Revolution of Justice Gains Momentum

For the last three months protests in Montenegro do not cease, and their scale and intensity only continue to grow. A police crackdown on a small protesters' tent camp near the Parliament in September led to thousand-strong rallies in many cities of Montenegro.

There are a lot of reasons for unrest. The country's economy is in shambles and unemployment and poverty become widespread. The main reason for Montenegrin troubles is the 25-year long dictatorship of Milo Djukanovic.

Along with an unprecedented level of corruption, the persistent policy of dragging Montenegro into NATO also causes citizens' dissatisfaction. NATO membership will inevitably reduce the flow of Russian tourists, and will also make the Montenegrin real estate market unattractive for Russians. In other words - the Euro-Atlantic integration will in the first place hit Montenegrin's welfare. In addition, in exchange for promising membership in the military-political alliance, Brussels will get even more control over Montenegrin government. Thus, since having been invited into the Alliance (December 2), Montenegrin Parliament has already made two explicitly anti-Russian outbursts: imposed additional sanctions against Russian citizens and banned trade with Crimea "as a response to illegal annexation of the territory by Russia." Obviously, those decisions were taken under pressure from Djukanovic's Western patrons.

People of Montenegro have expressed their negative attitude towards NATO membership a long time ago according to independent sociological studies, even in September two-thirds of citizens were against the Euro-Atlantic integration. But since an official invitation into NATO the number of protests, where not only anti-government, but also anti-NATO slogans sounded more frequently, has increased dramatically. First of all, Montenegrins demand for holding a referendum on Alliance membership.

Against this background, PM Milo Djukanovic's statement made after the meeting in Podgorica back on December 13 became a colorful illustration of his attitude towards his own people. Commenting on the possibility of referendum, he said that "people didn't elect us so that we would consult with them. There are neither legal obligations, nor a political need to hold a referendum on Montenegro's accession to NATO" - said Milo Djukanovic.

Today a new thousand-strong protest rally took place in the capital under antigovernment and anti-NATO slogans. The rally precedes the meeting of parliamentary opposition leaders with Montenegro authorities. An imposition of an ultimatum on the establishment of a transitional government is expected. Addressing the audience, a representative of "Democratic Front" (DF) opposition coalition Slaven Radenovic congratulated rally participants with an anniversary - twenty-five protests were held since the 27^th of September. He also expressed hope that the opposition's demands are met and on 23^rd of December Montenegrins will not come out for a next rally, but only to celebrate their victory.

Nebojsa Medojevic, leader of the "Movement for Change" and also a member of DF spoke of the inevitability of creating a transitional government to avoid new "terrible decisions" by Milo Djukanovic. In particular, he recalled Montenegrin PM's intention to drag the country into NATO and said that "decision on NATO membership may only be taken on a referendum."

Anyway on December 23, Montenegrins will once again take to the streets of the capital. The only question is whether it will be a solemn procession caused by the victory of democracy or another protest rally against the "last dictator in Europe."