Serbian–Montenegrin unionism () is a political movement which arose after the break up of former Yugoslavia. It advocates

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

being in a

political union A political union is a type of polity, political entity which is composed of, or created from, smaller polities, or the process which achieves this. These administrative subdivision, smaller polities are usually called federated states and federal ...

with

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

. The relationship between

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...

and

ethnic Montenegrins Montenegrins ( cnr, Црногорци, Crnogorci, or ; literal translation, lit. "Black Mountain People") are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group that share a common Culture of Montenegro, Montenegrin culture, History of Montenegro, histor ...

is generally identified as being the most amicable of all the peoples of the

former Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yu ...

. According to a 2011 national census, 178,110 Montenegrin citizens ethnically identify as Serb, with more than 4,000 identifying as "Serbian-Montenegrin" or "Montenegrin-Serbian".

History

Friendship between the states of Montenegro and Serbia is long-standing. In

19th century The 19th (nineteenth) century began on 1 January 1801 ( MDCCCI), and ended on 31 December 1900 ( MCM). The 19th century was the ninth century of the 2nd millennium. The 19th century was characterized by vast social upheaval. Slavery was abolis ...

, Montenegro and Serbia were officially recognized as independent by the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

. The two entities since shared all essential experiences; they fought as part of the

Balkan League The League of the Balkans was a quadruple alliance formed by a series of bilateral treaties concluded in 1912 between the Eastern Orthodox kingdoms of Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro, and directed against the Ottoman Empire, which at the ...

when it came to ending the Ottoman presence in

Rumelia Rumelia ( ota, روم ايلى, Rum İli; tr, Rumeli; el, Ρωμυλία), etymologically "Land of the Names of the Greeks#Romans (Ῥωμαῖοι), Romans", at the time meaning Eastern Orthodox Christians and more specifically Christians f ...

during the

First Balkan War The First Balkan War ( sr, Први балкански рат, ''Prvi balkanski rat''; bg, Балканска война; el, Αʹ Βαλκανικός πόλεμος; tr, Birinci Balkan Savaşı) lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and invo ...

, and they fought alongside each other against

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

and

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Plans for unification, having predated the independence of the countries, were finally partially implemented after the war. The

Podgorica Assembly The Great National Assembly of the Serb People in Montenegro ( sr, Велика народна скупштина српског народа у Црној Гори, Velika narodna skupština srpskog naroda u Crnoj Gori), commonly known as the Po ...

(November 1918) concluded the decision to merge the

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

with the

, followed by the

creation of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia was a state concept among the South Slavic intelligentsia and later popular masses from the 19th to early 20th centuries that culminated in its realization after the 1918 collapse of Austria-Hungary at the end of World War I and the ...

. The Montenegrin monarchy was thereby removed, and opposition to the annexation culminated in the Christmas Uprising (1919) in which a part the Montenegrin population demonstrated against the Serbian takeover. When Yugoslavia was reformed after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Montenegro became a republic alongside a Serbian entity reduced in size. When in 1991 and 1992, the remaining outstanding Yugoslav republics voted for independence, Montenegro chose to continue a federation with Serbia as

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

("Serbia and Montenegro" after 2003). After 1996, Montenegro – led by rebel and former pro-unionist

Milo Đukanović Milo Đukanović ( cnr, Мило Ђукановић, ; born 15 February 1962) is a Montenegrin politician serving as the President of Montenegro since 2018, previously serving in the role from 1998 to 2003. He also served as the Prime Minister o ...

– reversed its direction and began taking measures to distance itself internally from Serbia and discontinue its role within the federation. This sentiment, which grew popular among the Montenegrin nation, led to the 2006 independence referendum which ended in a majority vote for independence (55.5% of the vote, with the threshold for approval of independence set at a supermajority of 55%).

Political parties in Montenegro that support unionism

Parliamentary parties: *

New Serb Democracy New Serb Democracy (, NSD; officially abbreviated NOVA) is a Serbian nationalist right-wing political party in Montenegro, formed on 24 January 2009 as a merger between Serb People's Party and the People's Socialist Party of Montenegro. Since 201 ...

(national conservative, 9 MPs) * Democratic People's Party (populist, 5 MPs) *

True Montenegro The True Montenegro (; abbr. Права / Prava or ПЦГ / PCG) is a right-wing populist political party in Montenegro, formed in January 2018 from the political movement ''Resistance to Hopelessness'' (OB), prior to the March 2018 presidential ...

(factions, right-wing populist, 1 MP) *

United Montenegro United Montenegro (, UCG) is a conservative political party in Montenegro. Party founder and de facto political leader is Goran Danilović, former Minister of Interior Affairs in Government of Montenegro. History The United Montenegro was founded ...

(factions, conservative, 1 MP) * Workers' Party (factions, syncretic, 1 MP) Non-parliamentary: * Free Montenegro (right-wing populist) *

Democratic Party of Unity Democratic Party of Unity ( cnr, Демократска странка јединства, ''Demokratska stranka jedinstva'', DSJ) is a minor extra-parliamentary national conservative Serbian-Montenegrin unionist political party in Montenegro. ...

(national conservative) *

Democratic Serb Party The Democratic Serb Party ( sr, Демократска српска странка, Demokratska srpska stranka; DSS) is a minor conservative list of political parties in Montenegro, political party in Montenegro, representing the Serbs of Monteneg ...

(christian democratic) * Popular Movement (factions, populist/conservative) Formerly: *

Democratic Party of Socialists The Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro ( cnr, Демократска партија социјалиста Црне Горе, Demokratska partija socijalista Crne Gore, DPS) is a populist political party in Montenegro. A former long-time ...

(1990–1997) * Socialist People's Party (1997–2006) Defunct: * People's Party (1990–1998, 2001–2017) *

Party of Serb Radicals Party of Serb Radicals ( sr, Странка српских радикала, Stranka srpskih radikala, SSR), formerly Serbian Radical Party of Montenegro (SRS CG), was a minor far-right and Serbian nationalist political party, active in Montenegro. ...

(1991–2020) * Serb People's Party (1998–2009) * Yugoslav United Left in Montenegro (1994–2001) * People's Socialist Party (2001–2009) *

Democratic Centre of Boka Democratic Centre of Boka () is a former minor Serb nationalist political party in Montenegro. The party was based in the coastal town of Herceg Novi Herceg Novi ( cyrl, Херцег Нови, ) is a coastal town in Montenegro located at the We ...

(2009–2014) * Serb List (Party) (2012–2020)

References

Sources

* * * *

History

Political parties in Montenegro that support unionism

See also

References

Sources

Further reading