Unbreakable Bonds or Geopolitical Strategy: Influence of Serbia in Montenegro

Sudden Death Syndrome

The death of the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny reverberated around the world. Navalny was the most outspoken critic of Putin’s regime and a political prisoner in Russia. He served his sentence on charges of extremism in the Polar Wolf prison, one of the harshest Russian prisons in western Siberia. The circumstances surrounding Navalny’s death […]

The Two-Year Anniversary of the Russian Aggression on Ukraine

Entering the third year of Russian aggression on Ukraine, in parallel with Russian military efforts to capture Avdiivka, marks the hesitance of the West to provide adequate economic and military assistance to Ukraine. The halt in the adoption of a new aid package in the US Congress has directly affected the situation on the front […]

Tabloidization of tragedies

On 26 January 2023, in Podgorica, a family tragedy occurred when a retired police officer killed his wife and son before committing suicide. Most media outlets in Montenegro promptly and objectively reported on this incident, conveying official statements of the relevant authorities. However, this incident once again demonstrated the absence of basic empathy and impartiality […]

Facebook bots: manipulation and politics

The online world has become a key platform of political confrontation in Montenegro. Social media enables political parties and activists to reach a large number of people very quickly. In order to achieve the effect of increased visibility and popularity of certain materials online, these parties and activists use fake accounts, creating fictitious personalities. Such […]

Russian hybrid activities in the Western Balkans: Shadow games

Humanitarians and/or extremists

Far-right pro-Serbian organizations have been trying to establish a prominent role in the socio-political life of Montenegro for an extended period. Their activities were particularly noticeable during significant events in the last four years – religious processions, parliamentary and local elections, the enthronement of the Metropolitan, as well as a large number of protests. Apart […]

Population census: Between statistics and politics

After two years of delays due to the health and political crisis, a population census will be held in Montenegro from November 1 to 15, 2023. The data collected in the census serve as a basis for the strategic development plan of the country. However, instead of obtaining a socio-demographic picture of Montenegro, the census […]

Slowing down the pro-European path of the Western Balkans

In the new millennium, far-right populism was not acceptable within the European Union due to its direct conflict with its values. This was best illustrated at the beginning of the 2000s when the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) won just under 27% of the votes and entered the Austrian government, triggering strong reactions from other EU […]

Civil or national concept for Montenegro

The negotiations regarding the formation of the 44th Government of Montenegro once again encouraged the Serbian leadership to directly interfere in the internal affairs of Montenegro. The issue of the entry of the former DF parties led by Milan Knežević and Andrija Mandić is of key importance for Aleksandar Vučić. Once again, the public is […]