Sokol: Let’s Remember That the Wars of the 1990s Began with the Narrative of Threat

Source: TV E - Author: M.J. Gdnus

Messages suggesting that Serbs in the region are endangered are highly dangerous and negatively affect the political atmosphere, with Serbia being a key factor of instability. This was stated by Croatian MEP Tomislav Sokol in an interview with the central news program on TV E.

“Let’s remember how the wars of the 1990s began, and they started with the narrative that Serbs were endangered, that someone was trying to take away their rights, that there was some kind of Vatican-Ustasha, I don’t know what kind of conspiracy against them, and that’s why they needed to arm themselves, mobilize, and so on,” he said.

What was said by Milan Knežević, president of the Democratic People's Party (DNP), in Sokol's view, is on the brink of creating a paranoia and conspiracy theory about everyone being against Serbs, which, he argues, could escalate into radical actions.

Knežević recently stated on Newsmax Balkans that Montenegro should sign a military technical agreement with Serbia, Hungary, and Slovakia. He sees this as a “response” to the military cooperation agreement between Croatia, Albania, and Kosovo, which he believes is directly targeted against Serbia and Montenegro.

“We are pretending not to see that military alliances are being formed against Orthodox people in the Balkans, just like these colored revolutions that began in Georgia, Slovakia, Hungary, Georgia, Serbia, and now Republika Srpska,” said the DNP leader.

MEP Tomislav Sokol argues that when you look at the content of what Knežević said, it’s clear he sees Hungary and Slovakia as allies—two EU countries that diverge, in general, from the foreign policy orientation of other member states. These countries, he adds, are largely isolated within European institutions.

“He also talks about colored revolutions—if you noticed, he mentions Georgia, which is a classic Russian narrative, as if it was written in Moscow. This clearly shows that the pro-European orientation which the governing coalition declares, and which they talk about, is one thing, while what they actually think and how they act is something entirely different. It doesn’t take much for this to surface, and through this statement, it has clearly surfaced,” Sokol emphasized.

Sokol reminds that Croatia made an agreement with neighboring countries that is not aimed at anyone and is not a military alliance, but rather a cooperation related to military issues.

“The fact is, it is obvious that parties following Belgrade’s politics in Montenegro see Croatia as their enemy, and this is something that, unfortunately, greatly worries us. As for Croatia itself, I have repeatedly said that Croatia wants Montenegro in the European Union. Croatia helped Montenegro logistically, legally, and technically during the negotiation process. Prime Minister Spajić has praised Croatia’s support regarding Montenegro’s EU accession,” said Sokol.

Croatia, he adds, wants Montenegro in the European Union, but Montenegro that meets all European conditions, values, and principles—a Montenegro that is pro-European and pro-Western oriented, and not a country driven by Russian or Serbian influence, but a stable, independent state that lives by European values and looks to the West.

“A Montenegro like this will always have Croatia’s support for EU accession, but, of course, some problems and open questions must be resolved. Specifically, the issue of missing persons—this issue goes beyond bilateral relations. The issue of missing persons is a civilizational issue, a matter of the rule of law and the fundamental principles and values on which the European Union is based. Croatia will, through dialogue with Montenegro, I believe, find a solution in which both parties have an interest,” Sokol said.

Croats in Montenegro Have Lived for Over 1,000 Years and Have Always Been Loyal Citizens

Commenting on the statement by Serbian Orthodox Church priest Mijajlo Backović, Sokol said he wasn’t surprised, as wherever the SPC is, there is also Serbian hegemonic politics, and the two are inseparable.

“Let’s just remember the liturgies of 2020, which sparked a series of political changes over the past few years. This is something that doesn’t surprise me too much, but it is certainly not positive. Croats are an indigenous minority living in Montenegro for over 1,000 years. They have always been constructive members of society, never causing any problems to anyone. On the contrary, they have always been loyal citizens of Montenegro, and they will certainly continue to be,” said the European MP.

Any speech that leads to an attack or hate speech against Croats in Boka, he adds, is something that needs to be carefully watched.

“I have spoken multiple times in the European Parliament about the need to protect minorities in Montenegro. This is not a bilateral issue, but rather an issue of the fundamental values and principles on which the European Union is based,” emphasized Sokol.

Serbia, a Factor of Instability

The annual report on the implementation of the common security and defense policy, discussed at a plenary session in Strasbourg, identifies Serbia’s role in destabilizing Eastern Europe. According to Sokol, Serbia is a key factor in regional instability, which is a significant problem.

“There is an awareness of how much of a threat Serbia poses to the stability of the entire continent, and this awareness has not been well-developed in European institutions so far. Of course, this is a consequence of years of lobbying by so-called Serbian diplomacy, and through other channels, a lot still needs to be done to change this perception and for European institutions to realize how big a problem Serbia is,” he said.

Sokol explains that different countries in the EU have different interests, making it difficult to adopt a unified stance toward Serbia.

“What the European Parliament can do is exert political pressure on the European Commission so that the perception and stance toward Serbia change. The European Commission and member states have mechanisms to put pressure on Serbia—issues such as visas, economic relations, trade, and so on. There are certainly mechanisms to approach Serbia much more harshly than has been the case so far,” he said.

In his view, it is clear that Serbia is trying to sit on multiple chairs at once—combining relations with Russia, China, Europe, the U.S., and Turkey. This, he argues, is long-term unacceptable as it further destabilizes the Southeast European region.

“Serbia is using international connections to spread influence over neighboring countries. Montenegro is one example, then there’s Bosnia and Herzegovina, the issue of Kosovo, and this is a major problem today. What Serbs, especially Vučić, seemed to have hoped for, particularly with the change in the U.S. administration, is that the Trump government would be much more benevolent toward Serbia than the Biden administration, but so far, we have not seen anything concrete,” said Sokol.

Sokol does not believe we should dismiss Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić or Milorad Dodik, president of the Bosnian Serb entity Republika Srpska, as both emerged as, he says, projects of the West.

“Not all EU countries have the same position on this, depending on their personal economic, geopolitical, military, and other interests, and it is a fact that they have already shown themselves to be very resilient. Today, we have a situation where neither Dodik can secede Republika Srpska nor can the state authorities arrest him, so it’s a kind of stalemate. In which direction things will go, we’ll see, but clearly, Bosnia and Herzegovina does not function as a normal state. It’s some kind of protectorate, it doesn’t have a monopoly on force over half of its territory, and this is not good for the long-term future and stability of BiH,” he assessed.

He’s also unsure if the months-long protests in Serbia, organized by students in blockades, will lead to Vučić’s downfall, as he sees no real alternative to him.

“Honestly, I’m not sure Serbia has undergone the catharsis that would lead to a new government replacing Vučić being much better. I don’t think the problem in Serbia is just Vučić; he is what he is, a Serbian nationalist who runs the country in a very authoritarian manner, pushing the great Serbian hegemonic policy. But I don’t see any alternatives that would be much better than him,” Sokol concluded.