Amfilohije's Monument Polarises Montenegro Ahead of Key Local Elections

A monument of a controversial Serbian Orthodox leader shakes the government

Amfilohije mural in Tivat (Montenegro); Source Mondo.me

The political landscape in Montenegro is once again shaken by church developments, this time surrounding the erection of a monument to the controversial figure of the late Metropolitan Amfilohije.

The upcoming city assembly elections in Podgorica, scheduled for this Sunday (29 September), add to the complexities of the debate. Some observers say these local elections in Montenegro’s capital are everything but local and that the government’s quick decision to greenlight Amfilohije’s monument in Berane is to showcase support for the Serbian church and, in that way, profit electorally from the elections.

In other words, this is a test of loyalty to the Serbian church.

The controversial figure of the Serbian church leader in Montenegro, who died in 2020 due to Covid complications, has reinforced divisions in the Montenegrin society along national lines and the role of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

The Berane municipality (eastern part of Montenegro) had initially proposed the monument. The unfolding of the process that led to the government’s involvement in the matter is extraordinary, as it showcases the accumulation of power in the Serbian church in Montenegro.

Initially, the Montenegrin Minister of Culture, Tamara Vujović, rejected the proposal, stating that, according to the relevant legislation, monuments to persons cannot be erected at least twenty years after their death.