The anti-Western narrative and conservatism are getting stronger in Montenegro

Citizens of Montenegro believe in alarmingly high numbers of conspiracy theories about COVID-19, propaganda narratives and misinformation spread by Russia about aggression against Ukraine, and the consequences of anti-European and anti-Western narratives are visible, according to research by the Center for Democratic Transition (CDT) from February this year.
These data deviate significantly from the high level of support of citizens for Montenegro's entry into the European Union (EU), but also from the policy of the official Podgorica, which introduced all the sanctions packages against Russia due to its aggression against Ukraine. Montenegro is also a temporary home for around 8,000 Ukrainian refugees.
Where do the anti-Western attitudes come from?
Looking at the behavior of political elites, it is not surprising that despite the high support for membership, such a large number of citizens believe that the EU distorts tradition and imposes deviant behavior, said political analyst Nikoleta Đukanović.
You have political elites and institutions that do almost everything to not bring European values even closer to the citizens. Because they are not really close to themselves - she said.
Membership is supported by 78 percent of Montenegrin citizens, the results of a public opinion survey for the needs of the EU Delegation in Podgorica presented in December.
A new survey by CDT and the Damar agency shows that 41 percent of citizens believe that "the EU distorts tradition and imposes deviant behavior."
There are different categories, says Đukanović, support for Montenegro's entry into the EU with a real understanding of what the Union is and a willingness to adopt the values inherited by modern democracy.
After the change of the three-decade government in the parliamentary elections on August 30, 2020, the majority of citizens expected changes. Đukanović, however, states that they did not get any progress with these changes.
These are usually authoritarian personalities who wanted to reach the positions of power that DPS held for 30 years. And they are really not interested in any changes - said Đukanović.
Sociologist Andrija Đukanović for RSE assesses that the anti-European attitudes from research can be attributed to the influence of several factors, primarily the actions of the political elite in the last 30 years.
A part of politicians propagates anti-European attitudes guided by their nationalist and traditionalist ideologies, which see the rapprochement with Europe as a danger to the survival of the nation and traditional values - pointed out Đukanović.
On the other hand, he adds that the recent three-decade government has absolutized Western values as inviolable and imposed them on the rest of society, rejecting everything related to tradition and the past as retrograde and backwards.
There was a lack of dialogue when adopting certain values and joining the European integration process - says Đukanović.
He also states that the former government essentially deviated from the same European values it propagated in its actions.
He also adds to the strong influence of the church on social events and the attitudes of citizens.
The church, here I mean the SPC, unfortunately has a lot of elements of nationalism and xenophobia in its activities and is committed to only one side. Citizens, since the church is their highest authority, easily accept such an attitude as the only correct and correct one. They adopt the position of the church on numerous issues, without the need to reconsider them - pointed out Đukanović.
He added that we should not forget the influence of the family on the attitudes of young people, in which "in a large number of cases the values of obedience to authority and nationalism are cultivated."
The Church considers Russia to be the only sincere ally
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Montenegrin authorities, following the EU's foreign policy agenda, imposed sanctions on Russia, banned the broadcasting of Russia Today and Sputnik, and declared several Russian diplomats undesirable.
Montenegro has sent aid to Kyiv on several occasions, but also received a large number of refugees.
More than half of the citizens, according to the CGO and Damar survey from July last year, supported the Government's policy condemning Russian aggression and sanctions.
A new survey by CDT and Damar shows that almost a quarter of citizens believe that Ukrainians are Nazis and that Kiev is faking the number of victims in order to falsely accuse Moscow.
Despite the Government's measures, it should not be ignored that in Montenegro there is a huge influence of Russia and Serbia through the parties, the Serbian Orthodox Church and the media, says Nikoleta Đukanović.
We have a social and political environment very suitable for the development of such ideas. Considering the legacy from the 90s and the events in the Balkans, it doesn't take much for our citizens to fall under such influences - she said.
Sociologist Andrija Đukanović sees citizens' support for Russian aggression against Ukraine in nationalism, the influence of the church, but also in the desire for some kind of revenge against the West for past events:
And here you can feel the strong influence of the church, which considers Russia to be our only sincere historical ally, renouncing any possibility of criticism. Maybe Russia really was what they tell us, but that cannot be an excuse for not seeing that today it is a dictatorship that acts undemocratically inside the country but also outside - he pointed out.
Unacceptably high distance towards LGBT
research by CDT and Damara showed an increase in the number of citizens who believe that homosexuality is a disease and a mental disorder.
This is a significant increase compared to the research of the Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM) from November 2022.
Danijel Kalezić, executive co-director of the Alliance for Equal Rights of LGBTIQ Persons in the Western Balkans and Turkey, said that it is difficult to compare the two studies without analyzing the methodology.
But what we know without research is that homophobia and transphobia are at an extremely high level and that intolerance and social distance towards LGBT people is at an unacceptably high level - assessed Kalezić.
He said that institutions, the civil sector and citizens still have to do a lot to make Montenegro a good place for everyone, including LGBT people.
Andrija Đukanović believes that it is dangerous for inaccurate information to endanger the lives of people of different sexual orientations.
Through the attitude towards this minority, we can see what the positions of the church and certain policies are based on, and that these are largely half-truths and manipulations - says Đukanović.
All this indicates that it is no coincidence that the EU accession process is completely frozen, concludes Nikoleta Đukanović.
Montenegro became a candidate for membership 10 years ago, during the rule of the Democratic Party of Socialists of President Milo Đukanović, which lost power in August 2020 to the pro-Russian Democratic Front, Democrats and the URA Civic Movement.
Montenegro opened all chapters and temporarily closed three, the last of which in 2017.
Source - POBJEDA