Montenegro faces information manipulation and narrative shaping that pose serious challenges, especially during significant socio-political events. These processes have a goal – to provoke emotional reactions among citizens and further deepen social polarization, as well as to incite ethnic tensions and fuel nationalism.
The Digital Forensic Center, in its studies and analyses, has pointed out the strong influence and synergy of various media, associations, organizations, and individuals, especially during sensitive socio-political periods such as NATO membership, elections, adoption of certain laws, government formation, protests, and population censuses. These actors, through organizing numerous forums, conferences, and cultural events, disseminate deceptive narratives, manipulating public opinion in Montenegro. Creators of such content employ various techniques and mechanisms to reach their target audience. Certain media outlets play a significant role in amplifying content of questionable nature to a wider audience. All of this indicates elements of soft power that use media, culture, history, symbols, literature, film, television, and social networks as means to achieve their goals. The DFC extensively discussed this in the study Russia’s Role in the Balkans: The Case of Montenegro. In general, the goal of DFC analyses is to highlight the dissemination of disinformation, delicate and suggestive narratives aimed at influencing citizens’ perception of important issues.
Frequent abuses in the information space of Montenegro pertain to Montenegrin history, tradition, culture, and identity. The purpose of these carefully crafted deceptions based on Montenegro’s historical heritage is to justify Serbian nationalism and the narrative of the need for Montenegro to return to traditional values within the broader Orthodox, pan-Slavic community.
In anticipation of the national cultural holiday – Njegoš Day – and the upcoming population census, narratives have been revived that falsify Montenegrin history and deny the statehood of Montenegro and the Montenegrin identity. In the media and at increasingly frequent events organized in Montenegro, some actors aim to transform Montenegro into another Serbian state, denying the fundamental values of Montenegrin anti-fascism and undermining the secular character of the state. The orchestrated campaign to negate the identity values of Montenegrin society is highly intensive.
In December 2021, the members of the Montenegrin Parliament voted to declare November 13, the day of Njegoš’s birth, as the national cultural holiday. Although the intention was to dedicate this holiday to Njegoš’s life and work through various cultural events, there were ongoing debates on the ownership of Njegoš’s legacy and the manipulation of his name for political purposes. There is an increasingly noticeable misuse of Njegoš’s birth holiday within political, national, ideological, religious, and cultural contexts.
Petar II Petrović Njegoš profoundly influenced the spiritual, state, and national essence of Montenegro. With his reformist and visionary spirit, he managed to establish the foundations of the modern Montenegrin state. He served as both a spiritual and secular ruler during a period of tribal divisions and led struggles for liberation from the Ottoman Empire. Additionally, Njegoš advocated for South Slavic unity and Pan-Slavic integralism. Over the years, various interpretations of Njegoš’s works have emerged, providing fertile ground for manipulation. Njegoš and his works are politically instrumentalized, although it is crucial to recognize that the present time cannot be directly compared to the historical context in which they were created. This is evident in the statements of political entities, media coverage, and the actions of various organizations and individuals.
Great Serbian ideologists, politicians, media, and propagandists with a strong anti-Montenegrin sentiment increasingly falsify Montenegrin history and claim Njegoš as a Serbian writer. They attempt to use one of the most prominent secular and religious leaders in Montenegro as an instrument to deny Montenegrin identity, culture, and history. These same actors, with the support of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC), advocate for the idea of restoring the chapel on Mount Lovćen, which was built by the Serbian king Aleksandar Karađorđević in 1925. All these activities are part of a broader context reflected in the concept of the Serbian world. The DFC extensively analyzed this topic in the study The Serbian World – an originally borrowed concept.
In anticipation of Njegoš Day and the announced population census in Montenegro, numerous examples are evident of how the figure and work of Njegoš are used to bolster arguments within the context of daily political events. For instance, the Serbian tabloid Alo promoted the narrative that a new dirty campaign was underway in Montenegro, suggesting that after failing to seize Serbian Orthodox Church sanctities, Montenegrins were now attempting to seize Njegoš from Serbs. The trigger for this tabloid’s coverage was a public opinion survey titled Plenum on Montenegrin-Serbian Relations, which showed that the majority of Montenegrin citizens consider Njegoš a part of Montenegrin culture. In this way, the Alo portal misused facts, presenting the results of the public opinion survey out of context to create a false impression or manipulate the interpretation of information. The monitoring of Serbian media conducted by the Digital Forensic Center over four years revealed that the Alo portal was one of the most widely read Serbian media outlets in Montenegro, continuously disseminating content of questionable quality.
During a strong campaign leading up to the upcoming census, in addition to Njegoš, Serbian propagandists are appropriating other historical figures. An example of this is the campaign by the pro-Serbian and pro-Russian portal IN4S titled “Proud of Our Serbian.” This media outlet is recognized in domestic and international analyses as a platform that generates and disseminates disinformation. During the campaign, reputable figures from Croatian history, such as Ruđer Bošković and Valtazar Bogišić, were portrayed as Serbs. In this way, by misleading the public, an attempt is made to impose a Serbian identity in Montenegro. Due to the unacceptable attribution of Croatia’s historical heritage to Serbian culture and the Croatian people, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia issued a protest note to the Montenegrin authorities. However, there was no reaction from the Montenegrin side.
A program commemorating Njegoš Day was organized in Herceg Novi, Nikšić, and Podgorica. The public institution Herceg Fest and the Secretariat for Culture and Education of the Municipality of Herceg Novi organized events over four days in honor of Njegoš. The poster announcement featured Njegoš’s image and the former chapel, representing a part of a campaign in line with decades-long demands from the Serbian Orthodox Church and its political followers who seek the return of the chapel to Mount Lovćen. One of the events in Herceg Novi included a lecture titled “Njegoš – Our Secret.” The speaker was the Archpriest-Staurophore of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Gojko Perović, who referred to the Mountain Wreath as a written monument to the Kosovo Covenant in Montenegro. The association of the Kosovo Covenant with Njegoš is also observed in the views of the Serbian right-wing party Zavetnici. The president of that party, Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski, in the TV show Utisak nedelje on November 5, 2023, responded to a question from sociology professor Jovo Bakić from the University of Belgrade about the origin of the word zavet (vow) by stating that Petar Petrović Njegoš, drawing strength from our Kosovo tragedy, defined the Kosovo Covenant in the best sense for the renewal of the state and the liberation of our people.
On December 7, 2023, in Nikšić, a panel discussion titled “Svobodijada” took place, during which Dr. Radmilo Marojević presented his new book O Njegošu i njegošolozima (On Njegoš and Njegošologists). The book is published by the Institute for Serbian Culture in Nikšić. Dr. Radmilo Marojević, a former dean of the Faculty of Philology in Belgrade, in a panel discussion held in 2020 at the Serbian House, asserted that Serbs and Albanians are nationally oriented, while Montenegrins, in an ethnic sense, have never existed, do not exist today, and cannot exist. Marojević promotes this narrative using mechanisms of misinformation, historical falsification, and bias by favoring Serbs and Albanians on one side and tendentiously denying the existence of Montenegrins on the other. It’s worth noting that in 2020, in its analysis titled Narrative of the Serbian World Negates the Montenegrin Identity, DFC highlighted Marojević’s appearances and the intensive campaign to promote this concept after the parliamentary elections in August 2020 and leading up to the census initially planned for 2021.
The Serbian Movement Njegoš also organized Njegoš Days in Cetinje, Nikšić, and Podgorica. Njegoš Days began on November 10 with a literary evening in Cetinje, during which Metropolitan Joanikije stated that Njegoš reveals the sacred meaning of history, both global and particularly Serbian history. The following day, a roundtable discussion at the Radosav Ljumović National Library in Podgorica focused on Njegoš and Montenegrin divisions. A solemn academy titled “Great Assembly” on the eve of Njegoš Day took place on November 12 in the Parish House in Nikšić. On this occasion, speakers included Metropolitan Joanikije of Montenegro and the Littoral, the Mayor of Nikšić Marko Kovačević, the President of the Serbian Movement Njegoš Branislav Baćović, the President of the Njegoš Literary Society, Milutin Mićović, and the actor Petar Božović. It is evident that Njegoš Day was marked by those who deny Montenegrin independence and the uniqueness of the Montenegrin identity, as reflected in their numerous statements and actions. In his work Luča u tami Crne Gore (The Light in the Darkness of Montenegro) Milutin Mićović suggests that without Serbdom, Montenegrins are zero people. A well-known statement from Metropolitan Joanikije in March 2022 during a liturgy in the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Podgorica claimed that Montenegro is projected to be a small Ukraine. During the event in Nikšić, Metropolitan Joanikije continued the strong campaign by the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) regarding the return of the chapel to Lovćen, stating that darkness will disappear when the assembly, or Njegoš’s chapel, returns to Lovćen, where his holy relics will find peace. The narrative that darkness prevails in Montenegro may contribute to further divisions in society. The Serbian Movement Njegoš, which organized Njegoš Days, was founded in 2019 to advocate for the rights of Serbs and speakers of the Serbian language in Montenegro. According to their website, members of the Serbian Movement Njegoš include, among others, Vesna Bratić, a former minister of education, science, culture, and sports, Bojan Strunjaš, a Serbian language professor and one of the founders of the Serbian Cultural Center Patriarch Varnava, and Mara Šćepanović, a professor at the University of Montenegro and an official of the Citizens’ Association CIVIS.
The Agora panel organized by the Public Institution Zahumlje in Nikšić, held on November 14, was also dedicated to Njegoš. The topic of the panel was Athens and Jerusalem: Serbian Visions in the Middle Ages and Njegoš’s Century, and the speaker was Prof. Dr. Mikonja Knežević from the Faculty of Philosophy in Kosovska Mitrovica. Through the IN4S portal, Knežević promoted the narrative that the processions were epic, almost biblical events. Guesting on the show Serbian World on national TV, broadcasted from Belgrade, he emphasized that the processions prevented the expulsion of Serbs from Montenegro.
Whenever topics related to history, questioning Montenegrin sovereignty, identity, language, culture, interethnic, and interreligious relations are raised, the interpretation of Njegoš’s role and works becomes significant. To Serbian proponents and fighters for the Serbian cause, the Montenegrin bishop Rade is repeatedly addressed from the depths of the centuries, outside the context of the time, environment, and space in which he lived and created.
It is evident that by organizing the mentioned events, there is an intention to influence the wider public and promote the narrative that the secular and religious leader of Montenegro, Petar II Petrović Njegoš, is undoubtedly a Serb rooted in the Serbian, rather than Montenegrin, historical and cultural context. According to interpretations heard from Serbian nationalist circles, articulated most loudly by officials of the Serbian Orthodox Church, it is deemed necessary to return the chapel to Lovćen, representing a symbol of reconciliation and healing for Montenegro. In the context of appropriating Njegoš, numerous domestic and regional propagandists and extremists misuse the figure and work of the Montenegrin ruler within the framework of revisionist fabrications. Their goal is to influence as wide a circle of Montenegrin citizens as possible through the falsification of history. Through this lens, the increasingly vocal and aggressive advocacy by the clergy of the Serbian Orthodox Church for introducing religious education into the Montenegrin school system can be viewed.