Montenegro, a secular state? A discussion on the power of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro

Abstract

This paper is concerned with explaining the reason for and how the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) managed to influence the perceptions of half of the population in Montenegro, thereby impacting the voting outcome of the 2020 parliamentary elections. The paper presents a historical overview of the political and religious situation in the country, focusing on the two main orthodox churches- the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Montenegrin Orthodox Church (MOC), as well as their relationships with the government of Montenegro and the president, Milo Đukanović specifically. The reason for the discussion between the SOC and the government was the passing of the law on the freedom of religion and legal property, article 52 to be exact. The paper also provides an insight into the agendas and rhetoric of both the SOC and MOC, as well as the Đukanović government. To address this issue properly, this paper combined various legal documents, such as the Constitution of Montenegro and the law of the freedom of religion and legal property issued in 2019, with various regional and global news outlets that reported on this heated argument between the two parties. The paper also provides an insight into the agendas and rhetoric of both the SOC and MOC, as well as the Đukanović government. Lastly, it serves as a study of the influence of religious institutions on democratic processes. The work concludes that the SOC in Montenegro still has a growing influence that has recently been exercised to impact their position and power through the shaping of public opinion.