In the countries of the Western Balkans, the secular state is increasingly ceding space to religious communities, which are shifting from the spiritual sphere into the political arena – participating in election campaigns, influencing legislation, and even shaping educational content, it was said, among the key points, in the new episode of the Civic Angle of the Centre for Civic Education (CCE) on TVE. Discussing these phenomena with Zvezdana Kovač, Director of Strategy and Communications at the CCE, were Boban Batrićević, historian and professor at the Faculty for Montenegrin Language and Literature (FCJK); Aleksandra Jerkov, member of the Executive Board of the Regional Academy for Democratic Development (ADD) from Novi Sad; Edina Bećirović, professor at the Faculty of Criminology, Criminology and Security Studies at the University of Sarajevo; and Lucija Marković, feminist and activist from Zagreb, a victim of religious violence.
“Twenty years ago, Montenegro was at the level of Scandinavian countries in terms of secularism, and now, according to research, we are on par with Iran,” warned historian Boban Batrićević, noting that the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) has become the spiritual pillar of the political majority. Speaking about the political influence of religious institutions, Batrićević stated that “in 2020, Montenegro underwent an Orthodox revolution – equivalent to the Islamic revolution in Iran,” adding that “governments formed after 2020 operate under the influence of the SOC, not only spiritually, but also economically.”
Aleksandra Jerkov, from ADD, stated that the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) in Serbia has enormous social and political influence. “It is the institution that enjoys the highest level of public trust, without difference across generations,” she said, also warning about the Church’s non-transparent financing, tax exemption, and privileged legal status. “The SOC has become one of the largest investors in Serbia – tourist resorts and commercial buildings are being constructed, all with state support,” she said.
Lucija Marković from Zagreb highlighted a specific dimension of clericalisation by sharing a deeply moving personal experience, one that rarely receives public attention in the region: religious abuse within a Protestant community. “My experience is quite painful. It all began when I was eleven years old, when my mother, together with my sister, brought me into a Pentecostal community. At first, it seemed like a warm and welcoming environment, offering a sense of belonging that is very important to a child. But over time, I became increasingly indoctrinated,” Lucija recounted. “In these communities, total obedience to spiritual authority is expected. People prayed for me, sometimes with my consent, sometimes without it. I had no right to say no. I experienced what they called ‘deliverance services’, essentially exorcisms, aimed at casting out demons,” she said, describing how she was subjected to complete control over the years, both in everyday life and in a spiritual sense.
Edina Bećirović, professor from Sarajevo, emphasized the role of Russian influence in the re-traditionalisation of societies, linking it to the increasing involvement of the Church in political processes. “Russian influence is now being used as an ideological infrastructure to promote so-called traditional values, with women’s and LGBT rights as the first targets,” she noted.
This episode also addressed the recent visit of Patriarch Porfirije to Moscow and his expression of support for the so-called “Russian world.” Interlocutors described this as an open alignment with dangerous ideological projects that pose a direct threat to democratic values and regional stability.
“The SOC is the most important tool of the Greater Serbian project because it provides legitimacy under the guise of spirituality,” said Batrićević, highlighting that the Fundamental Agreement between the SOC and Montenegro represents “the greatest legal disgrace in the history of Montenegrin diplomacy”.
Lucija Marković agreed with the observation that religious communities are increasingly being used as a mechanism of political control and cultural hegemony, accompanied by the marginalisation of human rights – particularly the rights of women, minorities, and young people. “It is very difficult to leave such communities; one loses identity, support, family, and the sense of belonging,” she explained.
“I suppose my case served as a public example that anyone who dares to speak out openly and critically ends up in prison,” said Batrićević, reflecting on the fact that a few years ago he was brought before a misdemeanour court a few years ago for criticizing the glorification of Chetnik war criminals, facing the threat of a two-month prison sentence for allegedly “spreading national, religious, and racial hatred”, although, as he stated, he merely presented factual remarks without using insults. He also spoke about the manipulation of narratives by the prosecution and political structures,which, in his words, increasingly rely on the institutional power of the SOC.
It was repeatedly emphasised that the SOC in Montenegro does not recognise Montenegrin independence and consistently avoids confronting its own role in the wars of the 1990s and the period of fascist collaboration. “It is the only institution in Montenegro that, even after almost two decades, has not accepted state independence,”warned Batrićević. “The Church systematically manipulates its role in the Second World War and refuses to acknowledge its responsibility for the spiritual groundwork for the genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” he added, pointing also to the structural weakness of state institutions, which “act according to the Church’s instructions, even though the Church does not formally file complaints.”
Professor Bećirović pointed to the phenomenon of loud, emotionally charged media debates as part of a deliberate propaganda strategy. “This is not accidental. It is training – neuro-linguistic programming aimed at overpowering facts with noise and emotion.” Illustrating this with the example of a TV debate between “two sides – Chetnik ideologues and rational interlocutors,” she assessed that the shouting creates a sense of superiority. “In fact, due to social media and the degradation of public discourse standards, that noise becomes dominant. It comes across as victorious,” she said.
Marković warned that the battle for the minds of young people is being waged through education, where religious narratives often prevail over science and critical thinking. “We may be formally a secular state, but in practice we are not. Children still find it strange if someone doesn’t attend religious education, and no alternative exists,” she said, particularly warning about the funding of “anti-gender movements” from the state budget and their intention to shape young people as carriers of conservative values. “Young people are searching for identity, and it is easy to manipulate them if they don’t have access to pluralistic and secular education,” Marković emphasised.
Asked whether Montenegro is ready for EU membership in the context of rising nationalism and clericalisation, Batrićević was categorical that it is not. “If we miss this moment, we will become an entity resembling Republika Srpska, with the coat of arms and flag of Montenegro, but without substance,” he explained, adding that Montenegro is becoming strategically important for Serbia and Russian influence in the region. “We are a NATO member state which Serbia, through the SOC and its agencies, is attempting to control. That is extremely dangerous,” Batrićević concluded.
Bećirović recalled the example of Ukraine, where in the years leading up to the war, a strong counter-narrative was built through small cultural and educational centres. “In places where Russian churches were the only institution, centres were established with debates, films, and analyses. People began to see the bigger picture,” she said.
Aleksandra Jerkov concluded that the only way to oppose clericalisation is through education – by developing civic awareness and critical thinking.
The full episode is available at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts3 9 lAfrF0o
The programme was produced as part of CCE’s project “Europeanisation through the Civic Angle”, supported through the regional programme SMART Balkans – Civil Society for Shared Society in the Western Balkans, implemented by the Center for Civil Society Promotion (CPCD), Center for Research and Policy Making (CRPM), and the Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM), with financial support by Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The content of the show is the sole responsibility of the CCE and the speakers, and does not necessarily reflect the views of CPCD, CRPM, IDM, or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway.
Maja Marinović , Programme Associate