Garčević Discusses Democracy in the Balkans in Remaker Op-Ed
Ambassador Vesko Garčević, Professor of the Practice of International Relations at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, published a Remaker op-ed on democracy in the Balkans on September 2, 2020.
In the op-ed, titled “In The Balkans Equation, Democracy is an Unknown Value,” Garčević discusses the role of religion on Montenegrin politics, the lack of political evolution in the region, and whether democracy can take hold in the region. As he argues, little has been done in the region to nurture the sense of social duty, responsibility, and accountability among those who are in politics or educate the population on democratic principles. Despite this, Garčević says that the recent elections in Montenegro offer an opportunity to welcome a fresh breeze of democracy not only in Montenegro but in the region as a whole.
An excerpt:
Men ‘s capacity for justice makes democracy possible, man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary (Reinhold Niebuhr). The maxima of American theologist, philosopher, and political activist Reinhold Niebuhr describes the in-between status we live in. Instead of democratic reforms, we are offered a democratic gap.
We made a step towards democracy, but have not arrived anywhere. The more time goes on, the more we are looking back – in the past for we would like to return. What concerns us the most is a genuine reform that we need to undertake if we want to transform ourselves.
The full article can read in English, Montenegrin, and Albanian.
During his diplomatic career, Ambassador Vesko Garčević dealt with issues pertinent to European security and NATO for almost 14 years. In 2004, he was posted in Vienna to serve as Ambassador to Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. He had been a Montenegro’s Ambassador to NATO from 2010 until 2014 and served as a Montenegro’s National Coordinator for NATO from 2015 until he joined the faculty at the Pardee School. Learn more about him here.