RHETORIC and REFORM. A Case Study of Institution Building in Montenegro 1998 – 2001
RHETORIC and REFORM. A Case Study of Institution Building in Montenegro 1998 – 2001

Author(s): Author Not Specified
Subject(s): Politics, Transformation Period (1990 - 2010)
Published by: ESI – European Stability Initiative
Keywords: transformation in Montenegro;
Summary/Abstract: With the demise of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and the change of administration in Belgrade in autumn 2000, an extraordinary period in Montenegrin history came to an end. Since then, as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has re-entered international institutions, the political landscape has been transformed. As political changes in Belgrade reduce Montenegro’s strategic importance to the West, donor priorities are changing and Montenegro can no longer count on external subsidies continuing at the extraordinary level of the past years. At the same time, the issue of the legacy of Yugoslavia – including servicing the US$ 12.2 billion foreign debt – is back on the table, together with negotiations with the IMF, the World Bank and other creditors .… The risk of Montenegro entering a further spiral of social decline is real. The resulting pressures on Montenegrin society will be considerable, and difficult to predict. Western donors, who have permitted Montenegro to become ever more dependent on generous external support for strategic reasons, now have an interest and a responsibility, given a commitment by the Montenegrin authorities, to assist the former ally to adjust to the new circumstances over a period of time. Grasping the seriousness of the looming crisis is a pre-condition for the Montenegrin leadership to begin to find ways forward. It is equally crucial that outsiders do not take the political and social stability of Montenegro for granted but actively engage the Montenegrin authorities to address the root causes of future instability.

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