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Milo Djukanovic and his party have dominated politics in Montenegro for 30 years. Now the opposition expects a change and feels strengthened by the conflict over the status of the Orthodox Church.
By Clemens Verenkotte, ARD-Studio Vienna
“We are the only post-communist country that has never changed government. That is the situation in Montenegro,” says Nebojsa Medojevic, a longtime opposition politician from the strongest group “For the future of Montenegro.” He looks forward to Sunday’s elections with confidence: in his opinion, the chances are good this time to end the three decades of rule of the Socialists under the leader of the party and the state Milo Djukanovic.
Compared to the ARD Vienna Study Medojevic asserts several reasons: corruption and, as he says, Djukanovic’s ties to organized crime can no longer be masked even by repressive measures. The country’s economy, which has about 600,000 inhabitants, relies more than 30 percent on tourism, and the high number of corona infections has led to an almost complete stop to these sources of income.
Conflict for the Orthodox Church
And finally: at the end of last year, Djukanovic had turned the vast majority of the population against him with the advance that the Orthodox Church had to demonstrate their possessions since before 1920. “He made a mistake when asking the question of identity and try to destroy and nationalize the Orthodox Church. ” With this he motivated young people and Orthodox citizens to vote, that’s why Medojevic. “80 percent of the population of Montenegro belongs to the Orthodox faith. We also know that between 60 and 65 percent of the citizens are against Djukanovic and our task is to get them to vote.”
Last Sunday, in front of the great Church of the Resurrection of Christ in the capital, Podgorica, many believers took the opportunity – as in previous weeks and months – to vent their anger against the president. “Milo, thief, Milo, thief. Montenegro has risen, the sanctuary must be defended,” chanted the believers.
Djucanovic defends himself from criticism
President Djukanovic is well aware of the intensity of the protests against him. In an interview with the ARD The 59-year-old says seriously: “I know this version of the truth in Montenegro. We had a very tumultuous process on the occasion of the approval of the religious freedom law.” On this occasion, the polarization of society would have manifested itself again. “Many citizens who work in the public service have appeared: doctors, teachers, employees of the state administration and the army who, according to their free opinion, have supported the position of the Church.”
Djukanovic rejects the massive criticism from the opposition parties: they wanted to speak ill of the situation in Montenegro and had no alternatives to offer. His “Democratic Socialist Party”, which he has presided over for 23 years, should be able to count on his followers. During one of his last campaign appearances before election Sunday in Budva, Djukanovic was widely celebrated in the media: “You are our first love, Montenegro, we love you!”
