Relations with other nation from a place of training strictness are considered as something to which part of the electorate will react positively. That’s not just specificity of Montenegro and Serbia, but it is also a card used for earning additional vote once the elections come, said in the interview for Pobjeda Mr Zoran Stojiljković, professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade.
Professor Stojiljković says that he doesn’t understand polarization which implies that declaring yourself as a Montenegrin means breaking every connection with the joint Serbian cultural circle.
“If the position in Montenegro is that it is not sovereign as long as there’s Serbian instrument designated through Serbian Orthodox Church, that it gradually leads to the position that Montenegro and Montenegrins should have nothing to do with Serbian origins and that Serbia is always a potential danger”, Mr Stojiljković says.
That’s something that destroys relations and something no one should resort to.
Asked who is destroying relations between the two countries, Mr Stojiljković says – political elites.
“People who are singled out by some sort of nationalism, great Serbian or Great Montenegrin”, Mr Stojiljković says.
Does he believe in the story of the endangerment of Serbs in Montenegro? “Of course not, in existential terms”.
“I just can’t accept that someone declares himself/herself to be a Serb, lives in Montenegro and refuses to accept Montenegro. I think they should feel comfortable”, Professor says.
What is legitimate though, in the interest of Serbian authorities, is another thing.
Asked if Mr Vučić’s meeting with Mr Irinej was part of the pre-election rhetoric, Mr Stojiljković says that Montenegro is not top priority of the Serbian politics, or vice versa.
And does church have its place in the politics, Mr Stojiljković says that the church doesn’t have its place in daily, operational politics, party activities or support for “this or that politician”.
Could current relations have a long-term impact on the stability?
“This has started to be a problem from a place of involving region in the European integration and it has already provoked reactions of European officials”, Professor points out.
“There’s something wrong with Montenegrin politics in relation to Serbia. For the first time, we can see some sort of repugnance expressed through messages of politicians saying that a Montenegrin can’t be a functionary”, Mr Stojiljković concluded.
