Book Review: Das Europäische Parlement: Supranationalität, Repräsentation and Legitimation, edited by Adreas Maurer and Dietmar Nickel. (Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, 2

Determinants of Individual Support for Independence: Evidence from Montenegro

“…One of the main proponents of Montenegrin independence during this time was the Liberal Alliance of Montenegro (LSCG). Founded in Cetinje, the historical capital of Montenegro, LSCG criticized Montenegro’s involvement in the war in Croatia in 1991, supported the re-establishment of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, and drew upon Montenegro’s independent past to appeal to a separate Montenegrin identity (Bieber 2003, 20). The ruling Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), however, opposed secession, aligning itself with the regime of Serbia’s Slobodan Milošević, while at the same time seeking to preserve Montenegro’s equal status within the federation (Huszka 2013, 110).…”

“…Mass protests by opposition forces in Serbia during the winter of 1996–1997 also provided an impetus to break ties with Serbia, as Ðukanović viewed the protests as an indicator of Milošević’s weakness and used this opportunity to strengthen his position in Montenegro (Morrison 2017, 70). This led to a split within the DPS, with the party’s president, Momir Bulatović, siding with Milosević and advocating for the status quo (Bieber 2003, 30–32). The power struggle between the DPS factions ended with Bulatović’s removal from the party presidency and the subsequent formation of the Socialist People’s Party (SNP) by the Bulatović faction.…”

“…The power struggle between the DPS factions ended with Bulatović’s removal from the party presidency and the subsequent formation of the Socialist People’s Party (SNP) by the Bulatović faction. In the 1997 presidential elections and the 1998 parliamentary elections, Ðukanović would be accused by Bulatović of corruption and secessionism, although at that time Ðukanović campaigned only on a platform of economic and political reforms, which included a higher degree of autonomous decision-making in Montenegro and closer ties with the West, but not outright independence (Huszka 2013, 110; Bieber 2003, 31).…”

“…The 1998–1999 war in Kosovo also played a role in deepening the wedge between Montenegro and Serbia. NATO military intervention in the conflict, and the loss of the war by Serbia, validated the DPS’s strategy to maintain a neutral stance in the conflict (Morrison 2017, 95) and further strengthened resolve to pursue independence (Bieber 2003, 34).…”

“…This article seeks to expand our understanding of the factors shaping individual preference for secession by systematically analyzing survey data from pre-independence Montenegro. Existing scholarly literature has paid significant attention to the determinants and trajectories of secessionist movements (Roeder 2018; Sambanis and Milanovic 2011), including in Montenegro (Bieber 2003; Džankić 2013; Huszka 2013; Morrison 2017; Macek-Macková 2011; Cross and Komnenich 2005). Studies about why independence campaigns arise and how they develop are important to understand individual secessionist attitudes and beliefs.…”