The prerequisite for the accession of Western Balkan countries to the European Union (EU) is the building of just states in which criminals sit in the defendants’ chairs, not in positions of power, it was stated during the panel “Democratic Alternatives: Building the European Future of the Western Balkans” at the regional plenum “Cracks in Democracy: Nationalism and Clericalism in the Western Balkans”.
The regional plenum is jointly organised by the Centre for Civic Education (CCE), the Regional Academy for Democratic Development (ADD) from Novi Sad, the Faculty of Political Sciences of the University of Sarajevo (FPN), and the German Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES).
President of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), Danijel Živković, responding to a question by moderator Aleksandra Jerkov from ADD, said that according to the European Commission report, Montenegro and Albania received positive assessments, while that was not the case for other countries in the region. He assessed that this process has lasted too long for the entire region and that it has been neglected by many actors, recalling that the DPS Government opened accession negotiations with the EU in 2012.
“And in those eight years that we continued to be in power, we opened all chapters and temporarily closed three, while during the period of the new government, in five years, four chapters were temporarily closed. It is good that Montenegro today is classified as the country that has advanced the most, but this is declarative and not substantive,” Živković said.
He stated that populists and nationalists are currently in power in Montenegro, and that “populists have enabled nationalists to gain momentum on issues such as historical revisionism and the undermining of institutions”.
Živković said that one can often hear the statement “that the EU wants us more than we want it, at least when we speak from the position of today’s government”.
“And this is a danger for the entire society; I have warned many times – you can find an administration that will align Montenegro’s legislation with EU legislation, but the hardest task is the emancipation of a society,” he emphasised, adding that this is a demanding process for everyone.
“If we want to go down that path, we must give something up. Every political entity that wants to support EU integration will have to sacrifice part of its ratings in favour of the emancipation of society,”, Živković said.
Živković expressed scepticism about the realistic prospects of Montenegro joining the EU in 2028. “I fear that we will not complete the integration process by the end of 2026. In five years, we have closed four chapters, by the end of the year, we should close five chapter, and many more next year, and I am not sure that will be possible, given behaviour of the current government”, Živković assessed.
He also pointed to strong external pressure on the media sector and audiovisual services, as well as to influence on the energy sector, but also the loss of the oversight role of Parliament.
“When the Prime Minister does not appear in Parliament, that is also an indicator of where democracy stands in Montenegro”, Živković said.
Živković was explicit that the current government cannot lead the country into the EU, explaining that this is neither a subjective nor a vain position. However, he underlined that it would be beneficial for the state to become an EU member as soon as possible.
“Russian malign influence will not wait even a second to assume a dominant role in the Balkans. The number of their proxies in Montenegro is large. I am speaking about media outlets and various organisations that undermine democracy”, Živković said.
He added that the opposition will not give up the EU path and warned that in the next year and a half, attempts to halt Montenegro on its path towards the Union will intensify.
“There is no remedy or solution for Montenegro without political stability supported by genuinely committed pro-European actors within the government,” Živković concluded.
Speaking about relations between Montenegro and Serbia, he said that after 2006, conditions were created for Belgrade to accept an independent Montenegro.
Leader of the Democratic Party (DS) of Serbia, Srđan Milivojević, said that Serbia is currently the country under the spotlight of the European public attention, but that one should distinguish between Serbia and the President of the State, Aleksandar Vučić.
Milivojević said that in Serbia there are parties, such as DS, which have been fighting for 36 years against warmongers and advocating for European values.
“In 12–13 years or rule, Vučić has established a strong link between the government and organised crime. There is no doubt that Serbia is governed by an organised criminal group,”, Milivojević stated.
According to him, Serbia is not endangered by the Škaljari or Kavač clans, but by the “AV clan”, alluding to the initials of Aleksandar Vučić.
“And he threatens not only the European future of Serbia but also that of the Western Balkans. Vučić is an obstacle to normal life because he is a man who has never renounced the statement “kill one Serb – we will kill 100 Muslims”. Although he has put on the EU tuxedo, he has never abandoned hatred and division,”, Milivojević said.
He recalled that a new political force has emerged in Serbia – the student movement. “These are people who, 25 years after“Otpor”, say: “do not divide us by faith or nation”. The only division is between humans and non-humans; we do not want coexistence but life together”, Milivojević said.
In his viewm Serbia has not stalled on the EU path, “it is rapidly moving in reverse”, because “Vučić does not want Serbia in the EU, but the young generation has made a value-based choice for the EU”.
“These people say: if we could reach agreements in Novi Pazar, Niš, Belgrade, tomorrow young people from Belgrade, Sarajevo, Podgorica, Priština will also be able to agree”, Milivojević said.
He added that Vučić’s followers in Montenegro are slowly turning their backs on him, as did Milorad Dodik earlier. “Do not doubt that Andrija Mandić has not already bought a ticket to the United States, planning to make a deal just as Dodik. When Montenegro becomes part of the EU, even Knežević will be a citizen of Montenegro – he will not say I do not want a Montenegrin passport”, Milivojević said.
“Vučić threatens the vital national interests of both Montenegro and Serbia. Montenegro’s interest is to join the EU as soon as possible. Vučić will, through prepaid politicians, attempt to undermine Montenegro on its EU path, but I guarantee you that will not happen,” Milivojević stated.
He said that the Balkans does not need a firm hand, but a clean hand, and that DS offers exactly that. “The DS offers Montenegro a clean hand of cooperation, a shared vision towards the EU. A flag of victory will soon wave in that hand”, Milivojević declared.
Milivojević emphasized that “if we want to be part of the EU, the task of both DS and the authorities in Montenegro is to build a just state. Crime cannot go unpunished if we want to move towards the EU”.
President of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia, Venko Filipče, said that European integration is a reality for Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia.
“But, parallel to that, we see tensions in the countries, and the main problem is that extremists dominate the public narrative and they do everything they can to keep an atmosphere of tension because that is their guarantee for remaining in positions”, Filipče said.
He assessed that partnership between progressive parties and civil society is necessary. “We must unite against nationalists. We will make a mistake if we do not realise that those right-wing parties help each other stay in power, even when they appear to be in conflict”, Filipče explained.
He pointed out that old politics are ending and that it is necessary to focus on young people and have a more direct approach to engaging them. “Choosing the right people is crucial for change. If we want to be accepted as a democratic alternative to right-wing parties, voters will apply stricter criteria. Selecting the people we will work with is a key element in building trust, especially among new generations of voters”, Filipče believes.
Member of the Presidency of the Social Democratic Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), Damir Mašić, responding to aquestion about solutions to social divisions, said that the truth is the only solution. “It is necessary to talk about it and spread it every day; that is the best tool for combating divisions. B&H, as a multi-ethnic country in which differences had been nurtured for hundreds of years, was, in the 1990s, brought to the brink. Those responsible are the ones whose politics continue to block the progress of the region today”, Mašić said.
“We must call things by their proper name and identify those responsible. It is a luxury to speak in diplomatic language when describing the phenomena present in our countries and to wrap all that in gloves”, Mašić stated.
He noted that the concept of the ‘Serbian World’ best illustrates how Russia’s malign influence seeks to keep the Balkan countries in in a state of limbo. “Constant interference in the internal affairs by the regime in Belgrade is unacceptable. And I am pleased that, after some time, that voice is much clearer today,” Mašić said, adding that B&H and Montenegro, as multi-ethnic states, have been the most exposed to malign influences.
“We hope that Montenegro will complete its European path as soon as possible”, he said, noting that on that path the EU must be less hypocritical and more outspoken.
“The EU also needs to call things by their proper name, and in the case of B&H, not to adjust EU values to the abnormal circumstances in BiH, because that does not help us”, Mašić stated.
He pointed out that they had carried out countless reforms that ended up as “dead letters on paper”.
“I guarantee that 90 per cent of our problems are caused by a small group of radical nationalists who hide brutal crime and corruption behind that nationalism”, Mašić said.
“The judiciary in B&H does function; those nationalists would not be in a position to cause problems but would instead be sitting in the dock. What is needed is a free and independent judiciary that will take on crime and corruption”, Mašić concluded.
MINA News Agency