Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Union with Serbia, then Independence
As communism collapsed throughout Eastern Europe, Slobodan Milošević used the issue
of Kosovo to ride to power in Serbia on a wave of nationalism. Montenegrins largely sup-
ported their Orthodox co-religionists.
In 1991 Slovenia and Croatia declared independence from the federation and the
Yugoslav wars commenced. There was no fighting in Montenegro, but Montenegrin para-
military groups, in conjunction with the Serb-dominated Yugoslav army, were responsible
for the shelling of Dubrovnik and parts of the Dalmatian littoral. These acts appeared to
serve no strategic purpose and were roundly criticised in the international press. In 1992,
by which point BiH and Macedonia had also opted for independence, the Montenegrins
voted overwhelmingly to remain in the rump Yugoslav state with Serbia. Admittedly there
was some Montenegrin edginess about their place within 'Greater Serbia', and the auto-
cephalous Montenegrin church was revived in 1993.
In 1946 the Montenegrin capital was moved from Cetinje to Podgorica and renamed Titograd. In 1992 Ti-
tograd was changed back to Podgorica, which remained the capital.
As the bloody war in Bosnia wound down with the signing of the Dayton accords in
1995, Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Ðukanović began distancing himself from
Milošević. Previously a Milošević ally, Ðukanović, who had been elected in 1991, realised
that in the face of declining living standards and rising discontent, Montenegro would fare
better if it adopted a more pro-Western course. In doing so he became the darling of
Western leaders, who were trying to isolate and bring down Milošević. As the Serbian re-
gime became an international pariah, the Montenegrins increasingly moved to re-establish
their distinct identity. Relations with Serbia rapidly cooled, with Ðukanović winning fur-
ther elections in Montenegro despite spirited interference from Belgrade.
In 2000 Milošević lost the election in Serbia and in 2001 he was arrested; he died in
prison in The Hague while on trial for war crimes. In 2003 the name Yugoslavia was con-
signed to the dustbin of history and Montenegro entered into a state union with Serbia. In
theory the union was based on equality between the two members but in practice Serbia
was such a dominant partner that the union proved infeasible from the outset. Again, this
rankled given the Montenegrins' historic self-opinion as the 'best of the Serbs'. In May
