political trade. On the other hand, Mandić is known for that. He survived in politics for a very long time, and that was a significant part of his political approach," Garčević said.
According to him, Western allies "will not be very impressed" by the NSD's move, adding that the decision will not "buy" them into believing that things are changing significantly.
Unlike him, a retired general Blagoje Grahovac He told Vijesti that the support of NSD MPs is their political need, but that, regardless of the reason, it is good that the party "is starting to practically accept the politics of the state of Montenegro."
He states that this makes Montenegrin society better integrated and focused on "general state policy."
"Montenegrin society is maturing - both parties and citizens. In that process, people must come closer to each other, and all on the basic guideline, which is the state policy of Montenegro," the interlocutor assessed.
A performance
The support of NSD MPs is a political performance and an indication that they are ready to agree to anything that is asked of them just to stay in their "armchairs." MPs from the opposition Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) and Social Democrats (SD) told Vijesti that, Ivan Vukovic i Nikola Zirojevic.
Vuković claims that Mandić is trying to transform his political image.
"We have been witnessing that, for some time now, aware that his political career has been marked by continued support for retrograde clerical-nationalist policies, glorification of war criminals and a hostile attitude towards the idea of Europeanization of Montenegrin society, NSD leader Mandić has been trying to change his disastrous political image in the eyes of our international partners," Vuković said.
He points out that, to that end, Mandić says everything they would like to hear in meetings with "foreigners", "declaratively distancing himself from Knežević's Russophilia and the increasingly obvious authoritarianism (of the Serbian president)." Aleksandar Vučić". He adds that yesterday's vote by the NSD should therefore serve as "an additional contribution to the thesis about the political metamorphosis of the Chetnik duke Mandić."
"Of course, it is clear that this is a political performance, i.e. what political scientists call a 'rhetorical action'. Mandić is what he has always been - a provincial politician, helplessly trapped in the dark nineties, fed by hatred and always ready to serve the Belgrade masters, against the interests of his own state," said the MP from the strongest opposition party.
Zirojević said that he does not view the vote of NSD parliamentarians as a change in their political course, but "only and exclusively as an indicator that they are, at least declaratively, ready to agree to everything that is asked of them just to remain in the positions they hold."
He believes that this is not surprising at all, considering that, as he claims, they can commit numerous abuses of state resources from these positions.
"... Like this most recent one, in which the minister proposes to the Government to sign a contract to lease conference rooms with the 'Serbian House', which he, along with another colleague from the Government, is a co-owner of," he adds.
Zirojević states that the conclusion is that the "ideology, Serbism and Russophilia" of NSD representatives are valid until the moment "until their positions become threatened."
"... But this certainly does not mean a true departure from their basic policy, but only and exclusively deceiving the public in order to preserve the aforementioned positions," he points out.
Minister of Defense Dragan Krapović (Democrats) announced last night that he was not surprised that NSD deputies voted to send Montenegrin soldiers to the EU mission. He said, in the show "Načisto" on Television Vijesti, that within the ruling majority they have an agreement that covers "a whole range of issues", and that, in his opinion, this document is being respected.
He said that the NSD's move "confirms the maturity and understanding of the geopolitical situation, both of the ruling majority and the rest of the parliament."
There were 49 members of parliament who voted in favor of the decision, while three abstained. In addition to the NSD and SNP, the "green light" was given by the Europe Now Movement, the Democrats, the Bosniak Party, the Citizens' Alliance CIVIS, the Albanian Forum, the DPS, the SD, the Croatian Civic Initiative and an independent MP. Radinka Ćinćur.
Dajković "stabbed" Mandić: They hug the ambassador, but voted for treason
The President of Free Montenegro, Vladislav Dajković, announced last night that "those who hug the Russian ambassador" voted yesterday "for the betrayal of Russia."
"Those who raised their hands to send our soldiers on war support missions - they went to celebrate at the Russian Embassy, in front of the Russian ambassador, with smiles and toasts, but I guess that's a confirmation of political maturity," Dajković assessed.
He was referring to Mandić, who yesterday attended a ceremonial reception on the occasion of Russia Day, at the invitation of that country's new ambassador to Montenegro, Aleksandar Lukašik.
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Embassy of Ukraine: Grateful for the adoption of the decision
The Embassy of Ukraine thanked the parliament for adopting the decision to send members of the Armed Forces of Montenegro to the EU military assistance mission to support that country.
"We are sincerely grateful to the Parliament of Montenegro for today's adoption of this decision," their post on the Iks network states.
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The Head of the EU Delegation to Montenegro, Johan Sattler, congratulated the parliament on adopting the decision. He said it was "a strong sign of solidarity and commitment to common values."
"Together we stand with Ukraine," he said.
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