Popović: A United Front is Needed in the Fight Against Serbian Nationalism

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The current government in Montenegro, despite significant support from Belgrade and Moscow, is demonstrating an inability to manage fundamental segments, assessed writer and publicist Milorad Popović, in the show “Hej Sloveni” on Gradska RTV.

The key, he says, is the formation of a united civic, anti-fascist, anti-nationalist front composed of all political subjects and structures.

“This synergy would be important for the elections and would send a message to the Western and democratic world that this is a fight against aggressive clerical nationalism and structures that want Montenegro to be a decent and democratic part of Europe,” said Popović.

He states that all paradigms created since the restoration of independence in 2006 have been nullified in the past year.

“In one year, exclusively on national, ethnic, and religious principles, cadres who are against the spirit of the Constitution of Montenegro have come to all key positions,” he said.

Popović is skeptical about the Civic Movement URA and its actions towards resolving Montenegro's political future.

“URA is a key segment that is counted on to make something happen there, but I am quite skeptical because I think it is part of a project to dismantle Montenegro and that its leader is a Serb with tacit tasks. Western structures and America have become involved, but we will see how credible their pressure will be,” Popović points out.

Strategic matters in Montenegro are being decided outside the country, Popović claims, adding, “in Belgrade, Moscow, and Washington.”

“Given the aggressiveness, ideological structure, and background of this government, I fear that without precise and strong monitoring and pressure from Western countries, various instabilities and bad scenarios could occur here, which would cost Montenegro dearly in the long run,” Popović warned.

He reminds that Montenegro is a small society and notes that division within the majority ethnic group carries uncertainty.

“We who are fighting as free citizens must fight more strongly, more bravely, more intelligently for fundamental human rights,” Popović adds.

Serbian nationalism is, he adds, almost unique in Europe.

“About that century-long continuity of intellectual elites in realizing ideological rights for Serbs to be in one state as a dominant ethnic group,” Popović assessed.

Speaking about Serbian nationalism in Bosnia and Herzegovina, he states that those who created Srebrenica are in power today and that the achievements of Srebrenica are at play.

“And from the position of acquired ethnic space, they are seeking their rights,” Popović concluded.

“Serbian World” a State, Not Vučić’s Project

The president of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, Sonja Biserko, says that the “Serbian World” project is not just President Aleksandar Vučić’s, but a state project for decades.

“Now it has gained momentum, it is felt that the historical moment is here and that it can be realized,” Biserko assessed.

Official Belgrade persistently tries, she says, to prevent the cultural and social integration of Serbs in the countries where they live.

She states that Serbian nationalism is the only ideology that exists and that the entire anti-war world and all those who were on that side have failed in the case of Montenegro.

“Montenegro has always been considered territory and an internal issue of Serbia. The return of Montenegro to the fold of the Serbian corpus is something that has been counted on,” Biserko stated.

She reminds that there was an idea to replace Vučić in Serbia with processions, similar to the change of government in Montenegro.

“I think Montenegro has reached a point where Serbia has achieved the maximum in its goals and can only progress further if the Montenegrin side does not organize itself and the Western international community does not understand the context,” Biserko concluded.