Countries

Montenegro

ID card Area: 13,812 km² Population: 0.6 million Density: 43 inhab/km² Capital: Podgorica (Titograd from 1946 to 1992) Languages: Serbian Montenegrin (Official language, Cyrillic writing), Albanian Origins: Montenegrins (43%), Serbs (32%), Bosnians (8%), Albanians (5%) Religions: Orthodox (75%), Muslim (24%), Croatian Catholic minority GDP per capita: 2,950 € Currency: Euro (unilaterally adopted)

• History

It is often thought that Montenegro is a new State. It is true in the sense that it is the most recent of the independent States of Europe. It is false, because it is a very old country.
It is six times larger and more populated than Luxemburg and than Malta.
The country of Zeta enters History with Prince Vojislav, and his son Michael, that the pope recognizes as King in 1077.
Its settlement by the Serbs made of it a province of this powerful state (under the name of Zeta), from 12^th to 14^th century, where local dynasties control it.
The Turkish invasion will deeply change the things: the Montenegrins take refuge in the mountains, and stay the only Balkan country to keep its independence (in a small Principality).
Since 1516, they will be governed by an astonishing dynasty of Prince-Bishops, who transmitted the power from uncle to nephew. The most known is Petar II (1813-51).
Its successor Vladika Danilo II (1851-1860) decided to secularize his throne by renouncing to his charge of Bishop and to marry. His son, Nikola I (1860-1918), self-proclaimed King, defeated the Ottomans, developed his country so that it became neighbour of the Kingdom of Serbia. He will take part in the Balkan wars of 1912, from which he will take advantage, and will be at the sides of the Allied forces during the First World War.
In 1918, the King of Serbia imposes his concept of kingdom “of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes”. Serbia makes a takeover by force by occupying and annexing its neighbour. The old King Nikola is constrained to leave his country; he died later in its golden exile on the French Riviera. He has been called “the grandfather of Europe”, in reference to Victoria, “the grandmother of Europe”, having married his many - and charming - daughters with the European sovereigns.
Alas, in this kingdom with federal vocation, Montenegrins, Bosnians, Macedonians are not mentioned. Montenegro is nothing any more but one Serbian province, Zeta (again).
An attempt at revolt of the Montenegrin people fails in 1919. It will make thousands of victims, and a massive emigration will follow.
Under the reign of King Alexander, the fiction of the federal state disappears: it is the first Yugoslavia, in fact a centralized Serbian state.
After the throes of WW2, where Montenegro suffered the sad destiny of Serbia, was born the second titoist Yugoslavia, where a status of full Federal Republic is recognized for Montenegro.
The republic will take only a small part in the drama of the post-Tito breakup and the secession wars.
Montenegro constituted with Serbia the third Yugoslavia (in fact as of the secessions of 1992), then on March 14, 2002, officially renamed Serbia-and-Montenegro (February 4, 2003), under the patronage of the EU.
Separatist forces quickly appeared and gained the elections (Milo Djukanovic, President), opening the way to the referendum of May 21, 2006. The EU was very hostile with this new breakup, regarding the union of both so close states, by the language, the culture, the religion, as completely viable.
In view of the force ratio between separatists and supporters of the union, the EU imposed a rather not very democratic voting rule, namely the need of one "yes" for independence over 55%, with a participation of people of more than 50%. Nobody thought that this level could be reached, but it was, narrowly, and EU had to resign. On June 3, 2006, independence was proclaimed, and the new State became on July 12, 2006 the 192^th state, and to date the last one, member of UNO.

• Montenegrin languages

The official language is the Serbian that is now called Serbian Montenegrin, the nationalists pushing forward local differences with the Serbian language. The minorities (in particular Albanian), speak their language without the statuses of these minorities being really in conformity with the EU requirements.

Montenegro unilaterally chose to adopt the Euro for national currency at its independence (June 3, 2006). Not being EU member, like Andorra and Kosovo, this choice doesn't give it, to date, any specific right (national side particularly). One thus finds in Montenegro coins of all origins, often German.
Candidate to enter the EU, Montenegro did not see to date its request for official candidature approved, but preliminary negotiations started.
An agreement called SAA (Stabilization and Association Agreement) was concluded.
 
”The fourth technical round of SAA negotiations with Montenegro took place on the 8th of November. The technical part of SAA negotiations was completed on 1 December 2006
On 15 March 2007, the Stabilization and Association Agreement was initialed by Prime Minister Sturanovic and EU Commissioner Olli Rehn. This was a major step forward for Montenegro.”

E-mail : pays@amisdeleuro.org

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