I'll slap you for "betraying" the church's agenda: "Vijesti" sources claim that the conflict between the PES and the Serbian Orthodox Church is no surprise

The squabbles between the Europe Now Movement (PES) and the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) are not a surprise, as the head of the government and PES Milojko Spajic He did not meet the expectations of the Serbian Orthodox Church to unreservedly support its agenda, but instead turned to Europe. Therefore, the friction between them can only affect a part of Spajić's party voters who are politically motivated by church authorities.

Thus, the interlocutors of "Vijesti", civic activists Milena Bešić i Stefan Djukic, comment on the verbal conflict between PES officials and the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro over the unveiling and removal of a monument to a Chetnik commander Pavlo Đurišić in Berane.

The repeatedly repeated revisionist positions of church dignitaries on the Chetnik movement and its leaders first provoked a reaction from Spajić, who said in early June that the whole of Montenegro was "a bit surprised" by a series of such statements.

Frictions in the relationship with the Serbian Orthodox Church continued after the Metropolitan of Budimlje-Niksic Methods on Saturday accused a PES official and the first man of Berane Dollar Lutovca that he is most responsible for everything that happened on the Dobrašinović family estate in Gornji Zaostr. In that Berane village, Metodije discovered a monument to Đurišić on August 8, which was removed the same day. On the spot, the journalistic teams of Vijesti and Pobjeda were physically and mentally harassed after they tried to record the removal of the bust.

Milena Bešić assesses that the conflict between the PES and the Serbian Orthodox Church should not be surprising because, as she says, the political support of the church has never been free, but has always been conditioned by expectations and pressures to subordinate state policy to its influence.

"As long as PES suited those interests, the support was there. The moment the interests diverged, conflict became inevitable," Bešić claims.

Stefan Đukić doesn't think this is a surprise either, because, as he states, different social actors have different interests and positions on many social issues.

"And if there is one thing that is good about all of this, it is that we do not have a monolithic society in which, due to hidden interests, these different factors stick together and force a single-mindedness...", he said.

Metodije announced on Saturday that he had received a letter from Lutovac and the president of the Berane branch of the Socialist People's Party (SNP). Ivan Radević the intention of "persecuting the Serbian people, Serbian history and the Serbian church".

Lutovac responded on Sunday morning by saying that the truth, supported by facts, is “diametrically opposed” to the claims of the Metropolitan of Budimlje and Nikšić. He said that he considers himself most responsible for the events in Gornji Zaostr “because he calmed tensions, did not allow the use of force, protected both the crowd and the officials, avoided new arrests, criminal charges, dozens of indictments, and fraternal conflicts and escalation.”

Nedović: Attack on PES

Lutovac was supported by several PES officials, including Spajić indirectly. However, PES headquarters did not comment. Yesterday, Spajić posted a photo of himself hugging Lutovac on Instagram, as well as a message in which the Berane leader thanked him.

"Peace within myself and before the people, happy because of the support of the right people. Thank you Prime Minister Milojko Spajić," Lutovac wrote.

Message from PES Jelena Nedović announced on Sunday that the attack on Lutovac was an attack on that party.

"He did not come to divide the people, nor to take them back to the past, but to deal with what belongs to him - laws and justice. He is not interested in partisans and Chetniks, nor in endless discussions about who was 'on which side'...", she underlined.

PES did not respond to questions about whether they think their conflict with the Serbian Orthodox Church will affect the support they have among voters.

Metodije previously stated at a rally in Gornji Zaostr that he was not afraid of the state, or rather "their power, which cannot even bring order to the streets", nor of young people in expensive suits "who have occupied high political and state positions and think they can do as they please and think".

The monument to Đurišić was erected on August 7, unveiled the next day, and the statue was removed the same day in the afternoon. The illegal monument was removed by locals, according to what they claimed was a prior agreement with the police. Đurišić's statue was moved to the Church of St. Mother Paraskeva in Gornji Zaostar, and the competent inspection, with the assistance of the police, subsequently demolished the pedestal of the monument.

The Bijelo Polje High Prosecutor's Office has opened a case against Metodije due to the events in Gornji Zaostr. It also opened a case regarding the statements of participants in a rally in a village in Berane, at which Metodije, among others, spoke. He said at the time that "there are few who were as inspired as Đurišić", and that a monument to this war criminal should also be erected in the center of Berane.

The PES has mostly kept quiet about the revisionist assessments from the church, or responded to them indifferently. This was also the case in May, when the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral Joannikius said that Đurišić was a “great hero of invincible character”. However, a month later, after another controversial statement from the Serbian Orthodox Church, Spajić declared that Montenegro was a “secular state in which everyone should mind their own business”, adding that he did not take “advice from priests on matters of history, politics, finance, economy, sports, music”.

Bešić: Spajić did not meet Metodije's expectations

Milena Bešić reminds that both Prime Minister Spajić and the head of state Jakov Milatovic political leaders in the government Zdravka Krivokapića, with open church support and attendance at church services. On that basis, she said, they built their initial legitimacy, and later, she claims, with the formation of the PES, distancing followed “through European rhetoric and an emphasis on economics.”

"But I think that Spajić's connection to the Serbian Orthodox Church is not at all questionable - which, given his publicly expressed pride in his family ties with Metropolitan Metodije, is naturally expected. What, however, is seen in the public today as a schism is not the result of a value deviation, but of the fact that Spajić did not meet Metodije's expectations to unreservedly support the church's agenda, but rather, driven by the need to preserve credibility with his European partners, took the opposite position," claims Bešić.

In an interview three years ago, Spajić said that Metodije was his uncle, meaning that they were “closely related.” As Minister of Finance in Krivokapić’s government, he often attended liturgies, as did the then Minister of Economic Development Milatović, who founded PES with Spajić in 2022 after the fall of that executive branch. Milatović later left the party after a conflict with Spajić.

Commenting on the possible impact of the conflict with the church on PES voters, Bešić says that some of those who are "politically motivated by church authority" will inevitably turn to the parties of the former Democratic Front (DF), "because the SPC never leaves its political loyalty unaddressed."

"This once again confirms that relying on the church as a source of political support is a dangerous strategy, because citizens who seek European policies and a secular state end up being let down. Once again, it shows that Montenegro cannot become a truly democratic and European society while the Serbian Orthodox Church remains a political arbiter in the formation of government and making state decisions," the interviewee concluded.

Đukić: We are not in 2020.

Stefan Đukić, on the other hand, assesses that the influence of the church has "significantly diminished in that regard" and that it is no longer 2020, nor that there are issues that polarize the voting situation that are related to the church.

The elections that year saw the overthrow of the thirty-year regime of the Democratic Party of Socialists, and the church played a key role in this, organizing mass processions across the country in protest against the amended Law on Freedom of Religion.

In the context of the issue of the church and revisionism, the interviewee points out a curiosity - that the leaders of the former DF - Andrija Mandic i Milan Knezevic were mostly silent on the subject of the monument in Gornji Zaostar.

"It would seem that they decided to skip this, believing that any stance could harm them," Djukic notes.

Mandić, who is also the head of parliament, said in late June that he does not oppose the opinions of church dignitaries regarding their affirmative statements about Chetnik commanders and "that he advocates that everyone respect their ancestors."

On the other hand, Knežević stated that Đurišić is a "very complex historical figure" and that the character and work of this Chetnik commander cannot be seen through a single statement.

Bešić: SPC as a parallel center of power

Milena Bešić says that the Serbian Orthodox Church, "which holds no democratic account before society," remains a key political actor outside institutional control - in an open alliance with pro-Serbian parties in power that act as direct exponents of its interests.

"It is increasingly obvious that the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro does not act only as a church institution, but as a parallel center of power that interferes in state affairs and seriously compromises democracy and sovereignty," Bešić claims.

Marić: Lutovac showed prudence and wisdom

Lawyer Boris Marić assessed that Lutovac, although a young politician, "showed prudence and wisdom in an unpleasant situation," and that his behavior could be an example to other politicians in Montenegro.

However, Marić pointed out in "Colors of Morning" on Television Vijesti that the support for Lutovac, which came exclusively from PES, shows that the political scene still functions through "party trenches", instead of according to the principles of modern European politics.

Support for Lutovac also arrived yesterday from the Movement for Podgorica, which was formed after the split in PES, namely the departure of Milatović.

"The Movement for Podgorica expresses its full support to the President of the Municipality of Berane, Đolo Lutovac, who in recent days has shown responsibility and calmness in facing the challenges regarding the case in Gornji Zaostar. His approach contributes to preserving peace and stability, which is of crucial importance for the citizens of Berane and all of Montenegro at this moment," they said in a statement.