WORLD NEWS FOR MONTENEGRO DIASPORA
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In the last almost four years, Montenegro has been going through a stormy experience of a change of government, but despite everything, on the eve of the "coming of age" of the restoration of statehood, "to me, Montenegro today really looks like an 18-year-old youth with a good future ahead - Milo Đukanović said in an interview for Antena M .
The former Montenegrin president and prime minister believes that in the previous period, a very solid foundation of the architecture of contemporary Montenegro was laid, in which: restored independence, multi-ethnic democracy, awareness of economic self-sustainability and orientation to the Western cultural circle.
Thanks to that, he is convinced, "the cities are still firmly in the hands of Montenegro".
Change was inevitable and expected
Now we are going through a painful phase caused by the first change of government in Montenegro after the introduction of multi-party system. For me, that change was inevitable and expected. But the fact that Montenegro got an alternative in power is definitely not what the majority of people who wanted changes expected - stated the former President of Montenegro.
Đukanović draws attention to "the lack of identification of the citizens of Montenegro with their country and their national interests". He sees the cause in understanding politics as the ability to manipulate people.
Today we have a new political elite in Montenegro, we have a new ruling coalition that has returned to the idea that it is not important what you do, it is important what you say - he added.
The beginning of removing the European mask and showing the anti-Montenegrin face
When asked whether the admission of Kosovo to the Council of Europe and the Resolution on Srebrenica, which should be adopted in the UN, is the moment when at least part of the government will start to take off the European mask, Đukanović says that the vote in the PS SE shows "that there is no real homogenization in the ranks of creators and implementers of state policy in Montenegro".
What's more, it says that none of them cares about the state interests of Montenegro! Because if they cared, and if they cared about their coalition agreement, they would take care of the fact that Montenegro recognized Kosovo in 2008. And they would take care of the fact that they stated in the coalition agreement that they will follow the foreign policy priorities contained in the state development strategy. There is none of that. In addition, in my opinion, he does not even have elementary political intelligence. If all of us on the political scene say that it is in our interest for Montenegro to be a member of the European Union and if we express the same desire when it comes to the European perspective of all other countries in the region, then what is the reason for denying the right of a country that is our neighbor to take the initial step , to become a member of the Council of Europe - he said.
Obviously, according to him, there have already been certain issues where it is not so easy to camouflage one's anti-European and anti-Montenegrin essence.
Therapy for this cancer will not come from the West
The former president and prime minister of Montenegro also commented on the policy of "Western partners" towards Montenegro and the region.
They see very well what is happening here, but they do not pay the necessary attention to it. I understand, they have much more important priorities than Montenegro and the Western Balkans, but that does not justify them for the wrong policies they initiate or support when it comes to the European perspective of our region - Đukanović assessed.
He believes that it would be wrong to expect that some "saving therapy to cure this political cancer that is currently burdening Montenegro" will come from that side.
In highly authoritative Western centers, it is kept silent that the absence of support and care from our allies has opened the way for the direct penetration of Russian imperial interests in the Western Balkans. Also, it is overlooked that such a role of Russia has encouraged the most retrograde policy in this region, namely nationalism and big state projects. Attempts are also made to overlook the fact that the coquettishness of some authoritative Western political addresses with regional nationalist policies has released the genie from the bottle in the societies of the Western Balkans, that today the Western Balkans is dealing with the same issues it was dealing with in the 90s, the protection of supposedly endangered members of certain nations outside its borders home states, thereby destroying the sovereignty of neighboring states, spoiling good-neighborly relations and essentially endangering the stability, thus the European perspective of the region - he pointed out.
Đukanović points out that all this is happening "thanks to the initial input from Russia", because historically Russia has very skillfully played with the fate of the Western Balkans, but this time the coincidence of the policies of certain Western centers is a concern. Asked to explain why he says that it is caused by a "deliberate oversight", he replies.
It is deliberately overlooked', this still does not mean that some Russian-Western coalition was created with the intention of diverting the countries of the Western Balkans from the European and Euro-Atlantic path. By deliberate oversight, I mean that due to their calculations and their interests in relations with certain countries of the Western Balkans, primarily with Serbia and Albania, they are ready to tolerate some arrogance that these countries show towards other countries in the region. Let me be even more specific. For me, Open Balkan is an attempt to institutionalize the dominance of Serbia and Albania in the Western Balkans. And every attempt to dominate any country in the Western Balkans, history reminds us, always led to war - emphasized Đukanović.
When the nationalist spirit comes out of the bottle, "and today it came out well", there is no authority, neither domestic nor international, that can prevent the escalation of nationalism, the renewal of instability and even war conflicts, Đukanović warns.
That's why I think that the USA, that is By selfishly absolutizing its interests, the State Department ignores the major political damage it is doing in the region, which I think has become so widespread that it is now difficult to repair it painlessly. We saw what happened in Banjska, we see what is happening in BiH, we see what is being prepared for the upcoming (Easter) Parliament, we see to what extent the role of the high representative in BiH is meaningless... Do all these experiences give us the right to some optimism? No, if the error is not determined without hesitation and the record is not immediately turned - he pointed out.
Belgrade's rhetoric today is the same as in the 90s, and it will end up the same
When asked how well-founded the claims are that the Open Balkans is actually some kind of experiment behind Aleksandar Soros and his partnership with Vučić and Ram, and a reminder of Trump's son-in-law Kushner's business in Serbia and Albania, Đukanović says that it is very possible.
It is also possible that there are those interests that you are talking about, but it is also possible that there are other interests. It is legitimate for America to expose its two very important political interests in this region. And that is to separate Serbia from Russia and, secondly, to prevent the political and diplomatic destruction of Serbia when it comes to the international recognition of Kosovo. It is the usual right of a great power to presume its political interests on the interests of other countries and regions, and for that reason it deliberately closes its eyes to today's rhetoric of official Belgrade, which in no way deviates from the narrative and practice of Serbia from the early 90s. Then Milošević set out to protect the allegedly threatened Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and today Vučić is trying to protect the allegedly threatened rights of Serbs in Montenegro and other countries in the region. We know how it ended the first time and we know how it can only end the second and every subsequent time - he reminds.
On the remark that now, globally and regionally, things are much different, in line with Belgrade's expectations, and the question why he believes that the outcome will be the same again, Đukanović says that it doesn't have to be the same if we agree to hang our heads in defeat.
Serbia legitimized, more or less, its big-state plans. The basic question is, will we allow it?! I don't think it's realistic for that to happen because I don't believe that Montenegrins living here today are so different compared to our ancestors who during the previous thousand-year history always defended their freedom, their honor, their dignity, their country - he stated.
Đukanović adds that at different times from different addresses it was possible to hear about the inappropriately large extra-institutional influence of the Soros Foundation on politics in Europe, he notes the "great playfulness of Soros' heirs in the Western Balkans" with the ambition to explain to us what is good for us and to impose his "saving the discovery" of the Open Balkans, which is nothing more than a prelude to the creation of a great Serbia and, according to law, its counterbalance - Albania, within natural limits.
He didn't impose it. Although he tried to do it with his two closest supporters that you mentioned, with President Vučić and Prime Minister Ram, who also recruited our unfortunate Abazović for that purpose, who was an absolutely immature political spider uninterested in the national interests of Montenegro and who hoped that thus, serving the game of these, for him, authoritative regional and international players, strengthen his missing authority and extend the life of his career. He is a fringe again today. Montenegro has somewhat sobered up politically thanks to the lessons we learned during the previous four years, and I think that the idea of Open Balkans has become a thing of the past in the meantime - he assessed.
Regrouping on the political scene of Montenegro follows
Đukanović believes that it was wrong to stop lobbying in Washington after Montenegro joined NATO. When asked whether he could influence a change in such an attitude from the positions he was in, he answers in the affirmative.
I did and I made an impact. To no avail. Because these are policies that belong to the government. When I led the government, the government had lobbying partners at that address, after that it didn't. On my initiative it was agreed by the need for budgetary savings. I think that the 'gift' exceeded the measure many times over and that they are the result of the damage caused by leaving free space for Serbia to interpret Serbian-Montenegrin relations and its role in the region - he added.
Referring to the analogies between the splitting of DPS into his and Bulatović's wing and the events in PES after the exit of Jakov Milatović, Đukanović says that there is not much basis for them.
I see a conflict of leaders there, which is not to be underestimated. Nor do I want to talk about it in a bad way. That conflict at this stage, as you have seen, did not lead to any restructuring within that party. It should be noted that similar processes are slightly affecting some other parties of the ruling coalition. I think that these are processes that will inevitably, if not now, in the near future, lead to regrouping on the political scene - said Đukanović.
DPS will not expand coalition capacity with rotten compromises
The former president of the DPS commented on the constant criticism that the party did not reform enough, despite the complete personnel renewal, and gave his view of the real goal of that campaign.
My first question is: what should DPS reform from its key policies, which, in the meantime, have been verbally accepted by everyone on the political scene of Montenegro, including the new government, after the comprehensive personnel renewal that you pointed out. Should he change his approach to development policy? Should he change Vienna's policy? Should he change the security policy? Should he change his attitude towards independence? No! - said Đukanović.
When asked if he would suggest to his successors in the party that, for the sake of expanding the coalition's capacity, they change their position on topics such as Srebrenica, 1918, Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the recognition of Kosovo, he says that even if he tried, he is sure that they would not listen to him.
They would have to notice that the Democratic Party of Socialists is a serious political party and that even at the time of the new personnel structure, you already have several proofs that the DPS remains averse to rotten political compromises. Perhaps someone expects the DPS to prove to those who label us that we are an organized criminal group, and not the leading party of the political movement that led Montenegro to historic achievements in the recent past. So, I have seen politics, not only in Montenegro and not only in the Balkans, that matrix: when you want to change the government and when you realistically have nothing to criticize it for when it comes to key policies, then the label is the easiest to stick insufficient rule of law, insufficient fight against crime and corruption - pointed out the former president.
Đukanović emphasizes that after August 30, 2020, the DPS convincingly proved that its priority is not to return to power immediately and at any cost, but rather to eliminate perceived weaknesses in order to return to power when the time comes, so that they are ready to take over responsibility for the continuation and successful completion of the European path.
If DPS wanted to make rotten compromises, he had time to make them - he said.
When reminded that he offered cooperation to Andrija Mandić on the eve of the presidential elections, Đukanović explains that "it was not an offer to form a government" but a statement of readiness to talk, in order for the DF to "emancipate itself in some direction in which the Serbian political structures were emancipated, let's say in Croatia".
Their goal is not ruin, but the annexation of Montenegro
When asked if today he has a clear picture of how DPS and he personally contributed to the fact that part of the public perceives them as symbols of protection against crime and corruption, rather than symbols of restoration of independence, Đukanović emphasizes that
I circled that picture from here! In the Belgrade headquarters of Greater Serbian nationalism, DPS and Milo Đukanović recognize it as a key barrier to the realization of their interests. It is not their interest to ruin Montenegro like this, their interest is the annexation of Montenegro. They are not some closed centers from which you cannot get information. They say that neither the government of Zdravko Krivokapić nor the government of Dritan Abazović defended Montenegro from their plans. Rather, they were defended by a state-responsible opposition, together with an awakened civil, intellectual consciousness outside of political structures.
What is more logical than for them to try to eliminate those who are a key barrier to their interests? According to Stalin's recipe: if you have a human-made problem: there is no human - no problem. I went through it, I was targeted in 2016. I guess I don't need to prove it again now, because of the deafening audit attempt initiated from Belgrade, from the BIA, and announced through the media under their control in Montenegro and their agency, which in recent years to a good extent networked the state authorities of Montenegro, which tries to negate the scenario of a coup d'état. About which was more than convincingly spoken not only from Montenegro, but also from Serbia and from Washington and London."
"I'm not afraid"
When asked if the remark "there is no man - no problem" should be understood as an announcement of confrontation with him and if he is afraid of such a scenario, he says that he is not.
What I would be afraid? Since I started dealing with politics, since that day I have been thinking about my responsibility before the Montenegrin public, before the Constitution and before the laws of Montenegro. In this storm that we live in, am I in order? Well, I'm ready for everything. What kind of problem is that? If someone thinks that he has become so powerful that he can construct something that doesn't exist and if someone agrees to pander to the political interests of Belgrade and their servants in Montenegro with a lack of integrity, then go ahead - says Đukanović.
There is no alchemy by which wages can rise this much
Commenting on the information that Kosovo received a credit rating for the first time a few days ago and that it is two categories better than Montenegro's, the seven-time prime minister says that this shows that "there is serious doubt in the relevant international, primarily financial and investment circles about the viability of the Montenegrin economy, especially to the sustainability of our public finances".
Whoever tells you otherwise is not telling you the truth - he added.
Đukanović believes that there is no "alchemy" that would enable a 300 percent increase in wages at a time when GDP grew by 25 or 30 percent.
It can be financed by borrowing, and borrowing creates this impression with international addresses that determine our credit rating".
In the end, Milo Đukanović also answered the question of what he thinks about the type of people who for years and decades fed on the manger of the DPS, and after the change of government played the role of "victim of the regime".
I think the worst, but to avoid being too self-critical, I would say that it is not a Montenegrin specificity - concluded Đukanović.
