LOCAL PRESS
Dacic: Vandalism must not be rewarded with UNESCO membership (Tanjug/RTS)
The brutal and systematic destruction of Serbian cultural heritage cannot be rewarded with UNESCO membership for Kosovo, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said in New York.
Speaking at a meeting on “Protecting Cultural Heritage – An Imperative for Humanity” on Sunday, Dacic warned that terrorists fueled by religious fanaticism were destroying world heritage sites of outstanding value. Serbia has been facing such acts of vandalism since 1999 on a part of its territory which, under the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 1244, was placed under UN administration, noted Dacic. He stated that 236 churches, monasteries and other sites owned by the Serbian Orthodox Church, as well as cultural and historical monuments in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, had been subjected to attacks. As many as 61 of these sites have the status of cultural monuments, and 18 are cultural monuments of exceptional importance for Serbia, said Dacic. He specified that 174 religious sites and 33 cultural and historical monuments in Kosovo and Metohija were pillaged and destroyed, while more than 10,000 icons, works of ecclesiastical art and liturgical items were stolen. He pointed to the fact that protected cultural monuments were being sprayed with graffiti in praise of ISIS and the future caliphate, adding that this was particularly alarming in times when the international community was investing enormous efforts to suppress this evil. Based on the primary role of UNESCO as an organization aimed to promote and protect the cultural heritage of humanity, the Republic of Serbia has engaged in a diplomatic struggle to prevent the acts of deliberate, systematic and brutal destruction of cultural and historical heritage in Kosovo and Metohija from being rewarded by Kosovo’s membership in UNESCO, said Dacic.
Dacic: Difficult diplomatic battle in UNESCO (RTS)
Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic took part in New York at the foreign ministerial meeting of UNESCO member states that was held on the margins of the 70th General Assembly of the United Nations. In a statement to Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS), Dacic said that he had acquainted the foreign ministers with the difficult situation of the Serbian cultural heritage in Kosovo. “I have especially pointed to the danger of the Serbian cultural heritage in Kosovo and Metohija, presented the factual state, pointed out that there are four facilities in Kosovo that are on the UNESCO heritage list. Apart from the physical destruction, I also stressed the fact that on almost all of them there is Islamic State graffiti against which the entire world is fighting today,” said Dacic. He admitted that a difficult diplomatic battle to prevent Kosovo’s UNESCO membership is ahead of us. “Most of the countries understand how complex this topic is, however, their states passed the decision on recognizing the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo, so we will conduct a difficult battle in the UNESCO Executive Council and General Conference that are planned for October and November this year. We are certainly pointing to the fact that placing this topic on the agenda before we have debated it in the Brussels dialogue is counterproductive and would represent further difficulties in our further dialogue,” said Dacic. He says he is doing everything possible to point to the harmful effects of such a decision and politicization of UNESCO. “Will we succeed? Sometimes it is not important that you are right, but what are the numbers. At present they are not on our side but we are pointing to the fact that at issue is a specific religious and cultural heritage, its destruction and that there is no difference whether this is done by the Islamic State or anybody else, including in Kosovo and Metohija.
Dacic, as the envoy of Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, will take part on Tuesday and Wednesday in the meeting devoted to peacekeeping operations in the world and the battle against terrorism organized by US President Barak Obama.
Djuric: Pristina approaching ZSO with insufficient enthusiasm (TV Pink)
The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric has stated that Pristina is approaching the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) with insufficient enthusiasm, because of which one of the topics in the resumption of the Brussels dialogue will be the dynamic of the implementation of this agreement. “We need to see how the implementation of the agreed is ongoing and whether there is any loafing. I feel that they are approaching some parts of the agreement with insufficient enthusiasm, nobody in Pristina speaks positively about the ZSO,” Djuric told TV Pink. He recalls that the deadline for adopting the ZSO Statute is four months, and that the entire job should be completed by the spring of 2016, noting that Serbian experts are working on this. “Pristina needs to adopt immediately the statute whether it confirms the principles for the foundation of the ZSO, especially the executive decree. In the meantime, the four-month deadline for drafting the statute is passing, and political arm wrestling awaits us, since we will have on the other side those who want less collective rights for the Serbs,” said Djuric. He notes that the Serbian side will not go one single step backwards in implementing the agreement, especially the one that refers to the ZSO, and it will direct all the energy on its formation. He says that Serbia is looking to launch the issue of the Serbian church and sanctities in Kosovo in the continuation of the dialogue. Djuric adds that Serbian diplomacy impacts energetically and in a committed way, explaining to the international community why those who had been desecrating our churches should not be part of UNESCO. He noted that he was surprised how many representatives of the Albanian political and social elite believed in “different myths, pseudo-histories and retailoring of history, where Serbian sanctities are depicted as part of the Albanian heritage”. He cited as an example the National Museum in Tirana where the Visoki Decani Monastery is represented as Albanian cultural heritage that was built by some Albanian medieval lord.
When it comes to license plates, Djuric says that one of the significant results brought by the negotiations is the fact that citizens don’t need to pay insurance at the administrative crossings any further, and that Pristina is now trying to blackmail us to accept the plates with RKS signs.
Djuric says he will talk towards finding a compromise, citing as an example Macedonia and Greece that resolved the dispute by gluing over the disputable part of the license plate.
Asked whether Aleksandar Jablanovic is still the leader of the Serb List, Djuric says that he had not acted in agreement and in cooperation with other Serb representatives. “Out of ten elected mayors of Serb municipalities, nine requested his dismissal, because he was conducting negotiations with Albanian parties behind their backs and the government, with the goal of replacing some ministers, making agreements on other issues, possibly on armed forces as well,” said Djuric, noting that the departure of one man cannot imply serious disruption of unity, but only personnel change. In regard to the proposal of the deputy president of the Serbian Progressive Party Nebojsa Stefanovic for Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic to slate elections at all levels, Djuric said he agreed with that as well.
Serbian blue helmets in UNIFIL mission (Tanjug)
There are 177 Serbian peacekeepers deployed in the UNIFIL in South Lebanon, which is the most numerous contingent of the Serbian Army when it comes to multinational operations, the Serbian Defense Ministry announced. According to the Commander of the National Serbian Army Contingent in the multinational operation in Lebanon, Major Parezanovic, their most important task is to restore peace and security along the demarcation line, the so-called “blue line”. “We are deployed at four locations, two in the sector East and two in the sector West. In the sector East we are in the UN 72 base, where we have staff officers in the Command of the multinational base, staff officers and non-commissioned officers within the Spanish Battalion, the element of national support, infantry platoon and support platoon. Also, we are deployed in the UN 9 -66 base, where we have an infantry company. In the sector West, in En Nakura, we have staff officers in the Mission Command and in the UN 1-26 base, in which we have a force protection platoon,” Major Parezanovic said, and stressed that cooperation with other contingents was at a very high level.
The UNIFIL mission has about 15 thousand peacekeepers from 38 nations, and it is one of the oldest and most numerous UN missions. The multinational UN operation in the Republic of Lebanon (UNIFIL) was established by Resolutions of the Security Council of the United Nations No. 425 and 426 of 19 March 1978. Members of the Serbian Armed Forces began their deployment in UNIFIL on 21 December 2010, within the Spanish contingent, with four staff officers in the command of the sector East and one staff officer in the command of the Spanish Battalion. Since 25 November 2012, in addition to the deployed staff officers, another staff officer, 36 members of the infantry platoon and five members of the National Support Element (NSE) have been deployed. Since 24 March 2013, the deployment has been expanded with two staff officers in the UNIFIL command. Since 5 November 2013, an infantry company has been deployed instead of an infantry platoon, and since 11 December 2014, a force protection platoon has been deployed in the sector West.
Trial of KLA members for crimes at watchtowers (Politika, by T.Todorovic, D.Carnic)
The trail of seven members of the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) began in absentia at the Nis Higher Court on 24 September. They were charged with terrorist attacks on members of the Yugoslav Army at the start of the fall of 1998, in which six soldiers were killed. Nine witnesses were heard – members of the Yugoslav Army and family members of the soldiers and military officers who were killed. Yugoslav Army witnesses described to the panel the horrible details of the attack of the terrorists at the end of September 1998 and the looting of the dead soldiers, and how jewelry was stripped from their bodies, including armament. “My son left on 23 June 1998 and he was killed at Kosare after 99 days. He underwent accelerated training at the Nis Corps that the then chief of staff shortened in May, while they lied us that the training lasted six months. They were transferred to Kosare on 28 September, and the first patrol was on the 30th. Two soldiers and the driver in this patrol worked under contract. The commander of the patrol and three soldiers of the June class who spent only 99 days in training left for the patrol that was 30 meters from the border,” the mother of soldier Vladimir Radoicic, killed at the Kosare watchtower, Lozanka Radoicic told Politika after the trial. Why did the commander of the patrol head to that place in such a composition, when he knew what was happening at Kosare, wonders this woman who has been waiting for justice for 17 years. “It is important for the state to do their part of the job and that it does not take another six years, how much it had passed since the indictment. So far it was only established that our soldiers and policemen killed Albanians, but not a single proceeding has been conducted for the crimes against Serbs. For me, this would be confirmation that finally the state is standing behind its victims and that afterwards a warrant could be issued for the perpetrators,” says Lozanka. The indictment for terrorism includes Kosovo Albanians who are tried in absentia: Shicer Maloku (48) from Junik near Decani, Dzager Gashi (45) from Donja Krusica near Suva Reka, Demuch Gacaferi (43) from Junik, Dema Maloku (38) from Djocaj near Decani, Agron Isufi (44) from Stimlje, Anton Chuni (48) from Djakovica and Alija Rabit (60) from Crnotica near Presevo. According to the indictment, they planted anti-tank mines, together with another 30 unidentified members of the “Kobra” terrorist group, at the Yugoslav-Albanian border between “Maja Coban” and “Morina” watchtowers in September 1998. They entered Serbia from the “Kamenica” watchtower on the territory of the Republic of Albania, and they were under the direct command of the late Agim Ramadani. The terrorists invaded the territory of Serbia and FR Yugoslavia on 30 September and ambushed a patrol of border services of the Yugoslav Army. When the patrol passed this way, they activated the mines and blew up the vehicle with Yugoslav border guards.
Patrol leader Milan Bundalo was killed in the terrorist attack, while soldiers Boban Mihajlovic, Sladjan Jovanovic, Sasa Kostic and Goran Jovanovic were wounded. After the attack on the Yugoslav Army patrol, “Kobra” members opened rocket and rifle fire at a helicopter flying over the ambush to help the wounded. It is suspected that this group of indicted terrorists also planted mines near the Kosare watchtower and attacked from ambush a Yugoslav Army vehicle, on the same 30 September, with rocket launchers and bombs. The following soldiers-border guards were killed: Vladimir Radoicic, Miladin Gobeljic, Ilija Pavlovic, Miroslav Jocic and Milos Pavlovic. The leader of the border patrol, captain Goran Loznica and soldier Goran Simic were severely wounded in that attack, while sergeant major Dobrosav Drazic managed to escape unharmed.
REGIONAL PRESS
OHR and Constitutional Court of B&H must stop the referendum in RS (klix.ba)
The Office of High Representative (OHR) in B&H will prevent the violation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, the referendum in the Republika Srpska (RS) will not be held, said the President of the Caucus of delegates of the Coalition Homeland in the National Assembly of the RS Mihnet Okic. Okic said that the announced referendum in the RS represents the desecration of the Dayton Peace Agreement. “The Commission for the implementation of the referendum was formed at the last session of the RS Assembly, which speaks of the intention to move on with the project in order to extract other things and blackmail the international community, as well as the domestic political subjects”, Okic expressed his position. Okic’s opinion is that the referendum will not be held, but that the final decision should be given by the OHR in B&H. “If the international community and the B&H Constitutional Court do not react, or if they react but their decisions are not respected, then the government in the smaller B&H entity will proceed with its intentions”, said Okic. Okic once again pointed out that the main role in the prevention of the violation of the Dayton Agreement is on the international community. “I expect that the mandate of the High Representative and the international community is to stop not only the referendum, but the introduction to the destruction of B&H. They must not allow it, and neither will it be allowed by us who love B&H and who perceive it as our country”, Okic concluded.
Referendum in March or summer (Nezavisne)
The referendum in the RS can be expected no earlier than mid-March or summer next year, the NDP leader Dragan Cavic said. As he said, Bosniaks already announced the possibility of revoking the decision on forming the Commission for the conduction of a referendum, i.e. the protection of the vital national interest, which means that the legal validity of that decision could occur just in mid-March. Also he added that the more obvious scenario is that in one moment, an appeal at the B&H Constitutional Court will occur with a request for the introduction of a temporary measure of revoking the decision when it becomes legally binding, thus in that case and in the case the Constitutional court of B&H finds that there is no violation of the constitution in this decision, referendum could occur in summer next year. “Coalition uses a referendum for the intimidation of the government in B&H and the European Commission in order to achieve some new benefits about possible solutions through the structural dialogue“, said Cavic. He also emphasized that NDP will not support the increase of excise taxes on fuel. According to him, that is totally illegal, because the increase of excises was neither approved by the RS Assembly, nor was it discussed by it.
Delic: Dodik needs to dismiss the RS government and call new elections (Novo Vrijeme)
Member of the Presidency of PDP Dragisa Delic invited the RS President Milorad Dodik to dismiss the government and call new elections. He said that one of many indicators of the powerlessness of the RS government to solve the accumulated problems in the RS, is the statement of Prime Minister Zeljka Cvijanovic, that there will not be a promised Russian credit, and that Serbian representatives in B&H institutions are responsible for it. As Delic stated, the PDP would support the credit loan, if that loan would be invested or cover the earlier credit, and not wasted. “We invite Dodik to dismiss this government, which has lost its legitimacy in the RS Assembly as well, because it is functioning on the basis of hypocrites who were bought for small money, and to call new elections for the RS Assembly, no matter if they are extraordinary or early. This condition is intolerable and I am afraid that the revolt of people will be evident“, concluded Delic at the press conference in the East Sarajevo. Delic invited to launching a process of the extradition of Mile Radisic from Serbia to the RS, who was sentenced for frauds with actions of the Banja Luka “Medical electronics“. He also added that in five months of the functioning of the Council of ministers of B&H, no act was adopted to the detriment of the RS. “Statements of Milorad Dodik about the alleged betrayal of Serb representatives in Sarajevo are just idle talks with which he is covering the chaos in RS, especially in the financial sector,” concluded Delic.
Bosniak representatives to submit an appeal on the referendum (klix.ba)
Bosniak government representatives in the RS will submit an appeal to the B&H Constitutional Court that would dispute the decision on the referendum in the RS on the B&H judiciary, as said by Mujo Hadziomerovic, President of the Club of Bosniaks in the National council of RS.
“With all legal means we will oppose the decision of Milorad Dodik. Condition for the submission of an appeal in front of the B&H Constitutional Court was for a decision to be published in the Official Gazette. That happened, but we were preparing for it these days. These days, an appeal will be submitted to the B&H Constitutional Court, which is a temporary measure to revoke the decision on the referendum,” said Hadziomerovic. He added that the Club of Bosniaks also got a decision on forming the Commission for the referendum, and that the meeting which will define the attitude of the Club of Bosniaks related to that decision, will be held in the next week. “The international community probably has better information than us connected to whether there is an obstacle that is a result of its passivity and non-launching the mechanism that has the High Representative Valentin Inzko. He needs the consent of Peace Implementation Council (PIC), and as I know, Russia made problems earlier. Whether it is a case today, I really cannot assume“, said Hadziomerovic. He said that according to reactions of the International community, conduction of a referendum in RS represents a violation of the Dayton Peace Agreement and the B&H Constitution. “Even if the referendum is conducted, it will never be implemented. I don’t know why Dodik needed this. In numerous statements, he said all needs to be returned to the entity, and we are an example which constantly warns of the behavior of the RS judicial institutions. If any reform needed to happen in B&H, then it should be a reform of the RS judiciary,” said Hadziomerovic. At the end he said that he hopes that the B&H Constitutional Court will repeal the decision on the referendum in RS. “There is a sufficient legal basis for it. In this phase and this moment, it would be irresponsible for Valentin Inzko to repeal the decision“, said Hadziomerovic.
Izetbegovic and Radoncic for inter-Bosniak dialogue (Nezavisne)
The SDA President Bakir Izetbegovic and the SBB President Fahrudin Radoncic spoke in Sarajevo about starting a wider inter-Bosniak dialogue and re-composition of a parliamentary majority after the DF left the government at the Federation of B&H level. Izetbegovic and Radoncic met on the second day of Eid, wanting to symbolically encourage inter-Bosniak dialogue. After the two-hour long meeting Radoncic said that he is ready to fully contribute to the stabilization of the political situation in B&H and support the current authorities, regardless of whether the SBB is to be a part of the governing coalition or not. They have agreed to continue the talks next week, after Izetbegovic returns from a business trip and finishes consultations with the leadership of the SDA.
INTERNATIONAL PRESS
Tensions Between Croatia, Serbia Ease After EU Intervention (RFE/RL, 28 September 2015)
Croatia and Serbia have moved to ease tensions along their shared border after European Union leaders intervened in a bitter dispute sparked by the migrant crisis. The two Balkan neighbors in the past week have been locked in their worst spat since the 1990s Yugoslav conflict, imposing tit-for-tat border restrictions after thousands of migrants spilled over their borders in a quest to reach wealthier EU states to the north. At one point midweek, both sides had effectively sealed their borders, prohibiting goods, trucks, or people from crossing, but they moved to ease the restrictions late on September 25 after a bit of mediation by EU officials. After receiving a complaint from Serbia about what it called Croatia’s “Nazi-era” tactics, the European Commission said it was “urgently seeking clarifications” from Croatia. Johannes Hahn, the EU’s commissioner for European neighborhood policy and enlargement negotiations, said the dispute could be solved only with Croatia reopening its border. Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini moved to mediate with phone calls to the Serbian and Croatian leaders. The mediation appeared to work. Croatia’s Interior Ministry lifted its border restrictions shortly after hearing from the EU, and Serbia followed suit several hours later. “Reason has won out,” said Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, announcing that all restrictions had been lifted on Serbia’s side of the border. The dispute had led to an escalating war of words and actions and was costing both nations millions of euros in lost trade. Over the past 10 days, since Hungary sealed its southern border with Serbia, nearly 60,000 refugees and migrants had crossed through Serbia into Croatia, seeking an alternative route toward Western Europe. Overwhelmed by the sheer numbers, Zagreb closed all but one of its border crossings with Serbia, blaming Belgrade for diverting the flow toward their shared frontier. Belgrade responded by closing the main Bajakovo-Batrovci crossing — the last one still open — to all trucks with Croatian plates, prompting Croatia to close the crossing to trucks and cars with Serbian plates. Zagreb is now busing most of the new arrivals straight to its border with Hungary, which Budapest has moved to seal. “The influx of migrants is not going to abate,” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told reporters in Vienna. “We want to stop people crossing.” After closing off its southern border with Serbia, Hungary this week set up razor-wire fencing along 41 kilometers of its border with Croatia. The remaining 330 kilometers of the Croatian border runs roughly along the Drava River, which is difficult to cross. Figuring that migrants will now try to start crossing through Slovenia, Budapest this week also began rolling out a mobile barrier along its border with Slovenia, the first such measure within the EU’s passport-free Schengen Area. Hungary backed off efforts to erect razor-wire barriers on the border with Slovenia, however, which would violate Schengen rules. The influx of refugees has raised tensions not only between Balkan countries but has exposed deep fault lines between Western and former communist Eastern countries in the 28-nation bloc. There have been growing fears that the Schengen zone could disintegrate as states reintroduce border checks to stem a flow of migrants, many of whom are heading for Germany. To try to curb the flow of refugees from Syria’s four-year civil war, EU leaders earlier this week agreed to boost aid for Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan, Syrian neighbours which have been hosting millions of the refugees in camps on their borders.
Serbia reopens border for Croatian trucks, goods (Xinhua, 26 September 2015)
BELGRADE — Serbian government voted Friday evening at an extraordinary session to cancel the countermeasures against Croatia, and thus enabled Croatian trucks carrying goods to enter Serbia again. The decision was made on the proposition of the Serbian PM Aleksandar Vucic who in his opening speech said that countermeasures should be cancelled as they were a reaction to the blockade coming from the Croatian side which ended today. Croatia closed its border for all traffic coming from the Serbian side six days ago. Such reaction by Croatia was provoked by the high inflow of refugees from the Middle East and Africa who arrived from the Hungarian border that was at the time completely blocked for them. Serbia decided to close entrance to the country in reaction to the Croatia’s decision by preventing trucks with Croatian car plates to enter Serbia but allowing passenger cars and buses. Croatian reaction to Serbia’s move was preventing Serbian cars with Serbian plates from entering, so Serbian citizens could on Thursday enter Croatia on foot. In the open part of tonight’s government session, Vucic said that the Croatia’s decision to open its border crossings is not a victory of Serbia, but a triumph of the “common sense and of the future”. From tonight Croatian trucks carrying goods and trucks of other countries carrying Croatian goods will enter the country without restrictions, as Croatia decided to open its two border crossings, Bajakovo and Tovarnik for regular traffic. Vucic said that the countermeasures proved as a good means to protect national interests. “We wanted to defend our country and protect our national interests. I am proud of Serbian citizens who understood the importance of protecting ourselves,” Vucic said, adding that Serbia did not wish for such economic conflicts. He concluded that Serbia wishes to build best possible relations with Croatia in future, and announced that from tomorrow the border incident with Croatia should not be brought up anymore.
Macedonia Govt Plans Biggest Ever Budget (BIRN, by Sinisa Jakov Marusic, 28 September 2015)
The Macedonian government has proposed the largest national budget in the country’s 25 years of independence for next year – surpassing even this year’s record breaker
If the government has its way, Macedonia will spend a record sum of €3.18 billion in 2016, 6 per cent more than this year’s budget, which already broke the record. The government plans to gather €2.87 billion in revenue, which means a budget deficit of 3.2 per cent of GDP, or about €308 million. The draft budget, which is almost certain to be adopted by the ruling majority in parliament, is based on projected annual economic growth of 4 per cent. “The Macedonian economy is tough,” Finance Minister Zoran Stavreski said during the presentation of the draft budget, insisting that the growth forecast was realistic, and that there will be more money for capital investment that would boost the economy, as well as for higher pensions, subsidies and social welfare. Some experts say the proposed budget reflects the fact that Macedonia is in an electoral year, which traditionally translates into more government spending, and is not based on a realistic forecast of growth. “The increase in spending is due to forthcoming activities relating to the election. The question is whether we will manage to collect the planned revenue, especially considering the fact that ahead of elections, the authorities tend to turn a blind eye to tax payers,” Abdulmenaf Bexheti, an economics professor at the University of South-Eastern Europe in Tetovo, said. While the government started this year with an optimistic forecast of up to 4 per cent annual growth, it is now expected that the figure won’t surpass 2 per cent. The largest budget is being proposed on the eve of the forthcoming general election set for April.
The elections, as well as a set of urgent reform priorities, were agreed this summer in EU-mediated talks between the government and opposition designed to end a deep political crisis.
This resolves around opposition allegations of mass illegal surveillance by Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, which seriously shook his government. The tapes of illegal wiretappinsg released earlier this year by the opposition seem to indicate a series of wrongdoings by senior officials. In some tapes, the voice of Stavreski is heard expressing dissatisfaction with the way the budget was being tailored by populist needs of the Prime Minister. “We are constantly adding new expenditures. Even the United States could not withstand this… pedestrian tracks, aqua parks, this and that… this is insane! We are lunatics! We are spending on chocolate when we don’t have bread,” a voice purported to be Stavreski’s said. Stavreski did not deny the authenticity of the conversations but stuck to his claims that finances were doing well under his lead.
Op-ed: A Tale of Two Countries (Balkanist, by Ivana Jordanovska, 26 September 2015)
With historic protests about to take place in Montenegro, Ivana Jordanovska reflects on dictatorship, democratic deficiency, civic action and the role of the EU and Russia in both Montenegro and Macedonia
Once upon a time, or in 2006 to be more precise, two seemingly separate events took place in two different Balkan countries. In Macedonia, Nikola Gruevski came to power as the fresh-faced, highly-educated, reform-implementing center-rightist. His reign, which continues to this day, was at first characterized by progressive fiscal and tax collection legislation, and slightly patriotic, but predominantly pro-EU rhetoric that seemingly broke away from the cult of the “charismatic leader”. Almost 10 years later, Gruevski has silenced almost all media in the country, illegally wire-tapped more than 20,000 citizens and laundered millions of euros through the project “Skopje 2014”. In the not-so-distant neighborhood, Milo Djukanovic became the first Prime Minister of the newly-independent state of Montenegro. However, the razor-tongue brilliance of Djukanovic had already been recognized several decades before. Djukanovic first appeared on the late-Yugoslav political scene as a high school member of the Yugoslav Communist League, where his father was already an influential figure. By 1988, he was the youngest member of the last sitting of the highest decision-making body, the Central Committee. The fall of unitary Yugoslavia was the first chance for Djukanovic’s reach for power, who became Slobodan Milosevic’s extended hand in Montenegro. By the age of 29, Djukanovic was elected to his first job ever: Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Montenegro. Djukanovic maneuvered his political career through the tumultuous 1990s remarkably well. As presidents and prime ministers were falling from grace, Milo managed to stay in power and spread his wealth and influence. In 2003, the prosecutor’s office in Naples linked Djukanovic with an international organized crime racket worth billions of euros. The case went through three court instances in Italy, finally ruling in 2004 that Djukanovic, as the prime minister of Montenegro, was not eligible for immunity since Montenegro was not a sovereign state. In a curiously incidental turn of fate, Montenegro’s referendum in 2006 proclaimed Montenegro to be a sovereign state, independent from Serbia, and luckily enough, Djukanovic received the previously lacking immunity.Since 2006, Djukanovic has resigned from the post of prime minister and retired from politics twice, in 2006 and 2010, while Montenegro’s democratic deficiencies seem to be piling up. Every election cycle has been plagued by complaints of irregularities, culminating in Transparency International’s “complaint” in 2014 that the country never dealt with 842 reports of electoral fraud. The privatization process, dragging on from the late 1990s, has been scandalized by evidence brought forward by workers that capital was sold to tycoons for prices much lower than market value. Fast forward to 2015, and Montenegro and Macedonia seem stuck in a very similar form of dictatorship. Analyzing the scandals and key events of Montenegro in the past 10 years, I couldn’t help but experience a déjà vu of sorts: Both countries have seemingly functional electoral cycles, an opposition struggling to take power, freedom of speech and a workable free market. Meanwhile, in reality, elections have been plagiarized, the opposition undermined by threats and lawsuits, journalists under attack for doing their jobs and a line of “businessmen” working hand-in-hand with the government. The similarities extend even further, as both countries are involved in the same corruption case: The bribing of high government officials by the Hungarian Telecom for the favorable sale of both the Macedonian and Montenegrin national telecommunications companies. The affair was prompted by an investigation of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, which found irregularities in the transactions. So it comes as no surprise that the Montenegrin opposition is organizing a protest on Sunday and a camp in front of the Parliament of Montenegro, asking for a transitional government in preparation for fair and democratic elections next year. For me as a Macedonian, the protests sound all too familiar, but with one big difference. The Montenegrin opposition has taken the protests a step further. In order to finance the protests, but also to increase the involvement of citizens, an online crowdfunding campaign has been launched, aimed at being “the first democratically financed protests for democracy”. Their website, FreedomCalling.me, is accessible in both the local language and English, gives an overview of the situation, provides live coverage of the events, and offers the possibility to donate money. Their current goal is to raise 20,000 euros by October 1st. If successful, this will be the first such campaign in the Balkans to raise funds from small, individual donors. In addition to involving the citizens of Montenegro, the initiative also asks the widespread diaspora and foreign pro-democracy activists for support. In a region where no one is ever quite sure where money for political campaigns comes from, this is a brave step for the eternal opposition of this tiny Balkan country. But will it make a difference? Djukanovic’s long reign has been paired with an equally long period of civic inactivity. Unlike Macedonia pre-May 17th, citizens in Montenegro have yet to get used to protests “every day at six”. Activists in Montenegro have, in some cases, survived attacks even worse than those in Macedonia. (Does anyone remember Vanja Calovic, who was accused of having oral sex with a dog?) But is everyone involved prepared to put aside their minor political differences to achieve the greater goal? And finally, what is the emotional drive animating them? For Macedonia, it was the murder of Martin, the death of Tamara, the imprisonment of the journalist Kezarovski, the suspicious car crash that killed the newspaper editor Nikola Mladenov… For Montenegro, will it be the death of police inspector Scekic, who investigated far too many murders of government critics? Or the murder of newspaper editor Dusko Jovanovic, investigated by Scekic himself? Or perhaps the economic exodus of more than a fourth of the population of the northeastern town of Rozaje? As a country with a tiny population of some 600,000, Montenegro is not at the top of everyone’s agenda. Additionally, it’s the only country in the Western Balkans that has opened negotiations for EU accession. It would be silly to expect a country as troubled as Montenegro to become a part of the EU any time soon, but the question is how enthusiastic Brussels will be about the demands of the opposition. If we are to learn from Macedonia’s example, neither the opposition nor the EU should support any public or direct form of action by the EU. Best case scenario, the EU will facilitate the establishment of a transitional government, and offer all existing instruments on hand to monitor the elections next year. However, in all of this, we must not forget a factor not as present in Macedonia as it is in Montenegro: Russia. With millions of Russian tourists and businesses, Montenegro has become the playground of Russia’s moneyed elite. The effect that the eventual change in the status quo will have on Russian interests could swing the EU’s support one way or the other. As both Macedonia and Montenegro follow a similar pattern, we can’t avoid the question “Where did we make the mistake?” As former Yugoslav republics, both countries share a common history spanning almost 80 years. But ever since 1991, the countries seemingly took divergent, individual paths and made very different political decisions. And yet, here we are, 24 years later, at the same crossroads and with the same democratic deficiencies. Could it be that all of us, foreigners and natives alike, tried to apply the same democratic structures, without teaching and learning the democratic principles first? Did we try to perpetuate the weakness of the civic voice in state affairs on all levels until it was too late? Or is the current rise of the highly-educated, social-media savvy and democratically sensitive youth a necessary step in the creation of our democratic structures and principles? An analysis of what went wrong is a must for the creation of more democratic societies in the long run. But in the short term, the protests in Montenegro are necessary for setting in motion the environment for analyzing and amending its many democratic deficiencies. Because the only thing worse than a dictator ruling for 10 years is a dictator ruling for 26 years.
