Whatever language is spoken in Montenegro, that language deserves to be on an equal footing with other languages, said the head of the Europe Now Movement (PES) parliamentary group, Vasilije Čarapić.
He said this in the "Oko" magazine of Radio Television of Serbia, in an episode that dealt with the situation in Montenegro five years since the removal of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) government, which had ruled for three decades with the support of coalition partners. One of the topics was the data from the population census, which, as it is recalled, showed that 43 percent of citizens speak Serbian, almost 35 percent speak Montenegrin, while recalling that Montenegrin is the only official language according to the Constitution, while Serbian is in official use, on the same level as Bosnian, Croatian and Albanian.
"We are aware of a kind of discrimination against the so-called 'Serbian issue' that existed during the DPS period. But we are also, as a government, aware of the momentum and responsibilities we have at this moment. We have three focuses, which are: European integration, the rule of law, and the standard of citizens. We signed the Barometer 26 platform, where we said - let's solve the pressing problems of citizens, and then we can also solve segments that were previously polarizing, and which we believe should not be polarizing issues," said Čarapić.
When asked by a reporter whether this means that the issue is "on hold for the future", he says that "the language issue for us is not an issue that should be polarizing."
"Whatever language is spoken in Montenegro, we believe that that language deserves to be on equal footing with other languages. However, when we reach a stable, peaceful atmosphere, we will resolve that issue as well," the PES MP added.
The Mayor of Nikšić Municipality, a former New Serbian Democracy MP, Marko Kovačević, said that this issue is on the agenda as long as "there is no place for the Serbian language as it should be among citizens, in the Constitution, and in laws."
"It will be resolved when the parliamentary majority is such that there is a consensus to resolve this issue in an adequate manner. This is an issue in relation to which the democratic capacity of the state is proven. We still don't have it for now, but it seems to me that we are quite close to it," said Kovačević.
DPS President and MP Danijel Živković said that they have no problem with the data from the population census.
"Does that mean that the state of Montenegro should then be a state of Montenegrins, because there are the most Montenegrins in Montenegro? No, Montenegro should be a civil state," said Živković.
"Krivokapić deserves to be a member of the Bosniak Party"
When asked by journalists how they feel about being in the government with former Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader Ranko Krivokapić as an advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kovačević recalled that Krivokapić was appointed by the relevant minister and president of the Bosniak Party Ervin Ibrahimović.
"If Ranko Krivokapić doesn't mind being a member of the Bosniak Party, why should it bother us? We even think he deserves it," he said.
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