Protests are going on in Montenegro, even though they are not as powerful as they were at the end of October in Podgorica, where a few thousand protesting people demanded the resignation of Premier Milo Djukanović. In December the opposition plans to organize new protests. Veniamin Striga, Deputy Chairman of the Coordination Council of Russian Compatriots in Montenegro, believes that the government has not listened to the previous protests: “There were tens of thousands of people on the streets. The protests were subdued by a huge amount of tear gas, batons, special means. There were victims among the police and civilians. The government did not listen to these protests and continued its line. Accordingly, the protesters are now regrouping, there are political demands related to the economic demands, requirements that are consolidating around the resignation of the government and the Prime Minister; but almost all the protesters converge on one point – 90% agree that the country should not join NATO.”
According to government estimates, only 30% are against NATO. According to conservative estimates of independent experts and sociological services, it is about 64%, but it could be as much as 80%.
Recently information appeared that a Yugoslavian actor Mima Karadžić, who played in many Yugoslavian and Serbian movies and shows, was screened in an advertising video as part of the propaganda campaign for Montenegro’s membership of NATO. A singer Milena Vucic and a water polo player Nikola Yanovic were also screened in the video.
However, according to Veniamin Striga, Karadžić publicly said that the movie was fake and that he called for cultural exchange and cooperation: “Now all the billboards in Montenegro are being changed urgently, some of the billboards now campaigning for NATO have photographs of the current prime minister, Milo Djukanovic, others have a candidate from the ruling party. That is, the whole intelligentsia is starting to move away to the other side,” Striga is sure.
The expert also reminds that NATO accepts countries that have no territorial disputes. In Montenegro there have been territorial disputes, and not just one dispute. The most famous territorial dispute was over Cape Prevlaka. “This cape divides a sea lane in the famous Kotor Bay, where there are shipbuilding companies and repair docks, and the former Yugoslav submarine base, in general it is a large sea lane, very big ships can sail there. This is a strategic point in the Balkans, a large bay. The entrance to this bay is territorially still controlled by Montenegro. But if the second cape goes to Croatia by territorial dispute, and Croatia is a NATO member, then in practice the entrance to the large bay will be controlled by two countries. The territorial dispute will move to another level. Previously, Montenegro owned the cape and Croatia claimed it, and now it could turn out to be the opposite way. It is not known whether the military forces of Croatia have been activated or not, whether there is a violation of the border or not, but nevertheless, there is such an insight,” Striga said.
Moreover, he says that people are beginning to realize that joining NATO will cause the Republic of Montenegro to lose markets, and these markets are formed by Russian capital, Russian investments, and Russian consumers – consumers of travel services, and consumers of property.
