Good morning! This is not a text about the government in Podgorica; this is a text about possible coalitions, past and future. The government in Podgorica is merely a trigger for us to reflect on who could be a potential and desirable partner for whom. And how “fair” that really is.
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About Podgorica – Fairly
First, I would like to go over a few facts, for my own sake and for those who are not particularly familiar with the politics of the capital.
Since 2020, Podgorica has been governed by the former 30 August coalition. Correct me if I’m wrong. Dritan was, of course, part of Olivera Injac’s administration. Now URA is gone. That is the main difference in the current government. In the opposition, we have Turnaround, which is something new. We also have Dusko Markovic’s party, which holds two council seats.
The trigger for the latest crisis was the resignation of Jelena Borovinic Bojovic, which has allegedly made it impossible for the former partners to reach an agreement. The coalition fell apart after the events in Botun.
As a reminder, PES and Sasa Mujovic made what was then a principled, courageous, and politically costly decision to proceed with the project. M.K. Pipun, with the help of the SNS and Lazar Ristovski, launched a campaign that ultimately cost him his place in government. With this move, M.K. Pipun caused a split within ZBCG and created an abscess that has yet to burst publicly. Pipun cannot attack Mandic directly, so instead he lashes out at everyone else in the coalition, including his former party colleague Jelena Borovinic Bojovic.
J.J. and A.D. came to his aid, and Lj.M. also became involved. This despite the fact that A.D. was nearly politically “shaved bald” by M.K. Pipun and his team during the dispute over the wastewater treatment plant, which the activist supported. Before that, all of them—and, of course, Dritan—were friends.
The Podgorica government is a government united around an outdated anti-DPS instinct, a government of very poor decisions. A government of scandals and, judging by the comments of Podgorica residents, poorly organised public services. Yet it is not in crisis for any of those reasons. It is in crisis because of Mujovic and PES’s principled decision to push ahead with the project at any cost.
Srdjan Peric has emerged as a compromise solution. While I do believe in Srdjan’s principles—which, by the way, make him politically unusable—I do not believe in DNP’s intentions. Given the experience of my city, I do not believe in the narrative of “good and bad Serbs.” Especially since there is no one worse than M.K. Pipun. As a politician, not as a Serb. M.K. is an ally and friend of Aleksandar Vucic. That is why I do not understand how, for A.D., he can be seen as the embodiment of the struggle against the injustices of the DPS regime.
Secondly, how did we get into a situation where politicians such as Pipun and Jovanovic are becoming a healthier alternative to Mandic, Spajic, and others in power?
If this is a matter of tactics, then it should be stated openly. We should not seek partners or Peter Magyars among people who uphold the same ideology and the same political loyalty to state and church authorities in Belgrade.
That is all for today. We wish you a pleasant rest of the day.
Kind regards,
Ljubomir Filipovic, CdM analyst and columnist
(Columnists opinions and views do not necessarily reflect those of the CdM editorial staff)
