Are the Democrats a Threat to Democracy?

2026-03-09 - 07:27

Good morning! The Democrats have long and seriously embraced the role of a state cudgel meant to bring everyone into line. The biggest problem with this is that they are severely underqualified for such an undertaking. These people clearly do not understand what the state is or what the rule of law means—and the result is their inability to handle the tasks they have set for themselves. This naturally creates frustration, which they try to relieve by going after people who criticise them in public. If you have nothing better to do—join the “Ten to Eight” group on Viber by clicking this link. Are the Democrats a threat to democracy? After the harassment of Petar Komnenic, which the police director first announced and then carried out, and after the intimidation of Dusko Kovacevic, last week the police also filed charges against Milan Knezevic because he publicly revealed that—believe it or not—the police director is nicknamed Lazar Bukva (*Bukva – literal meaning: Beech tree; figurative meaning: a blockhead, a dull-witted person). Imagine what the police are dealing with while the fugitive Milos Medenica mocks them on Twitter. You may recall that Veselin Veljovic once did something similar after someone called him a “prdnjava” (*prdnjava – literal meaning: fart; figurative meaning: a laughingstock) on Facebook. Milan Knezevic may be an agent of chaos, a proxy for Aleksandar Vucic, and someone whose goal is the constant destabilisation of Montenegro, but when it comes to the behaviour of the police, he is completely right. After Knezevic, the Democrats issued a statement threatening analyst Danilo Kalezic because, in an interview for the Bosnian outlet Vijesti.ba, conducted by Tamara Nikcevic, he said they were acting as a Russian proxy and implementing its agenda, focusing on the alleged tightening of the noose and preparations for the arrest of Milo Djukanovic. I would disagree with Kalezic on several points, but that does not mean that disagreement with his analysis is grounds for putting him on trial. Interestingly, in their statement, the Democrats did not say they would sue Kalezic, they said they would judge him. I do not believe the Democrats are a Russian-Serbian proxy. I believe they share a worldview with Russia and Serbia, but I think they are primarily opportunistic. As Russia weakened and became isolated after the invasion of Ukraine, the Democrats opportunistically distanced themselves from Russia and their former idol, Vladimir Putin. Krapovic’s “Harasho,” property dealings, trips to Moscow, and contacts with Serbian security services still exist. But they have decided it would be better to appeal to someone in the West. They have not managed to impress anyone, because after a few meetings, people, sooner or later, become aware of their limitations. The Democrats are an ideologically empty party, except when we hear about ideology from Momo Koprivica, who has essentially copied the ideology of his former idol Vojislav Seselj and given it a European charm. Something like Vucic in 2013. In that sense, I do not think the Democrats work for Russia or Serbia. But I also think they would readily offer themselves if those forces advanced to the Danube, as many in Montenegro have dreamed for years. Second, I do not think the Democrats’ biggest sin is their drive to go after Djukanovic and their desire for him and those around him to pay the price for what they have accused him of for years. The problem is that for those accusations, they have nothing on paper, even five years after the change of government. All they have managed to find so far is an old hunting weapon and a few folders we will hear about for months, just like with the Sky app. The Democrats’ biggest sin in all of this is their drive for totalitarian control over the security sector. In doing so, they harm the system, the state, and democracy in Montenegro. Everything is fine as long as they remain below 10% support. God forbid they become as strong as Mandic or PES. Very quickly, they would rise to 50% and start harassing the entire country. That’s all for today. Have a pleasant rest of the day. Kind regards, Ljubomir Filipovic, CdM analyst and columnist (Columnists’ opinions and views do not necessarily reflect those of the CdM editorial board)