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Die Tageszeitung: New government is under the magnifying glass of Brussels and Washington

Only one wrong step of the new government in Montenegro, shaped with Serbian outlook on the region and the world, will be enough for the West to support Milo Đukanović again, Die Tageszeitung writes.

”Western Balkans is a mixture of small countries with inadequate democracies, deeply divided societies, weak economies and unsettled historical bills. Each one of them wants to become EU Member State, but they do very little to adapt to European standards.

As long as there is peace in the region, this situation is acceptable from the EU’s perspective. People love to accept an autocrat if he ensures regional stability and sticks to the pro-Western course. At one point, frustration prompts all opponents of the authoritarian regime that they can get rid of easy way or hard way. And that’s exactly what happened in the parliamentary elections in Montenegro”, Die Tageszeitung.

“Civil and pro-western forces have joined Serbian orthodox and pro-Russian parties only to oust Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) and its president”.

However, there are concerns in the region, Die Tageszeitung states.

“People from Brussels and Washington look at the small Adriatic country with sadness. Because Milo Đukanović is an autocrat – “our” autocrat.

In 29 years of Mr Đukanović’s rule, sometimes as head of the government and sometimes as president, great Serbian expansion policy was stopped. He apologized to Croatians for participation of Montenegrin reserve officers in Dubrovnik attacks; despite protests of Montenegrin Serbs, he tore down the union with Serbia and led Montenegro to independence; Mr Đukanović opened accession negotiations with the EU, he broke away from the hug of brotherly, Slovenian-Orthodox Russia and pushed the country into NATO without referendum. He recognized independence of Kosovo and thus exposed himself to the rage of Belgrade and Serbs in Montenegro.

„Thanks to all these “achievements”, corruption and decades of exclusive rule of the Montenegrin “capo di tutti capi” were accepted in Brussels. Winning coalition rushed to say that they didn’t want to shake foreign policy agreements and obligations. But doubts over the new government still remain. Another autocrat, Mr Aleksandar Vučić, presented the victory of Serbian parties inn MNE as his own”, Die Tageszeitung writes.

And there’s also role of the Metropolitan Amfilohije, who actively carried out campaign for Serbian parties.

“The trigger for months-long mass protests in MNE was Mr Đukanović’s attempt to nationalize the property of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro. The new government primarily wants to abolish the adopted law”.

According to Die Tageszeitung, Metropolitan (82) encouraged reserve officers in the war campaign in Dubrovnik.

“And now the herd of the once belligerent shepherd come to throne. Although ideologically different, coalition partners have agreed to from “expert government”. And while the government controlled by Mr Đukanović had relatively bad relations only with Serbia, the homeland of Montenegrin Serbs has problematic bilateral relations with almost all post-Yugoslav countries.”

The joy at democratic turnaround in MNE is mixed with the concern. Besides, Mr Đukanović is far from being ousted. His presidential term of office lasts three years and it is very hard to dismantle autocratic system that has been built for decades. Only one wrong step of the new government in Montenegro, shaped with Serbian outlook on the region and the world, will be enough for the West to support Milo Đukanović again”.

 

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