Montenegrin Party: Srdanovic's Origin Isn't an Indictment

The Montenegrin Party from Novi Sad announced today, September 28, that it condemns what it calls an “anti-Montenegrin and discriminatory narrative,” which it says has grown more pronounced in parts of the media close to the government since the lineup of Student List and its first candidate, Ilija Srdanovic, was published. The statement was prompted by coverage of Srdanovic’s national self-identification, which began two weeks earlier.

On September 14 at 10:57 p.m., Novosti published an article claiming that Srdanovic “reportedly declared himself Montenegrin in the last census,” alongside claims about an incident at a polling station in Jarkovac, in the municipality of Secanj, on December 10 of last year. Srdanovic did not comment on those claims individually. He is a cardiologist and professor at the Faculty of Medicine in Novi Sad, employed at the Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases of Vojvodina in Sremska Kamenica.

What the party is saying

In its statement, the Montenegrin Party draws a line between what it considers legitimate debate and what, in its view, is not.

“A candidate’s political biography, public positions and actions are a legitimate subject of political and media debate. Their national background is not,” the statement reads.

The party recalls that it backed Student List before the public even knew its lineup, “believing that Serbia needs new, democratic energy that will build institutions and a society in which all citizens are equal before the law, regardless of national, religious or any other affiliation.” According to the party, the nationality of the future candidates was neither known nor important to them at the time, and its position on the list would be the same no matter who its candidates turned out to be.

That is precisely why, the party says, it finds it unacceptable that Montenegrin origin or national self-identification is now being turned into a political indictment. It singles out terms such as “separatists,” “Milogorci” (a derogatory play on “Montenegrins”) and “foreign elements” as unacceptable.

“Terms that portray Montenegrins as separatists, Milogorci, foreign elements, or people whose mere connection to Montenegro should raise suspicion, are not political criticism. They produce an atmosphere of intolerance toward an entire national community,” the Montenegrin Party said.

The census behind the statement

The party also ties its reaction to a demographic figure: the number of citizens in Serbia who declare themselves Montenegrin fell by nearly half between the last two censuses, according to the party. In that context, it warns that the Montenegrin community must not be acceptable “only when it stays silent, renounces its identity, or adapts its affiliation to the politics of the day.”

“The Montenegrin Party will not stay silent while the Montenegrin name is used to stigmatize any citizen of Serbia, regardless of their political affiliation. Montenegrins are not a threat to Serbia. The threat to any democratic society is a politics that sorts its citizens into desirable and undesirable nations,” the party said.

What Srdanovic himself says

Srdanovic responded to the coverage of his origin even before the Montenegrin Party’s statement. In comments to Danas on September 21, he said the issue would not disrupt his campaign plans.

“All I can say is that this has absolutely no bearing on how the campaign plans will unfold,” Srdanovic said at the time.

As of publication, none of the outlets or lists referenced in the Montenegrin Party’s statement had responded. Whether any of them will address the party’s accusations in the coming days, or whether the matter will remain confined to an exchange of statements, remains to be seen.