Nikolić: From the centers of Russian propaganda in Serbia, an action is being taken to establish complete control over Montenegro

Montenegro cannot achieve either political or institutional stability as long as political apologists from Moscow and Belgrade operate on its territory, as well as their propaganda outposts for hybrid war and subversive activities, said the deputy of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) Andrija Nikolić from the international parliamentary conference Social Democrats from Southeast Europe, the European Parliament and the German Bundestag, which is held in Cavtat.
At the meeting traditionally organized by the German foundation Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Nikolić was the main speaker on the panel that related to the fight against fake news in the country and abroad. According to him, propaganda similar to the 90s is in effect in Montenegro, and as he claims, the strongest stronghold of Putinist propaganda in the region is Serbia, from where coordinated action is being taken to establish political, economic and media control over Montenegro.
In his speech, Deputy Nikolić announced that the Russian/Serbian propaganda in Montenegro is experiencing its culmination, reminding that in that network are some of the actors of the coup attempt in Montenegro from 2016, as well as some media outlets that the US State Department still in 2020 .marked as part of the propaganda ecosystem of the Russian disinformation campaign.
"Can you imagine that today out of 5 television stations in Montenegro, four of them are practically owned, or in the process of buying structures from Serbia. Only the Public Service (RTCG) is owned by Montenegro. We have several media portals that are financed by Russia / with Serbian money and who, without any interference or sanctions, openly spread misinformation, spread hate speech and target people who think differently. This is a red light, not only for Montenegro, but also for the EU and NATO," Nikolić pointed out.
Nikolić further states that he is particularly worried by the fact that Montenegro not only does not try to put an end to the Russian propaganda service that has spread on its territory, but parts of the official state structures work unhindered in favor of strengthening Russian/Serbian influence.
"If we know that the deposed Montenegrin prime minister is on the remote control of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, if we know that one of the most prominent representatives of the pro-Russian Democratic Front was elected as the president of the board of directors of the state giant EPCG, and if we know that the founder of the Russian media system was appointed as the rector of the state university disinformation in Montenegro Vladimir Božović, then no one should be surprised why Montenegro has stagnated on the road to EU integration in the last two years, and why pro-Serbian and pro-Russian forces are getting stronger in the country," Nikolić concluded.

B.D.Z.