Cottrell "boasts" about Spajić, PES washes its hands

The controversial British man's company "Geostrategy" of George Cottrell, which claims to be engaged in political strategy and public opinion research, promotes its work on its website with a video featuring the Prime Minister Milojko Spajic and other officials of his Europe Now Movement (PES). In addition, the website published several analyses of the political situation in Montenegro, one of which indicated what PES should do to “retain” public trust.

While Cottrell's company did not respond to "Vijesti"'s questions about whether they cooperate with Spajić and PES, the party claims that this is not the case.

The Geostrategy website states that the company, in addition to offices in Washington, London and Zurich, also has an office in Podgorica. However, the address of the Podgorica office is not available on the website, and Cottrell's company did not respond to the editorial office about where the office is located, or whether the company is registered in the Montenegrin economic system. A search of the website of the Central Register of Business Entities (CRPS) shows that Cottrell's company under that name does not exist in Montenegro.

In the promotional video on the cover of the “Geostrategy” website, the flags of Montenegro, the European Union (EU) and the capital are seen near the roundabout at the entrance to Cetinje, a PES party meeting, with Spajić and senior party officials in the foreground. Boris Pejović (Vice President of Parliament) and Branko Krvavac (head of Spajić's cabinet), and in part of the video a PES MP is also seen Tonći Janović, signing a piece of paper on the Pine promenade in Tivat.

An interlocutor from the top of PES said in an informal conversation that the footage of Spajić and his colleagues is “old campaign video.” He claims that Cottrell's company does not conduct public opinion research for them, but that domestic and regional agencies do.

Cottrell's company has 109 posts on its website that purport to be opinion polls and political strategies, or analyses. Of these, 18 relate to Montenegro. They explain, among other things, why Spajić must "explain" or "sell" the reform to voters, what PES should do to stay in power, and how the opposition Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) could return to power... Of these 18 posts, 10 were posted on the site between June 20 and July 28 of this year.

PES told "Vijesti" that they did not cooperate with Cottrell's company, and that they would request that the video showing their officials be removed from the website. They did not answer the question of whether they knew when the videos were made.

"PES did not hire the services of the aforementioned company. We did not authorize the publication of the footage in question and will initiate a request for their removal," Spajić's party said.

"Spajić is popular, but he divides the public"

The analyses of the political situation in Montenegro, conducted by "Geostrategy" based on alleged surveys, did not state how many people filled out the questionnaires, whether the sample was representative and properly selected, how the questions were formulated, how the survey was conducted, and how the data was processed and presented...

On several occasions, they dealt with the Montenegrin economy and the reform being implemented in that sector by the Spajić government, and they also analyzed which world leaders are most popular in Montenegro, the ways in which Montenegrin voters obtain information, the political image of the country after the fall of the DPS government, citizens' support for the European path, trust in the institutions of the system, two massacres in Cetinje, the country's relationship with its Western partners, public opinion on the war in Ukraine and historical ties with Russia...

Thus, Cottrell's company's findings are that the cost of living crisis "dominates all else", that affordable housing is a "political imperative", and that jobs for young people are a "vital expectation".

Several analyses by Cottrell's firm highlight the narrative that EU membership in Montenegro is still seen as important, but not necessary, and several texts analyze the moves of PES and Spajić regarding economic issues, and describe the prime minister as "a figure who divides the public, but enjoys popularity."

They also claim that the PES initiative to increase the minimum wage made the biggest impression on voters, that voters are skeptical that the "Europe Now 2" program will bring the changes that are needed, and that trust in Spajić's economic policy is "modest at best."

"Only 20 percent of Montenegrin citizens say they have 'great confidence' in his ability to manage the economy," Geostrategy estimated.

According to the results of their alleged survey, the most popular foreign statesmen in Montenegro are the President of the United States of America (USA) Donald tramp, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, but also the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi.

Farage and right-wing theses

Geostrategy is registered in the US state of Delaware (although its website claims it is Wyoming) and in the UK in London. The UK government's Companies House website lists Cottrell as its chief executive, and says he was appointed to the position on February 6 this year.

The British media outlet "Good Law Project" writes that "Geostrategy", as a so-called unlimited company, is not required to submit financial reports, which, they claim, potentially makes it ideal for injecting "dirty money" into the Reform Party. Nigel Farage, a British MP and one of the most vocal advocates of the United Kingdom's exit from the EU (Brexit).

Cottrell was one of Farage's advisers, responsible for raising money for the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP). In July 2016, he was arrested in the United States, where he was charged with money laundering, fraud, blackmail and extortion. In December of the same year, he reached a deal with the US prosecutors, and 20 charges were dropped in exchange for pleading guilty to wire fraud in which he explained how money could be laundered. He spent eight months in prison.

The Good Law Project states that instead of presenting the results of public opinion polls, Geostrategy is filled with right-wing theses - growing support for the Reform Party and Farage, concerns about immigration, strong support for Trump and the French right-wing politician Marine Le Pen...

According to the results of an alleged survey by "Geostrategy", the most popular foreign statesmen in Montenegro are US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The media outlet claims that they have been unable to identify any employees at the company, nor any media coverage or recommendations from research or strategy experts, and that Cottrell's company does not publish the names of clients who allegedly commissioned the research, and that it is not part of the "British Polling Council" - an association of British companies engaged in public opinion research.

They also state that the "Geostrategy" website was created by "2399", a media company run by the former chief digital strategist of the Reform Party. Sam BatyThe Good Law Project also claims that “2399” created websites for Farage, a Reform Party MP. Richard Tice and former British Prime Minister Liz Truss, and that the same employee at “2399” who manages the content on those sites is the administrator of the “Geostrategy” page.

Kotrel and the presidential campaign

Some Montenegrin politicians have repeatedly claimed that Cotrel financed PES. Last year, "Vijesti" wrote that marketing experts close to Cotrel participated in Spajić's unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2023 (he was disqualified because he had Serbian citizenship). Cotrel's lawyer, Dominik Garner, confirmed to the editorial staff at the time that British citizens participated in the production of Spajić's campaign videos.

Former Minister of Justice and former PES official Andrej Milović and DPS also claimed that “Cottrel and his team” followed Spajić during the submission of ballots for the local elections in Pljevlja and Bijelo Polje, which were held in the fall of 2022.

Cottrell, through his lawyer Garner, claimed that it was not true that he personally financed Spajić’s presidential campaign, or that he made any political donations to PES, at any time. He also said that he wanted to clarify that he had lived in Montenegro for several years, and that he was responsible for “hundreds of millions of euros of investment, which resulted in the creation of thousands of jobs.”

"In his role as a political consultant, he met and continues to meet with many leaders from the entire political spectrum, both in Montenegro and around the world," "Vijesti" was told.

Spajić and PES did not directly answer at the time whether Cottrell financed the unsuccessful presidential campaign, and whether Cottrell's team did so.