When topics of essential importance for the state are presented humorously or sarcastically in political discourse, this does not reflect confidence and knowledge, but rather incompetence and a lack of statesmanship, whereby the Prime Minister's careless statements, which are interpreted as the state's position, cause multiple damage and undermine the reputation and European position of Montenegro.
With these words, the interlocutors of "Vijesti" comment on how frivolous the highest state officials, primarily the Prime Minister, are. Milojko Spajić, damages the country's reputation.
President of Montenegro Jakov Milatovic said three days ago, referring to the Prime Minister's statement made in London last week, which was reported by the British newspapers "The Times" and "The Guardian", that he opposes Spajić's idea that Montenegro, in exchange for investments from the United Kingdom (UK), accepts migrants returned from that country, believing that this would be disastrous for the country. Spajić's cabinet reacted by denying what the Prime Minister had said: they said that Montenegro would not accept migrants from Britain at any price, and that Milatović's claims were part of a disinformation campaign.
Political scientist Miloš Perović He said that at the highest state level there is no place for the aforementioned behavior, because the Prime Minister's statements are understood as the state's position on a particular issue, so careless assessments certainly cause multiple harm.
"On the one hand, international partners will be confused and unsure about Montenegro's real position, and in a situation where statements are denied - this can create an image of frivolity and ultimately undermine trust, especially when it comes to sensitive topics such as migration, which require a clear and unified state policy," he said.
Development Coordinator at the Center for Civic Education (CGO) Miloš Knežević, said that everyone is already used to the Prime Minister's statements being like "banana peel" for anyone who relies on them.
"But this means that they should not be carefully examined and that the political and institutional consequences that such irresponsible messages produce should be continuously pointed out. This is especially evident in issues that cannot be the subject of jokes, although there is a serious lack of awareness in the Prime Minister's actions on this issue," he said.
Knežević pointed out that this case is about something that the Prime Minister himself opened with his "careless and irresponsible statement", to which President Milatović reacted according to media reports.
"This once again confirms that they do not communicate with each other, which, considering their positions, is very bad for the public interest," Knežević added.
The interlocutor assessed that in this way it becomes clear that Montenegrin society is governed by a frivolous and politically immature structure, with the influence of stronger political actors within the government and parallel connections with other centers of power whose actions undermine the credibility and sovereignty of the state of Montenegro in the long term.
"Such behavior by the highest state officials further undermines citizens' trust in institutions and creates a sense of political improvisation and insecurity, but also concern because we see that state policy is being shaped through impulsive and irresponsible messages, instead of through strategic thinking and dedicated work," said Knežević.
The Times reported that last week, while speaking on a panel with the Albanian Prime Minister, Spajić Edi Ram at Chatham House in London, said that Montenegro is not in negotiations with the UK on establishing a center for the reception and return of migrants, because it is in a different situation than others in the region - it is not "part of the migrant routes through the Balkans".
After Rama asked him whether Montenegro would be open to the idea if Britain offered to invest in its transport infrastructure, Spajić replied: “Yes, I would definitely accept it if they invested 10 billion euros in railway construction.”
Milatović reacted to this by saying that Montenegro must not become a reception center for other people's migration problems. He said that "the latest events in Podgorica related to migrants" showed what happens when a state loses control over its own immigration policy.
"I have been warning for some time that an irresponsible attitude towards this issue can have serious economic, social and security consequences," Milatović said.
Wounding of Podgorica residents MJ on Saturday evening, which, according to the Police Directorate (UP), involved citizens of Turkey and Azerbaijan, caused a series of xenophobic incidents - derogatory chants, demolition of catering facilities in several cities, and the burning of cars owned by Turkish citizens.
On Monday, the executive branch made a decision to temporarily introduce visas for Turkish citizens, which some social actors said was made under pressure - with the aim of calming citizens and giving the police time to restore order, while others characterized it as hasty populism.
Representatives of most parties, non-governmental organizations, civic activists, and state officials condemned the attack on the Podgorica resident, as well as the xenophobic chants, calling for restraint.
They also pointed out that the temporary lifting of the visa-free regime with Turkey could complicate relations with Ankara, an important NATO ally and partner in health and economy, and one of the leading investors. If Turkey introduces reciprocal measures, citizens and businesses from Montenegro could suffer the consequences, especially since a significant number of Montenegrin citizens receive medical treatment in that country.
The Prime Minister's words carry the weight of state policy.
Responding to the question of whether Spajić should be more cautious in speaking in public, especially when it comes to such sensitive issues, Perović said that in political theory and practice, the position of prime minister requires the highest level of caution and precision in communication.
"And in that sense, I have no dilemma that Spajić's statements must be like that, because his words have the weight of state policy, regardless of the tone in which they are said," he said.
According to him, it seems that the Montenegrin Prime Minister's inexperience, "in a certainly unpleasant relationship and behavior with Rama", also influenced the statement by Spajić, who was obviously not sufficiently prepared for the question asked, which certainly does not justify his statement.
According to Perović, the Prime Minister risked with his statement that his policy would be perceived as one that is positioned exclusively in the interests of trade.
Miloš Knežević assessed that the Prime Minister should be more cautious in all his public appearances, but "it is illusory to expect that he will change his approach."
"So far, he has shown that he knows nothing about politics, and what is even more problematic, that he does not want to learn about politics. It is precisely statements by this type that testify to a misunderstanding of the role of the prime minister and a complete lack of sense of political responsibility," said Knežević.
He added that when topics of essential importance to the state are presented humorously or sarcastically in political discourse, it does not send a message of self-confidence and knowledge, but rather exposes incompetence and a lack of basic statesmanship.
"The consequences of such behavior are not only reputational, because they still undermine Montenegro's position on the European path, which he constantly talks about, but in practice does not show that he respects European values. The citizens of Montenegro deserve a prime minister who understands the weight of every word spoken, and not one who, through his appearances, shows disrespect for his own position, the state and the citizens he represents," Knežević underlined.
The public deserves an explanation.
Perović states that he could not assess Spajić's current practice of dealing with the public and the media as responsible.
"I think that a possible explanation from the Prime Minister himself about how the 'clumsy statement' came about and why he even mentioned the sum of 10 billion euros would contribute to transparency and strengthening political accountability towards citizens," said Perović.
The government did not respond to "Vijesti"'s question about why Spajić, during a debate with Rama at a panel in London, said that he would accept migrants who are undesirable in the UK "if they invested 10 billion euros in building railways."
Miloš Knežević said that in this situation, which is very disturbing for society, the public above all deserves a responsible response from the competent institutions to the escalation of violence and hatred that we have been witnessing for the past two days towards Turkish citizens, with the indication that things could be worse.
"Whether it is something that was exported to us by the authorities in Belgrade, as stated in some relevant analyses, or whether it is internal negative processes, which the civil sector has constantly pointed out in the past period - things are very serious," Knežević stated.
Concerns over emergence of groups posing as national guard
Miloš Knežević says that the escalation of hatred in Montenegro threatens to develop into a pattern of social behavior that could have dangerous and long-term consequences for all citizens.
"The hate speech that is spreading these days towards Turkish citizens can easily be directed towards other minorities and individuals who are perceived as 'others'. Such an atmosphere destroys trust, destabilizes society and opens up space for violence. Of particular concern is the emergence of groups that present themselves as 'people's guards' and announce that they will solve problems themselves, because such forms of self-proclaimed order are reminiscent of the most dangerous episodes from the region," he warned.
Knežević said that the state must show determination and make it clear that the monopoly on maintaining public order is in the hands of institutions and that no group of citizens has the right to take on the role of the court or police.
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