Zdravko Krivokapić (
Serbo-Croat Cyrillic
The Cyrillic script ( ) is a writing system used for various languages across Eurasia. It is the designated national script in various Slavic, Turkic, Mongolic, Uralic, Caucasian and Iranic-speaking countries in Southeastern Europe, Ea ...
: Здравко Кривокапић; born 2 September 1958) is a Montenegrin professor and former politician who served as
Prime Minister of Montenegro
The prime minister of Montenegro ( cnr-Latn, Premijer/Premijerka Crne Gore, cnr-Cyrl, Премијер/Премијерка Црне Горе), officially the president of the Government of Montenegro ( cnr-Latn, Predśednik/Predśednica Vlade ...
from 2020 to 2022.
In addition to his professorship at the
Universities of Montenegro and
East Sarajevo, he is one of the founders of the non-governmental organization called "
We won't give up Montenegro", which was founded by Montenegrin professors and intellectuals in support of the
Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro
Eastern Orthodoxy in Montenegro refers to adherents, religious communities, institutions and organizations of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Montenegro. It is the largest Christian denomination in the country. According to the latest 2023 Census ...
after a
controversial religion law targeted the legal status and the property of
the Church. In August 2020, he was chosen as the ballot representative for the
For the Future of Montenegro list which placed second in the
2020 parliamentary election. Together with
Aleksa Bečić
Aleksa Bečić (; born 4 August 1987) is a Montenegrin politician, current Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro since 2023, who served as the president of the Parliament from 2020 until 2022. He is the founder and current president of the centri ...
and
Dritan Abazović, he agreed to form a
technocratic government and in December 2020 he and his cabinet were sworn into office. Krivokapić, who headed a
right-wing populist
Right-wing populism, also called national populism and right populism, is a political ideology that combines right-wing politics with populist rhetoric and themes. Its rhetoric employs anti- elitist sentiments, opposition to the Establishm ...
list in the election, later affiliated himself with the centrist
Democratic Montenegro
Democratic Montenegro ( Serbian and Montenegrin: ''Demokratska Crna Gora'' / Демократска Црна Гора), also known as the Democrats (''Demokrate'' / Демократе), is a conservative liberal, centrist, populist and pro-Eu ...
of the President of the Parliament Aleksa Bečić, and he himself has been ideologically described as a
moderate Christian democrat.
Krivokapić was ousted in a
motion of no confidence
A motion or vote of no confidence (or the inverse, a motion or vote of confidence) is a motion and corresponding vote thereon in a deliberative assembly (usually a legislative body) as to whether an officer (typically an executive) is deemed fi ...
on 4 February 2022, although he continued serving in acting capacity until 28 April 2022, when he was succeeded by
Dritan Abazović.
Early life and academic career
Krivokapić was born to
Serbian Orthodox
The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian churches.
The majority of the populat ...
parents Drago and Ikonija, in 1958 in
Nikšić
Nikšić (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Никшић, ), is the second largest city in Montenegro, with a total population of 32,046 (2023 census) located in the west of the country, in the centre of the spacious Nikšić field at the foot of Trebjesa ...
, which at the time was a part of the
SR Montenegro,
FPR Yugoslavia.
He joined the
League of Communists of Yugoslavia
The League of Communists of Yugoslavia, known until 1952 as the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, was the founding and ruling party of SFR Yugoslavia. It was formed in 1919 as the main communist opposition party in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats ...
in 1976. He graduated in 1981 from the
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, in the Department of Production Engineering at the University of Montenegro. He enrolled in postgraduate studies in 1983 in the field of Production Engineering at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Belgrade
The University of Belgrade () is a public university, public research university in Belgrade, Serbia. It is the oldest and largest modern university in Serbia.
Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it me ...
. He defended his master's thesis called ''"Planning and Management of Spare Parts Stocks"'' in 1989.
He received his doctorate in 1993 at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Podgorica. The topic of the dissertation was called ''"Contribution to the automatic design of the technological process of cutting by means of an expert system"''.
After completing his internship at the "Boris Kidrič" steel manufacturing company in Nikšić in 1982, he was elected an assistant trainee at the Department of Production Engineering at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Podgorica in 1983. He was elected assistant professor 1994. He was elected associate professor at the University of Montenegro in 1999 and became a full professor in 2004, when he was elected in the subjects of Informatics and Quality Management System.
He is the president of the organizing and member of the program committee of the SQM Conference and the ICQME International Conference. He is the editor of the International Journal for Quality Research, indexed in the SCOPUS database, which has been published since 2007. He is a member of the program board of four journals and thirteen international conferences. He is a member of the
American Society for Quality
The American Society for Quality (ASQ), formerly the American Society for Quality Control (ASQC), is a society of quality professionals, with more than 30,000 members, in more than 140 countries.
History
ASQC was established on 16 February ...
(ASQ) and Head of the Center for Doctoral Studies at the University of Montenegro.
As part of his scientific research, he has published more than 250 papers in international journals, domestic journals, international conferences and domestic conferences. He is the author of 16 books and textbooks.
Teaching profession
In 2011, six years before
Montenegro joined NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
, Krivokapić was hired by the
Ministry of Defence
A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...
(MoD) of the
Government of Montenegro
The government of Montenegro (, Влада Црне Горе) is the executive branch of state authority in Montenegro. It is headed by the Prime Minister of Montenegro, prime minister. It consists of the prime minister, the deputy prime ministe ...
for education on the procedures for introducing a quality system and ways to implement standards related to the NATO quality management system.
He also has taught information technology at the
Theological Seminary in Cetinje since 1998.
Political career
Entering politics
Krivokapić was part of
2019 anti-corruption protests and
2020 religion law protests. He decided to enter political life of Montenegro in mid-2020, at the height of the political crisis in Montenegro, and the open conflict between the
Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro
Eastern Orthodoxy in Montenegro refers to adherents, religious communities, institutions and organizations of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Montenegro. It is the largest Christian denomination in the country. According to the latest 2023 Census ...
and the
DPS-led Montenegrin government, following the adoption of the disputed law on the status of religious communities in Montenegro, supporting 20192020 clerical protests and Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) rights in Montenegro. He was elected the first president of the SPC-backed "We won't give up Montenegro" (Ne damo Crnu Goru) NGO founded by Montenegrin professors and intellectuals in support of the SPC. In a short period of time, the organization organized public events in which
Bishop of Budimlja and Nikšić Joanikije (Mićović) and the Rector of the Theological Seminary in Cetinje,
Gojko Perović participated, among others.
On 1 August 2020 right-wing
Democratic Front,
Popular Movement and
Socialist People's Party agreed to form a pre-election opposition alliance under the name
For the Future of Montenegro (Za budućnost Crne Gore), as did some of right-wing non-parliamentary subjects. Krivokapić headed the joint electoral list for the
parliamentary election in August 2020.
The same day, Krivokapić resigned as executive director of the NGO, as he would head the opposition list. Krivokapić said that the primary goals of the coalition in case they form the government will be the protection of human rights as well as ensuring freedom of speech, freedom of media, freedom of thought, and the freedom of religion. Krivokapić said that the person who influenced him the most to enter politics was a Montenegrin businessman
Miodrag "Daka" Davidović, de facto leader of the
Popular Movement, who survived an assassination attempt in December 2019 in
Belgrade
Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
.
On 24 July 2020 after an opposition rally, criminal charges were filed against Krivokapić and five Eastern Orthodox priests due to the "existence of a well-founded suspicion that they committed the criminal offense of non-compliance with health regulations for the suppression of a dangerous
infectious disease
An infection is the invasion of tissue (biology), tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host (biology), host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmis ...
."
Zdravko Krivokapić also sent letters to foreign ambassadors in Montenegro and In his address to the ambassadors, he said that the coalition wanted to draw the ambassadors' attention to a case of drastic human rights violations, "which we believe could be a worrying introduction to the upcoming abuse of Interior Ministry members to escalate the political crisis and intimidate the population ahead of the upcoming elections." He has been rated as the most popular political leader ahead of the 30 August 2020 parliamentary and local elections in Montenegro.
2020 elections
The 2020 elections had the highest voter turnout ever recorded in Montenegro at 75.90%. Shortly after the polls were closed, before the final results were published, Krivokapić announced the coalition's victory stating that "freedom has happened in Montenegro". In his speech he also stated that there won't be
revanchism
Revanchism (, from ''revanche'', "revenge") is the political manifestation of the will to reverse the territorial losses which are incurred by a country, frequently after a war or after a social movement. As a term, ''revanchism'' originated i ...
and he also offered ethnic minority parties to enter the new government. The coalition won 32.55% of the popular vote which equals 27 seats in the
parliament
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
. This is the first time that the ruling coalition lost the majority in the parliament. He said that Montenegro cannot and won't be under influence of Serbia or Russia, but that his government will establish better diplomatic relations with both countries, also naming
accession of Montenegro to the European Union
Accession of Montenegro to the European Union is on the agenda for future enlargement of the EU.
After voting for independence from Serbia and Montenegro in 2006, Montenegro began the process of accession to the European Union by agreeing to ...
, as the main priority of the new ruling coalition. Krivokapić and the leaders of the coalitions
Peace is Our Nation and
Black on White,
Aleksa Bečić
Aleksa Bečić (; born 4 August 1987) is a Montenegrin politician, current Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro since 2023, who served as the president of the Parliament from 2020 until 2022. He is the founder and current president of the centri ...
and
Dritan Abazović, agreed during meeting on several principles on which the future government will rest, including the formation of an
expert government, continuing to work on the European Union accession process, fight against corruption, overcoming society polarization and economic crisis, as well as amending and revising discriminatory laws and bylaws, including the controversial Freedom of Religion Law. He said that the new government in Montenegro would help make the lives of
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of Serbia, history, and Serbian lan ...
in
Kosovo
Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
dignified and preserve
monasteries
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which m ...
there.
Massive celebrations were held all over Montenegro the day after the elections. In Podgorica, opposition supporters clashed with the ruling DPS supporters. Condemning ethnic hatred and unrest, for which he accuses the
DPS-led government, Krivokapić said that no one in Montenegro should be endangered, especially
national minorities, which he called "our relatives and neighbors". Krivokapić also called on supporters to stay at home, as well as demanding to authorities to investigate incidents and prosecute delinquents and perpetrators of the unrest, as soon as possible. He also welcomed minority parties of
Bosniaks
The Bosniaks (, Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia (region), Bosnia, today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and who sha ...
and
Albanians
The Albanians are an ethnic group native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, Albanian culture, culture, Albanian history, history and Albanian language, language. They are the main ethnic group of Albania and Kosovo, ...
of Montenegro, and wished to form government with them. On 2 September, glass was broken on the door of the
Islamic Community of
Pljevlja
Pljevlja (, ) is a town located in the Northern Montenegro, Northern Region of Montenegro, situated along Ćehotina, Ćehotina river.
The town lies at an altitude of . In the Middle Ages, Pljevlja had been a crossroad of the important commercial ...
and a threatening message was left. Krivokapić condemned the incidents and also expressed suspicion that it was done by the outgoing DPS-led regime. He also protested with the Serbian Orthodox Church priests in front of the
Husein-paša's Mosque, with the message that they are ready to defend the places of worship of all
religious communities. Krivokapić stated that it is not his priority to have an official position in the new government, but that, as Prime Minister, he would like to visit
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
first, which he perceives as the most influential country in the
EU. However, one day later, he said that he won't be the Prime Minister designate. Krivokapić stated that he would not go through the streets of Podgorica in a
Mercedes and with numerous security guards. He said that Serbia and Montenegro are the two closest countries, geographically, culturally and historically, and their
relations must be normalized, and that that is the wish of the vast majority of Montenegrin citizens but that the
de-recognition of Kosovo is not going to be a priority for the new government.
On 9 September 2020, Krivokapić along with the leaders of the coalitions Peace is Our Nation and Black on White, Aleksa Bečić and Dritan Abazović signed an agreement pledging that the new government would not launch any initiatives or procedures aimed at changing the
national flag
A national flag is a flag that represents and national symbol, symbolizes a given nation. It is Fly (flag), flown by the government of that nation, but can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanin ...
,
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
and
anthem
An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to sho ...
and the de-recognition of Kosovo. The agreement also states that the new democratic government in Montenegro will responsibly implement all international obligations undertaken by the state, strengthen and improve cooperation with
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
and quickly, fully and committedly implement all reforms necessary for Montenegro's full membership in the EU. Krivokapic said that the new government is preparing for the worst-case scenario when it comes to the
economy
An economy is an area of the Production (economics), production, Distribution (economics), distribution and trade, as well as Consumption (economics), consumption of Goods (economics), goods and Service (economics), services. In general, it is ...
. The same day, he also stated that he is worried because no other countries in the
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
congratulated him. In response to the allegations that his coalition has close ties to the Serbian president,
Aleksandar Vučić
Aleksandar Vučić, (born 5 March 1970) is a Serbian politician serving as President of Serbia since 2017. A founding member of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), he previously served as President of the SNS from 2012 to 2023, Deputy Prim ...
, he said that he never even met Vučić. In an interview to
Die Welt
(, ) is a German national daily newspaper, published as a broadsheet by Axel Springer SE.
is the flagship newspaper of the Axel Springer publishing group and it is considered a newspaper of record in Germany. Its leading competitors are the ...
, Krivokapić said that when he was in
West Germany
West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
in 1988, he saw
Helmut Kohl
Helmut Josef Michael Kohl (; 3 April 1930 – 16 June 2017) was a German politician who served as chancellor of Germany and governed the ''Federal Republic'' from 1982 to 1998. He was leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) from 1973 to ...
being followed by only one bodyguard car and that he was chatting with gathered people and that this was his first meeting with democracy; explaining that this is exactly the kind of head of government he wants to be like: "someone who can be talked to and criticized".
On 11 September, Krivokapić honored
9/11
The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
victims and stated that the new government will reaffirm its commitment to
fighting terrorism
Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...
and combating all forms of
extremism
Extremism is "the quality or state of being extreme" or "the advocacy of extreme measures or views". The term is primarily used in a political or religious sense to refer to an ideology that is considered (by the speaker or by some implied sha ...
with its allies. Serbian pro-
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...
tabloids have unanimously criticized the coalition agreement between three new parliamentary majority lists, for agreeing not to discuss changing
national symbols of Montenegro, the
de-recognition of
Kosovo
Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
, or the country's withdrawal from the
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
, during the new government term, calling Krivokapić "
Amfilohije's Prime Minister"
Responding to this criticism, he said in an interview to the
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
-based
Face TV that he is aware that
Aleksandar Vučić
Aleksandar Vučić, (born 5 March 1970) is a Serbian politician serving as President of Serbia since 2017. A founding member of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), he previously served as President of the SNS from 2012 to 2023, Deputy Prim ...
and
Milo Đukanović
Milo Đukanović (, ; born 15 February 1962) is a Montenegrin politician who served as the President of Montenegro from 2018 to 2023, previously serving in the role from 1998 to 2002. He also served as the Prime Minister of Montenegro (1991–19 ...
are in a much closer connection than him and someone closest to him and that the pro-government tabloids in Serbia are attacking him because Montenegrin president Đukanović and Serbian president Vučić are still in good relations, which Vučić has denied, urging Krivokapić to either publish evidence of his business relations with Đukanović or admit he lied. Krivokapić also stated that it is scandalous that Vučić did not visit Montenegro for 8 years he has been in power. On 22 September 2020, a meeting was held in
Ostrog Monastery between the opposition representatives, Metropolitan Amfilohije and Bishop Joanikije. According to
Vijesti
''Nezavisni dnevnik Vijesti'' (; English translation: ''News'') is a Montenegrin daily newspaper.
The paper is published and managed by an entity called Daily Press d.o.o. - a limited liability company based in Podgorica. The company's ownershi ...
news, Dritan Abazović proposed Krivokapic as prime minister, however, the leaders of the Democratic Front,
Andrija Mandić
Andrija Mandić ( sr-Cyrl, Андрија Мандић; born 19 January 1965) is a Montenegrin politician who has served as president of the Parliament of Montenegro since 30 October 2023 and is an eight-term member of the Parliament. He is the ...
and
Milan Knežević stated that Krivokapić no longer has the full support within the
For the Future of Montenegro coalition, mostly because of his critical attitude towards Vučić and his regime in Serbia, and that they cannot support him as the designate until they question the trust in him at the party meeting.
Prime minister
On 23 September, all 41 deputies of the three coalitions of the new majority in parliament officially supported Zdravko Krivokapić as the
prime minister-designate
A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a product of two smaller natural numbers. A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is called a composite number. For example, 5 is prime because the only ways ...
, as well as electing
Aleksa Bečić
Aleksa Bečić (; born 4 August 1987) is a Montenegrin politician, current Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro since 2023, who served as the president of the Parliament from 2020 until 2022. He is the founder and current president of the centri ...
new
President of the Parliament. On 30 September, Krivokapić started initial talks with representatives of the parties of the three coalitions, which formed the parliamentary majority in Montenegro about forming the new government. On 8 October, Krivokapić formally became the Prime Minister-designate after the
President Đukanović has given him a mandate to form the new government.
On 24 October, Krivokapic denied the populist
Democratic Front allegations, that any party in the winning coalition is excluded from the government formation process, but that insisting on individuals from those parties was not in the interest of citizens or the country, continuing to insist on forming an expert government, without compromised figures of new majority in it, the media later reported that they were the leaders of the Democratic Front alliance,
Andrija Mandić
Andrija Mandić ( sr-Cyrl, Андрија Мандић; born 19 January 1965) is a Montenegrin politician who has served as president of the Parliament of Montenegro since 30 October 2023 and is an eight-term member of the Parliament. He is the ...
,
Milan Knežević and
Nebojša Medojević. All three have repeatedly conditioned their parties' support for the new cabinet, during October, if they were not part of the new government. Mandić explicitly asked Krivokapić to "return the mandate and that they would look for a new designate". Medojević even accused Krivokapić that the
Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral
The Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral of the Serbian Orthodox Church () is the largest eparchy (diocese) of the Serbian Orthodox Church in modern Montenegro. Founded in 1219 by Saint Sava as the Eparchy of Zeta, it has continued to ex ...
, Montenegrin-Serbian businessman
Daka Davidović, but also the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
Embassies in Podgorica and Montenegrin media publishers
Miodrag Perović ("
Monitor
Monitor or monitor may refer to:
Places
* Monitor, Alberta
* Monitor, Indiana, town in the United States
* Monitor, Kentucky
* Monitor, Oregon, unincorporated community in the United States
* Monitor, Washington
* Monitor, Logan County, Wes ...
") and
Željko Ivanović ("
Vijesti
''Nezavisni dnevnik Vijesti'' (; English translation: ''News'') is a Montenegrin daily newspaper.
The paper is published and managed by an entity called Daily Press d.o.o. - a limited liability company based in Podgorica. The company's ownershi ...
"), have the greatest influence on him, as PM designate, and the composition of his cabinet.
Speaking to the media on 29 October about the composition of Montenegro's future government, Krivokapić openly stated that it would have a "lower level of reputation" if it included political leaders of the Democratic Front. "It would be a government that would not be wholeheartedly accepted by the relevant international institutions," he said, accusing party leaders of not thinking about the interests of the people, as well as prolonging the formation of the government for their personal and party interests. Krivokapić also said that the decades-long opposition had failed to win the election because the
DPS-led regime knew those people very well. After the interview, Democratic Front leaders accused Krivokapic of making a deal with
Milo Đukanović
Milo Đukanović (, ; born 15 February 1962) is a Montenegrin politician who served as the President of Montenegro from 2018 to 2023, previously serving in the role from 1998 to 2002. He also served as the Prime Minister of Montenegro (1991–19 ...
and the DPS, Mandić also claimed that Krivokapić had been appointed leader of the electoral list after "pressure and conditioning of electoral support" by "parts of the Serbian Orthodox Church", adding that the entire financing of the election campaign was provided by the Democratic Front, and that "those (Church) who demanded that Krivokapić lead the common list did not give a single cent for the campaign", accusing parts of the church and Krivokapić of "acting on someone's orders from abroad". After a series of accusations by the leaders of the Democratic Front, Krivokapić scheduled a meeting with all parties in the new parliamentary majority for 30 October, in order to overcome misunderstandings and dilemmas regarding the formation of a new government. The meeting eventually confirmed the support of all parties of the new majority for Krivokapić's concept of an expert government, in which part will not be a party leaders.
On 1 November Zdravko Krivokapić was, along with
Serbian Patriarch Irinej,
Bishop of Budimlja and Nikšić Joanikije Mićović and Serbian poet and academic,
Matija Bećković, one of those who gave a speech in front of the gathered and mourning believers at the funeral of his spiritual father and close friend, longtime Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral
Amfilohije Radović, in the
Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in
Podgorica
Podgorica ( cnr-Cyrl, Подгорица; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Montenegro, largest city of Montenegro. The city is just north of Lake Skadar and close to coastal destinations on the Adriatic Sea. Histor ...
. Krivokapić pointed out that Amfilohije once again gathered them all together, calling the gathering of people from all over Montenegro "the crown of all prayer gatherings (litijas)", referring to the recent mass prayer gatherings (litije), which were organized during 2019 and 2020, as a
protest against the controversial religion law, and which was led by Amfilohije. In his speech, Krivokapić also recalled the evening when he met with Amfilohije on the night after the
30 August elections, which ended the believers struggle for withdraw the discriminatory law, which targeted the church. On that occasion, the Metropolitan told him "we are so blessed" in a cordial embrace. He said that every meeting with Amfilohije was a great joy and learning, reminding that Amfilohije testified to sincerity and truth, and that is why his words resound loudly and are heard far away. In his speech, Krivokapić also referred to Amfilohije's role in re-establishing the faith and restoring holy places in Montenegro since the
fall of communism
The revolutions of 1989, also known as the Fall of Communism, were a revolutionary wave of liberal democracy movements that resulted in the collapse of most Marxist–Leninist governments in the Eastern Bloc and other parts of the world. Th ...
in 1990, "Although you resurrected Montenegro, you experienced suffering and persecution, by your own people", he said.
Krivokapić previously publicly asked the
outgoing Cabinet of
Duško Marković
Duško Marković (; born 6 July 1959) is a Montenegrin politician who served as the prime minister from 2016 to 2020. Formerly a high-ranking member of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), he is now the president of the Party of European ...
to declare a
day of mourning on the occasion of the death of the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral, which the government refused to do, while several municipalities declared a day of mourning at the local level;
Andrijevica,
Budva
Budva (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Будва, or ) is a town in the Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro. It had 27,445 inhabitants as of 2023, and is the centre of Budva Municipality. The coastal area around Budva, called the Budv ...
,
Berane,
Kotor
Kotor (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Котор, ), historically known as Cattaro (from Italian language, Italian: ), is a town in Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Bay of Kotor. The city has ...
,
Herceg Novi
Herceg Novi (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Херцег Нови, ) is a town in Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro located at the Western entrance to the Bay of Kotor and at the foot of Mount Orjen. It is the administrative center of ...
,
Tivat
Tivat (Serbo-Croatian: Tivat/Тиват, ) is a town in Coastal region of Montenegro, located in the Bay of Kotor. , its population was 9,367. Tivat is the centre of Tivat Municipality, which is the smallest municipality by area in Montenegro.
...
and
Plužine.
On 5 November 2020, Krivokapić announced the composition of his cabinet, in which the number of ministers in the cabinet will be reduced to 12 due to the rationalization of the state administration, which is 8 less than in the previous cabinet, which is why some departments were merged and some abolished. Krivokapić said that the model was modeled on
the Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
and
Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
, as examples of good practice, and that basically rationalization should offer an answer to the challenges facing Montenegro, and that the future cabinet will be based on four key areas that are currently most important for Montenegro, namely; the
rule of law
The essence of the rule of law is that all people and institutions within a Body politic, political body are subject to the same laws. This concept is sometimes stated simply as "no one is above the law" or "all are equal before the law". Acco ...
,
finance
Finance refers to monetary resources and to the study and Academic discipline, discipline of money, currency, assets and Liability (financial accounting), liabilities. As a subject of study, is a field of Business administration, Business Admin ...
,
education
Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...
and
health
Health has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functioning of the human body, absent of disease, p ...
. However, shortly after Krivokapić's nomination, some leaders from the coalition parties expressed their dissatisfaction with the decision of Krivokapić. According to the final agreement of the supporting parties, the new government will be limited to one year, with the main goals; the fight against corruption and the depoliticization of public institutions after 30 years of DPS rule, as well as the reform of electoral laws, due to the preparation of an atmosphere for holding a new, "first fairly organized" elections in Montenegro.
Some parties that were part of the former regime, including
DPS,
LP and
SD, accused Prime Minister-designate Krivokapić of selecting "exclusively Orthodox
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of Serbia, history, and Serbian lan ...
" to the new government, while at the same time, some members of the new majority (
Democratic Front alliance parliamentary group) claimed that "authentic Serb representatives in Montenegro" are not even part of the new cabinet. Both sides (the DPS and DF) were united in criticizing the alleged impact of the
Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral
The Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral of the Serbian Orthodox Church () is the largest eparchy (diocese) of the Serbian Orthodox Church in modern Montenegro. Founded in 1219 by Saint Sava as the Eparchy of Zeta, it has continued to ex ...
(of the
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodox Church#Constit ...
) on the formation of Krivokapic's cabinet.
On 13 November 2020, Krivokapić stated that hundreds of millions of euros were being funneled out of Montenegro into the neighboring
Republic of Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
by the outgoing
Milo Đukanović
Milo Đukanović (, ; born 15 February 1962) is a Montenegrin politician who served as the President of Montenegro from 2018 to 2023, previously serving in the role from 1998 to 2002. He also served as the Prime Minister of Montenegro (1991–19 ...
DPS regime, and that the money is mostly ending up in accounts in
Belgrade
Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
where they are buying villas and apartments on the luxury
Belgrade Waterfront
Belgrade Waterfront (), is an urban renewal development project headed by the Government of Serbia aimed at changing Belgrade's cityscape and economy by revitalizing the Sava amphitheater, between the Belgrade Fair and Branko's bridge, includin ...
.
The parliamentary vote on the new cabinet was originally planned for 14 November, but was postponed to 24 November, by consensus of the leaders of all parties in the parliament, due to several cases of COVID-19. The session was eventually postponed again to 2 December, following subsequent insistence by several parties of the
outgoing regime, which then stated that the controversial
Podgorica Assembly
The Great People's Assembly of the Serb People in Montenegro (), commonly known as the Podgorica Assembly (, ), was an ''ad hoc'' popular assembly convened in November 1918, after the end of World War I in the Kingdom of Montenegro. The commit ...
was also held between 24 and 28 November (back then in 1918), saying the dates were "unacceptable and offensive to Montenegro", once again accusing Krivokapić and his team of allegedly activity "against the sovereignty and statehood of Montenegro". After the new postponement of the session, the
President of the Parliament of Montenegro
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsidente ...
,
Aleksa Bečić
Aleksa Bečić (; born 4 August 1987) is a Montenegrin politician, current Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro since 2023, who served as the president of the Parliament from 2020 until 2022. He is the founder and current president of the centri ...
, reminded public that the disputed date of the session was determined by consensus of all parties, both the government and the opposition, just a day before the
DPS regime initiative for new postponement. Bečić also added that between 24 and 28 November (2016), the parliament also voted for the
previous government cabinet, which was led by the DPS.
Bečić and Krivokapić both accused the DPS-led outgoing regime of deceiving the citizens again and as well of undermining interethnic conflicts, in order to delay a democratic
regime change
Regime change is the partly forcible or coercive replacement of one government regime with another. Regime change may replace all or part of the state's most critical leadership system, administrative apparatus, or bureaucracy. Regime change may ...
in the country.
On 4 December 2020, the new government was elected by 41 out of 81 members of the
Parliament of Montenegro
The Parliament of Montenegro () is the unicameral legislature of Montenegro. The Parliament currently has 81 members, with each member elected to a four-year term. Following the 2006 independence referendum, the Parliament declared and ratified t ...
, and Krivokapić formally became the
Prime Minister of Montenegro
The prime minister of Montenegro ( cnr-Latn, Premijer/Premijerka Crne Gore, cnr-Cyrl, Премијер/Премијерка Црне Горе), officially the president of the Government of Montenegro ( cnr-Latn, Predśednik/Predśednica Vlade ...
. The parliament of Montenegro approved a new big tent cabinet, formally ending three decades of the DPS regime in the country. Prime Minister Krivokapić vowed to dismantle a state apparatus built by the DPS, and root out corruption and organised crime, as well as insisting on the establishment of ethical norms and transparency of executive and judicial authorities in the country, calling for unity, reconciliation, and solidarity.
On 15 and 16 December 2020, PM Krivokapić, together with the Minister of Defense
Olivera Injac, the Minister of Economy
Jakov Milatović
Jakov Milatović (, ; born 7 December 1986) is a Montenegrin politician and economist who is the incumbent president of Montenegro, serving since May 2023. He previously served as the minister of economic development in the cabinet of Zdravko ...
and the Chief Negotiator with the EU, paid the first official visit to
European and
Euro-Atlantic institutions since taking office of PM. On the first day of his visit to
Brussels
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
, he met with the
President of the European Council
The president of the European Council is the person presiding over and driving forward the work of the European Council on the world stage. This Institutions of the European Union, institution comprises the college of heads of state or governme ...
Charles Michel
Charles Michel (; born 21 December 1975) is a Belgian politician who served as the president of the European Council from 2019 to 2024. He previously served as the Prime Minister of Belgium, prime minister of Belgium between 2014 and 2019. Miche ...
,
EU Special Representative for the
Western Balkans
The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
Miroslav Lajcak, and the
Secretary General of NATO
The secretary general of NATO is the chief civil servant of the NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), an intergovernmental military alliance with 32 member states. The officeholder is an international diplomat responsible for coordinat ...
Jens Stoltenberg
Jens Stoltenberg (; born 16 March 1959) is a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party. Since 2025, he has been the Minister of Finance in the Støre Cabinet. He has previously been the prime minister of Norway and secretary general of NATO.
...
. On the second day of his visit, PM Krivokapić met with the
European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement,
Olivér Várhelyi
Olivér Várhelyi (; born 22 March 1972) is a Hungarian lawyer and diplomat who is the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare in the von der Leyen Commission II since December 2024. ...
, and the
Prime Minister of Belgium
The prime minister of Belgium (; ; ) or the premier of Belgium is the head of the federal government of Belgium, and the most powerful person in Belgian politics.
The first head of government in Belgian history was Henri van der Noot in 179 ...
,
Alexander De Croo
Alexander De Croo (; born 3 November 1975) is a Belgian politician and businessman who served as Prime Minister of Belgium from 2020 to 2025. Previously from 2012 to 2020, De Croo served as deputy prime minister in the governments of Elio Di Rup ...
.
On 28 January 2021, Krivokapić walked through
Cetinje
Cetinje ( cnr-Cyrl, Цетиње, ) is a List of cities and towns in Montenegro, town in Montenegro. It is the former royal capital ( cnr-Latn-Cyrl, prijestonica, приjестоница, separator=" / ") of Montenegro and is the location of sev ...
, talked with citizens, with some
Montenegrin nationalist activists yelling and insulting him and other government members calling them "
Chetniks
The Chetniks,, ; formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland; and informally colloquially the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationalist m ...
", "human garbage" and "traitors of Montenegro". Commenting on the incident at the press conference, Krivokapić said that a similar experience was experienced by former
German Chancellor Kohl, when he was in
Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe ( ; ; ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, after its capital Stuttgart a ...
in 1987. "Kohl just smiled. I didn't smile, I tried to communicate with those people", said Krivokapić, also calling for dialogue and reducing polarization in Montenegrin society. The same day Krivokapić encouraged citizens of
Nikšić
Nikšić (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Никшић, ), is the second largest city in Montenegro, with a total population of 32,046 (2023 census) located in the west of the country, in the centre of the spacious Nikšić field at the foot of Trebjesa ...
to freely take bribe money from the DPS and then vote for someone else at the 2021 local elections, giving public support to all parties that support his government, against the DPS, and after this statement, the prosecutors have launched an investigation against him accusing him of "inciting corruption".
On 5 April 2021, Krivokapić announced that he sent a proposal for the removal of the Minister of Justice
Vladimir Leposavić due to his controversial comments on the
Srebrenica massacre
The Srebrenica massacre, also known as the Srebrenica genocide, was the July 1995 genocidal killing of more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys in and around the town of Srebrenica during the Bosnian War. It was mainly perpetrated by unit ...
to the
Parliament of Montenegro
The Parliament of Montenegro () is the unicameral legislature of Montenegro. The Parliament currently has 81 members, with each member elected to a four-year term. Following the 2006 independence referendum, the Parliament declared and ratified t ...
, following the condemnation of Leposavić's comments by the US and British embassies. On the same day, protests were held in multiple cities by Montenegrin Serbs against Leposavić's removal.
However, Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic's government was toppled in no-confidence vote after only 14 months in power.
Controversies and allegations
Alleged Serbian nationalism
On 21 September 2020,
Radio Antena M
Antena M is an independent radio station and website in Montenegro.
History
Founded in the early 1990s by university professor and businessman Miodrag Perović, the station was organizationally under the umbrella of his Montenegropublic compan ...
internet portal published a video from the mid-1990s that has been circulating on Internet and in which Krivokapić is seen at a celebration along with
Nikola Kavaja, a
Serbian nationalist
Serbian nationalism asserts that Serbs are a nation and promotes the cultural and political unity of Serbs. It is an ethnic nationalism, originally arising in the context of the general rise of nationalism in the Balkans under Ottoman rule, ...
and
anti-communist
Anti-communism is political and ideological opposition to communist beliefs, groups, and individuals. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, when th ...
, known for his
terrorist activities, as well as along the current
Serbian ambassador to Montenegro Vladimir Božović and other known Serbian nationalist and
Montenegrin Serb figures. Krivokapić appears in one short part of the recording, seen under the canvas, on which, among other, was a picture of
Radovan Karadžić
Radovan Karadžić ( sr-Cyrl, Радован Караџић, ; born 19 June 1945) is a Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian Serb politician who was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes by the International Criminal ...
,
President of Republika Srpska
The president of Republika Srpska (, ; ) is the highest executive authority in Republika Srpska, an entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is one of the executive authorities, along with the Government of Republika Srpska. The president of Repu ...
, who was later convicted of
war crimes
A war crime is a violation of the laws of war that gives rise to individual criminal responsibility for actions by combatants in action, such as intentionally killing civilians or intentionally killing prisoners of war, torture, taking hos ...
and
genocide in Bosnia by the
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was a body of the United Nations that was established to prosecute the war crimes in the Yugoslav Wars, war crimes that had been committed during the Yugoslav Wars and to tr ...
(ICTY) in 2016. Few days after the revelation of footage, Krivokapić told the media that he accidentally found himself at the disputed gathering in or around 1996, and that he was not an active participant of it, or advocate of nationalist politics of the 1990s, also stating that as a
pacifist
Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaigner Émile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress in Glasgow in 1901. A related term is ''a ...
he condemns all kinds of
terrorism
Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...
and ideological
extremism
Extremism is "the quality or state of being extreme" or "the advocacy of extreme measures or views". The term is primarily used in a political or religious sense to refer to an ideology that is considered (by the speaker or by some implied sha ...
. He emphasized that it was the only place he entered and eventually decided that he would never enter it again expressing concern over the increased hate speech and derogatory labels by some media in Montenegro and neighboring countries.
He raised a controversy again on 13 October 2020, when in an interview he said that when it comes to relations with neighboring Serbia, the best position is that of
King Nicholas I, who said that there are "two kings living in two
Serb
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history, and language. They primarily live in Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia ...
states (
Kingdom of Montenegro
The Kingdom of Montenegro was a monarchy in southeastern Europe, present-day Montenegro, during the tumultuous period of time on the Balkan Peninsula leading up to and during World War I. Officially it was a constitutional monarchy, but absolu ...
and
Kingdom of Serbia
The Kingdom of Serbia was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Principality was ruled by the Obrenović dynast ...
)", back then in 1910, when Montenegro was proclaimed a Kingdom.
During October 2020, another pro-DPS media published a recording of Krivokapić, that caused new controversy, in which Krivokapić is seen kissing a
flag of Serbian Orthodox Church (red-blue-white tricolor with the
Serbian cross), recorded during the August 2020
protests against the controversial law on religious communities, causing outrage in the
Montenegrin nationalist circles and pro-DPS media, which presented it to the public as "kissing the
flag of Serbia
The flag of Serbia (), also known as the Tricolour (), is a tricolour consisting of three equal horizontal bands, red on the top, blue in the middle, and white on the bottom (on civil flag), with the lesser coat of arms left of center (on stat ...
".
Alleged Church influence
Krivokapić's very close relationship with the
Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro
Eastern Orthodoxy in Montenegro refers to adherents, religious communities, institutions and organizations of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Montenegro. It is the largest Christian denomination in the country. According to the latest 2023 Census ...
, as well as with its primate
Amfilohije Radović, has often led to speculation, controversy and name-calling from Montenegrin nationalist and pro-DPS circles and the media. The controversy in some media culminated after the publication of the video from the
election
An election is a formal group decision-making process whereby a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold Public administration, public office.
Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative d ...
night of 30 August 2020, which shows Krivokapić's very emotional greeting in the
Podgorica Cathedral with Metropolitan Amfilohije, with whom he celebrated the electoral victory of his list, and thus the withdrawal of the controversial law on religion. Krivokapić has been accused by some media and political parties, which trying to challenge his list victory at parliamentary election, of being under the influence of the church, even of being a "puppet" of
anti-Montenegrin policy, and that his selection as prime minister would jeopardize national security, independence and the secular order of the state. Krivokapić dismissed all the accusations as nonsense, saying that the "question of his attitude as a believer towards a church dignitary, such as Metropolitan Amfilohije" opened a box that many want to present as the influence of the Metropolitan on his political decisions, condemning the media spin of the outgoing regime, also stating the reactions are overemphasized and unnecessary. "I felt it as my need, as a believer, i consider it as an obligation to come to see the Metropolitan, at his call. I expressed joy of moment and did not share it with anyone as with our Metropolitan", Krivokapić said in an interview for
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
-based
Face TV in September 2020.
After the fall of the
Democratic Party of Socialists populist regime from the position of power after 30 years, in the aftermath of the 2020 parliamentary election, Montenegrin nationalists (the Patriotic Association of Montenegro, among others) organized
mass rallies in
Cetinje
Cetinje ( cnr-Cyrl, Цетиње, ) is a List of cities and towns in Montenegro, town in Montenegro. It is the former royal capital ( cnr-Latn-Cyrl, prijestonica, приjестоница, separator=" / ") of Montenegro and is the location of sev ...
and in the capital
Podgorica
Podgorica ( cnr-Cyrl, Подгорица; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Montenegro, largest city of Montenegro. The city is just north of Lake Skadar and close to coastal destinations on the Adriatic Sea. Histor ...
, in support of the outgoing DPS regime, the participants and organizers of the rally accused Krivokapić and Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro of allegedly working against Montenegrin national interests, calling them a "threat to country independence and statehood." The rally was also marked by inappropriate messages to Krivokapić, who was labeled as "traitor", "
Chetnik
The Chetniks,, ; formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland; and informally colloquially the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationalist m ...
scoundrel" and the "
hand-kisser", accusing him of allegedly being a "puppet of the alleged Serbian Orthodox Church's
Greater Serbia
The term Greater Serbia or Great Serbia () describes the Serbian nationalist and irredentist ideology of the creation of a Serb state which would incorporate all regions of traditional significance to Serbs, a South Slavic ethnic group, inclu ...
policy". Gatherings participants's nationalist rhetoric and hate speech has been condemned by numerous media outlets, Montenegrin public figures, artists, university professors, academic and student associations, human rights activists and NGOs.
The influence of the Church on Krivokapić was also criticized by the
populist
Populism is a contested concept used to refer to a variety of political stances that emphasize the idea of the " common people" and often position this group in opposition to a perceived elite. It is frequently associated with anti-establis ...
and
pro-Serbian Democratic Front, whose list he led at the parliamentary election. Since a political split with Krivokapić, after he questioned their competence to participate in his cabinet, in October 2020 the DF leaders began to publicly criticize the alleged influence of the
Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral
The Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral of the Serbian Orthodox Church () is the largest eparchy (diocese) of the Serbian Orthodox Church in modern Montenegro. Founded in 1219 by Saint Sava as the Eparchy of Zeta, it has continued to ex ...
on Krivokapić, as well as on the new government formation.
Andrija Mandić
Andrija Mandić ( sr-Cyrl, Андрија Мандић; born 19 January 1965) is a Montenegrin politician who has served as president of the Parliament of Montenegro since 30 October 2023 and is an eight-term member of the Parliament. He is the ...
claimed that Krivokapić had been appointed leader of the electoral list after "pressure and conditioning of electoral support" by "parts of the Serbian Orthodox Church", accusing parts of the church and Krivokapić of "acting on someone's orders from abroad", while
Nebojša Medojević stated that Bishop
Joanikije Mićović and priest
Gojko Perović set the terms of the church's support and threatened to withdraw Krivokapić from the electoral list, a few days before handing over the electoral lists for 2020 parliamentary election, which Perović categorically denied.
On 1 January 2021, Krivokapić said that the late Metropolitan Amfilohije Radović was the most influential person in Montenegro since
Petar II Petrović-Njegoš
Petar II Petrović-Njegoš ( sr-cyrl, Петар II Петровић-Његош, ; – ), commonly referred to simply as Njegoš (), was a List of rulers of Montenegro, Prince-Bishop (''vladika'') of Montenegro, poet and philosopher whose ...
.
COVID-19 and communion
On 31 October 2020, a religious service at the
Cetinje Monastery
The Cetinje Monastery () is a monastery of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro. It is located in Cetinje and is the seat of the Metropolitanate of Montenegro. A center of historical and cultural importance, it was founded c. 1484 by Prince ...
was held for the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral Amfilohije Radović who died a day earlier. Krivokapić attended the service and was filmed receiving
communion with the same
spoon
A spoon (, ) is a utensil consisting of a shallow bowl (also known as a head), oval or round, at the end of a handle. A type of cutlery (sometimes called flatware in the United States), especially as part of a table setting, place setting, it ...
as the believers before him violating the
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
safety measures.
On the same day, the outgoing Democratic Party of Socialists regime announced the accusation of Krivokapić not to act as a representative of all citizens, but as a "propagandist of the interests of one religious community", as well as for "irresponsible behavior" during "events that could be risky for citizens' health". As they said, "it is worrying that the prime minister-designate, as an active participant in these events, does not recognize the moment that with his examples and public appeal, he influences the citizens' awareness of the dangers of such behavior".
On 13 November 2020, Krivokapić made a controversial statement regarding a communion when he said that "if you have faith, you don't have any problems, you won't get infected through communion".
"It is the right of every believer to profess his religion in the manner prescribed by the religious community to which he belongs," Krivokapić said, also urging citizens to respect the government regulations that apply due to the coronavirus pandemic. Krivokapić also stated that
corruption
Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...
within the Montenegro's
health system
A health system, health care system or healthcare system is an organization of people, institutions, and resources that delivers health care services to meet the health needs of target populations.
There is a wide variety of health systems aroun ...
has contributed to the increase in fatalities during a pandemic much more than the maintaining of religious rites caused that, "We need to help health system of the country, which is one of the weakest in Europe due to the corruption of the DPS-led regime. Therefore, one of the priorities of the future government will be the modernization of the health sector", stated Krivokapić on his official
Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
account on 14 November.
On 13 November 2020, Krivokapić announced that he allegedly beat
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
without even knowing that he had it.
Victory Day statement
Krivokapić assessed that "Montenegro should no longer celebrate
May 9 Victory Day over
fascism
Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...
, but 23 September", when the new convocation of the
Parliament
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
was constituted, in which the opposition coalition has gained parliamentary majority, noting historical significance of "the first democratic regime change in
history of Montenegro
The early written records of the history of Montenegro begin with Illyria and its various kingdoms until the Roman Republic incorporated the region into Illyricum (Roman province), the province of Illyricum (later Dalmatia (Roman province), Dalm ...
", after the August 2020 parliamentary election. Many saw this statement as him belittling the
anti-fascist movement in Montenegro.
Personal life
With his wife Jasminka, Krivokapić has five children (2 daughters and 3 sons) and three grandchildren. Three children have a master's degree, and the eldest daughter has a doctorate. Of the two youngest sons, one is a student and the other a high school student. The Rector of the Theological Seminary in Cetinje,
Gojko Perović called Krivokapić a humble man, and a Christian in the best sense of the word. He also added that Krivokapić was donating money that was paid to him every month for transporting the poorest students at the seminary.
Krivokapić said that he is a
Montenegrin but that he knows his roots, declaring himself as a Montenegrin-Serb. He has also stated that ethnic Serbs in Montenegro are not related to the territory of present-day
Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
by their ancestry, but represent the autochthonous people of Montenegro. He refers to Montenegrin Serbs and
ethnic Montenegrins as one and the same people, often pointing out that the divisions between the two Montenegrin peoples have been imposed and highly politicized during recent historical circumstances. By ancestry, he is a member of the
Cuce
Cuce (Serbian Cyrillic alphabet, Cyrillic: Цуце, ) is a historical Tribes of Montenegro, tribe (''pleme'') and region in Montenegro, located in the area of the Katunska nahija from Old Montenegro.
History
The toponym ''Cuce'' is first mentio ...
clan of
Old Montenegro
Old Montenegro ( Montenegrin and sr-Latn-Cyrl, Stara Crna Gora, Стара Црна Гора, separator=" / "), also known as Montenegro proper ( sr-Latn-Cyrl, Prava Crna Gora, Права Црна Гора, separator=" / ", label=none), or ...
. Krivokapić voted against the independence of Montenegro at the
2006 referendum, by voting to remain in a
state union with Serbia.
References
External links
Zdravko Krivokapić Krivokapić's official Twitter account
{{DEFAULTSORT:Krivokapic, Zdravko
Krivokapic, Zdravko
Living people
Montenegrin politicians
Academic staff of the University of Montenegro
People from Nikšić
Cuce
Serbs of Montenegro
Members of the Serbian Orthodox Church
University of Montenegro alumni
University of Belgrade Faculty of Mechanical Engineering alumni
Mechanical engineers
Prime ministers of Montenegro