Montenegrin Education Minister Accused of Insulting Minorities

Montenegrin Minister of Education Vesna Bratic at a pro-government support protests in Podgorica. Photo: Facebook/Milos Vujovic

At the protests, Bratic said that only the current government can sign a fundamental agreement with the Serbian Orthodox Church, and it couldn't be done either by minority parties or the opposition Social Democratic Party and Social Democrats.

"Their representatives voted for the [former government's] controversial Law on Freedom of Religion," she recalled, adding that she "respected the ruling majority who voted for me".

Black on White, the SNP and the opposition all accused the minister of undermining the civic concept of the state with her remarks.

Bratic later pointed out she had only named some of the politicians who had supported the controversial religion law that triggered massive street protests in December 2019 by supporters of the country's largest faith group, the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Putting relations with the Church on a new footing has been a key item on the current government's agenda.

On Sunday, government supporters protested against a proposed non-confidence motion in the cabinet led by Prime Minister Krivokapic.

The protests were joined by several ministers, including Bratic, Minister of Finance and Social Care Milojko Spajic, Minister for Economic Development Jakov Milatovic and Minister of Ecology and Spatial Planning, Ratko Mitrovic. Health Minister Jelena Borovinic Bojovic supported the protests on Twitter.

Milatovic accused the Black on White bloc of betraying the political victory they had all won together in the parliamentary elections of August 2020, ousting the Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, from power.

"They are trying to save the DPS and allow...