Montenegro’s government has decided to approve a proposal to build a monument to late Orthodox Christian Metropolitan Amfilohije, which has caused tensions within the cabinet with representatives of the Bosniak and Albanian minorities quitting the September 19 session.

Religion has often become a contentious political issue in Montenegro, where the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro, headed by Amfilohije until he died of coronavirus (COVID-19) in 2020 at the age of 90, exists alongside the Montenegrin Orthodox Church.

The adoption of a law on the church by a former government led by the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) caused a rift both within the country and with Belgrade, and ultimately contributed to the end of the DPS’ decades-long time in power.

Montenegro’s current government, led by the Europe Now party (PES) is back by a broad group of partners including the Albanian Forum and Bosniak Party, as well as the conservative, pro-Serbian Coalition for the Future of Montenegro. 

A proposal to build the monument to Amfilohije was made by Montenegro’s Minister of Culture and Media Tamara Vujovic.

“The monument to metropolitan Amfilohije will be a permanent reminder of his strength, his wisdom and his love for Montenegro and his faith,” Montenegro’s Deputy Prime Minister Aleksa Becic said following the government session.

However, the government members from the Bosniak and Albanian parties were angered by the decision and left the session, public broadcaster RTCG reported.

The Albanian Forum issued a statement, explaining that its representative has left the government’s session as Amfilohije "spread hatred" by calling Albanians, Bosniaks and Muslims derogatory and offensive names, as well as insulting Montenegrins, whom he did not recognise as a nation.

“He has expressed and spread hatred towards the West and democratic states and societies and towards our neighbours, and supported the most backward and retrograde states and regimes. He has expressed himself negatively not only towards national minorities, but also towards all other minorities. He praised convicted war criminals and downplayed their crimes,” the Albanian Forum said.

The Bosniak Party also commented on the reasons its ministers quit the session, saying that building a monument to Amfilohije is not in line with a secular and civic state.

“[W]e believe that in secular and civic Montenegro, and in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious environment such as [the town of] Berane, these topics should be approached with much more sensitivity, especially bearing in mind that, due to the controversial statements that Amfilohije Radovic had about Muslims and other religious and ethnic communities in Montenegro, to put it mildly, erecting a memorial will not contribute to multi-religious and multi-ethnic harmony in Berane and Montenegro,” the Bosniak Party said.

Although protesting the decision, neither the Bosniaks, nor the Albanians intend at the moment to quit the ruling coalition.