Good morning! I know we were supposed to reflect on Alabbar and Ulcinj today, but I promised the French Embassy that I would publish the letter I sent to the ambassador at the end of last week. Since they reached out to me themselves after my recent criticisms, I decided to respond this time honestly and directly. As they have not found it appropriate to reply, and in line with my promise, I am publishing the letter in full here. If the embassy does eventually choose to respond, I am confident that the editorial team at CdM will publish their response in its entirety — if, of course, it is not beneath them to reply to us, as we are well aware we are far from Borbа’s journalistic standards.
Click here to join our Viber group, where we keep you updated with live news and answer your questions directly.
Letter to the French Ambassador
Sent to the Embassy of France and Ministers Barrot and Haddad on Sunday, 13 April 2025, at 9:53 PM, Mountain Standard Time (MST), Arizona, United States of America.
Monday, 14 April 2025, 6:53 AM, Central European Time (CET):
Dear Ambassador Masqué,
I am writing to you as a concerned Montenegrin citizen, a committed trans-atlanticist, francophile, and commentator on political developments in Montenegro.
Regrettably, I must inform you that I plan to publish yet another critical column regarding the ongoing and deeply troubling pattern of behaviour by the French Embassy — legitimising and cooperating with individuals and institutions that, according to all credible sources, are agents of Serbian nationalism and Russian influence in Montenegro.
The most recent example of this pattern is the awarding of a French national decoration to Mr. Vladimir Bozovic, current rector of the University of Montenegro. Mr. Bozovic is widely known for his long-standing and well-documented role in nurturing pan-Serbian nationalist networks and promoting Russian propaganda narratives in Montenegro. He is one of the founders of the IN4S portal, which consistently operates as a platform for disinformation aligned with Kremlin messaging, including anti-Western content, false narratives, and open support for Russia’s criminal actions in Ukraine.
Mr. Bozovic is not problematic merely for expressing controversial opinions — he has been the subject of analysis by institutions affiliated with NATO, international universities, and regional research centres. His work has been directly funded by the Serbian state, and his ideological agenda persistently undermines Montenegro’s Euro-Atlantic orientation. I attach a link to a 2015 article published on his platform, in which he refers to Montenegrin and Ukrainian national identities as artificial creations of the West, and calls on the Russian Federation to use the Serbian Orthodox Church and Serbian nationalism as soft power tools to “de-Westernise” Montenegro.
Ambassador, this is not your first incident. I have previously criticised your decision to give your first major interview in Montenegro to Borba, another well-known pro-Russian media outlet. These decisions, viewed cumulatively, are reinforcing a growing perception among Montenegro’s civic, pro-European circles that France is not a reliable partner for the country’s European future. Unfortunately, this feeling resonates deeply in our historical memory — especially in light of France’s disgraceful role in the annexation and disappearance of the Montenegrin state in 1918.
By decorating someone like Bozovic, your mission not only offends the democratic and pro-European segments of our society, but also raises questions about France’s stated position on Ukraine. This creates serious doubts about both moral and strategic consistency. It is not possible to show solidarity with Ukraine while honouring those who actively spread Putin’s worldview and whitewash his crimes.
I am writing to you in English not out of formality, but to avoid the possibility of misrepresentation by your local staff, many of whom are publicly known for their pro-Russian and pro-Serbian views.
I sincerely hope that there is still a way to reverse the deeply troubling impression your actions have caused in the Montenegrin civic space. But for now, everything your embassy has done only confirms the opposite.
Respectfully,
Ljubomir Filipovic
CdM political analyst and columnist
That’s all for today and for this week. See you again on Monday.
Kind regards,
Ljubomir Filipovic, CdM analyst and columnist
(Columnists’ views and opinions are not necessarily those of the CdM editorial staff)
