Most of the ruling parties remained silent or reacted lukewarmly to the criticisms expressed in the European Parliament (EP) report on Montenegro, which, among other things, warned of the dangers of political revisionism "which distorts historical facts for political purposes", and condemned the glorification of war criminals and widespread public denial of international war crimes verdicts.
When asked how they view the criticisms from the document that was adopted the day before yesterday (in the form of a resolution) and what the party's position is regarding the statements in it, Vijesti received answers from two constituents of the government - the Democrats and the Socialist People's Party (SNP), while the Europe Now Movement (PES), New Serbian Democracy (NSD), Democratic People's Party (DNP) and the Bosniak Party remained silent on the newspaper's inquiry.
Democrat MP Anđela Vojinović, she told Vijesti that the party analyzes the EP's messages "very responsibly and with due care", while the SNP said that "only through the truth can a healthy and reconciled society be built."
Member of the Albanian Forum (AF) Artan Chobi He said that since the beginning of the formation of the current government, "even during negotiations", the coalition has insisted that the constituents "avoid topics that deepen differences, and give priority to European integration."
Civic activist Milena Bešić assesses that the "declarative Europeanism" of the ruling parties is actually political opportunism.
"It does not imply a true acceptance of European values, but serves solely as a means to preserve power," she told the newspaper.
Justice and facing the past
Vojinović said that the Democrats welcome every signal from European institutions that, she said, reminds us that the European path is not only technical, but also a reform and value-based process. She added that “every comment, praise or criticism from Brussels” is an opportunity to “strengthen the course we have taken, but also to be honest with ourselves and society as a whole.”
"The glorification of war criminals, the political revisionism that comes from both poles of the far right, and the denial of crimes depending on the national identity of the victim are phenomena that are not good, nor acceptable for any democratic society. Just as it is not good to establish certain historical facts in a biased and one-sided manner, which we have, of course, witnessed for decades," the interviewee points out.
She stated that the Democrats believe that "true reconciliation is built not on relativization, but on truth, justice, responsibility and reconciliation."
"National and ethnic tensions are a thing of the past from which, we hope, we have all learned lessons," Vojinović concludes.
The SNP announced that they are "in favor of honestly facing the past," and that all crimes should be clearly condemned, and that those responsible must be held accountable before the judiciary.
"However, we oppose the collectivization of guilt and generalizations that can deepen divisions. It is crucial that we learn from the past so that such events never happen again," they said.
Čobi stated that "attempts to distort historical facts", regardless of which side they come from, "will ultimately do the most damage to themselves."
"We do not touch on the right of individuals or groups to view things from certain angles, but we are against any attempt to use historical events to cause division," he added.
He assessed that the responsibility lies with everyone, not just politicians, but "especially state and religious institutions."
"Unfortunately, in the last 30 years we have witnessed that this was not the case, because if it were, Montenegro would already be a member of the European Union," said the interlocutor.
Silence is a cause for concern
Bešić says it is good that "such clear and serious assessments" have found their place in the report, especially considering that, she claims, there is no critical reaction from institutions within the state itself. She assesses that the silence of the ruling parties on the EP's findings, "just like the silence of the prosecutor's office on the daily statements of church dignitaries, politicians and quasi-intellectuals," is worrying.
The Higher State Prosecutor's Office in Podgorica dismissed the criminal complaint filed against the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral. Joanikia for the criminal offense of inciting racial, national and religious hatred, while the Bijelo Polje Higher State Prosecutor's Office is collecting information and evidence to assess whether there are elements of a criminal offense in the speech of the Metropolitan of Budimlje and Nikšić The method.
Joannikije and Methodije recently praised Chetnik leaders Pavle Đurišić i Dragoljub Mihailović, portraying them as heroes and the first fighters against fascism, while characterizing the Partisan movement and the post-war government as criminal and hostile to the Serbian people.
Bešić points out that it is unacceptable to place "revisionist and dangerous narratives" in public discourse, which often, she says, incite intolerance and hate speech.
"... Especially when they come from official addresses, because such messages shape public opinion, undermine social stability in the long term, and negatively affect the spirit and character of society," she adds.
Bešić says that the majority parties are not trying to hide "ideologically motivated attempts to rewrite history and redefine the values of Montenegrin society", through the "Greater Serbia agenda and the efforts of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC)", all of which disregard the interests of citizens and constitutional principles. She also said that the government interprets the Constitution, laws and institutional order of the state, as well as the assessments and recommendations of European institutions, provisionally.
"From the opinion of the Venice Commission in the case of the retirement of a judge of the Constitutional Court Dragan Đuranović, to numerous other examples that indicate selective and politically motivated action... The silence on the EP report is, in fact, a clear indicator of this ideological and political deviation," she states.
Reforms must not suffer
The EP report also states that religious institutions can be used as a means of external influence, and condemns any "inappropriate interference by the Serbian Orthodox Church in this regard."
Asked how she would comment on that statement, Vojinović responded that the report contains important messages, but also "certain formulations that are the product of political compromise", adding that in addition, from that part they highlight a message that they consider important - "Montenegro's European agenda must not be held hostage to artificially fueled identity conflicts".
"...Identity issues must not be a cover for escaping reforms. The European agenda does not tolerate alibis. Citizens have already given a clear message in the elections to those who want to take us back," she said.
The SNP responded that identity issues should not be used to divert attention from reforms, but that they are "an integral part of society and cannot be ignored."
"All religious communities, including the Serbian Orthodox Church, should operate within the framework of the law, but we do not accept an approach that singles out and negatively portrays only one religious community. The SNP will always protect the right to religion, freedom of expression and the preservation of national identity, with full respect for European values and the principles of a secular state," they said.
Mandić doesn't want to talk about EP's mistakes either
The document adopted by the EP, among other things, expresses concern about the support of high-ranking officials for the president of the Bosnian entity Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, and regrets his participation in the "General Serbian Assembly" in Belgrade.
The office of Parliament Speaker Andrija Mandić, who has repeatedly supported Dodik and was present at an event in the Serbian capital last year, did not respond to Vijesti's questions about how the first man in the Parliament views the conclusions from the EP document.
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