Parliament of the Republic of Montenegro in Podgorica on a rainy autumn day. Photo by Global Voices. Used with permission.

Civil society organizations in Montenegro warn that the proposed new law on “agents of foreign influence” poses a serious threat to democratic processes, freedom of assembly and the activities of non-governmental organizations. This law, inspired by similar regulations from countries such as Russia, Georgia, KYRGYZSTANand Hungary, would create a legal framework that would make it much more difficult and even impossible for NGOs to operate.

The proposal was PUT on October 9 by decision Coalition for the Future of Montenegro (ZBCG), consisting of pro-Serbian and pro-Russian political parties, whose leaders include the accused acquitted in The 2016 “coup” plot involving Russian spies.

ZBCG alleged that the new law will be based on that of the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (WITHOUT) the law. Although other members of the Government have expressed their opposition to this initiative, ZBCG continues its campaign against NGOs.

Addressing the proposal to introduce the so-called FARA law, the main pro-democracy organization in Montenegro, the Center for Democratic Transition (CDT), published an analysis entitled “Far from the point”, rejecting the claim that the Montenegrin law is similar to FARA and noting that this is not the first government in Montenegro to try to target the civilian sector. The CDT noted that such an attack on civil society would undermine democratic processes and European aspirations of Montenegrowhich would threaten its credibility on the international stage.

Digital Forensic Center, a think-tank focused on reducing the impact of disinformation, as well ADVISED that:

The For the Future of Montenegro coalition’s reference to the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) is already an established disinformation tactic of pro-Russian proxies across Europe. They use the existence of this Law to achieve an agenda in their countries that contradicts democratic values ​​and carries out totalitarian tendencies, suppressing the freedom of civil society and limiting the activities of independent media and non-governmental organizations.

Regional trends

Although the proposed law could have a devastating impact on civil society in Montenegro, they are by no means alone in using this strategy, as it appears to be part of a regional trend. Montenegro’s neighbor Bosnia and Herzegovina tried unsuccessfully to pass a similar law, saying it was based on American law. In Bosnia, the initiators were the ethnic Serb or pro-Serb parties that lead the entity Republika Srpska. They also advocate for alliance with Russiaand undermining their country’s Euro-Atlantic integration. RTD RECORDED in their analysis:

U bosanskohercegovačkom entity Republika Srpska teravol je da se considera sličnom predjigelu zakona proljetos, ali je pržižan iz procedure. The president of the entity, Milorad Dodik, previously said that he would literally write WITHOUT FARA and write Republika Srpska instead of SAD. Ali, look at the mediapredijlo zakona niji ličio na FARA-u več na onaj iz Rusija. Zbog toga su reagreili iz EU u BiH delegations, SAD embassies and (OEBSa).

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republika Srpska entity was due to consider a similar proposal this spring, but it was withdrawn from the proceedings. The president of that entity, Milorad Dodikthey previously stated that they would copy verbatim the FARA text and just replace the word USA with Republika Srpska. However, media perspective showed that the bill resembled not the US FARA but the Russian Foreign Agents Act. This was the reason for the strong reactions of the Delegation of the European Union to BiH, the US Embassy and the OSCE.

Bosnian Serb government he retired their controversial bill, which would have required all non-profit groups receiving international funding to register in a national database, thus designating them as foreign agents, in May. However, there are no guarantees against trying again. After all, they also maintain close relations with the ruling party in Hungarywhich adopted similar legislation after several attempts.

Even though it is a member of the European Union, Hungary has adopted a law similar to The Law of Foreign Agents in Russia in 2017, which was meant to prevent civil society organizations receiving foreign funding. The law was repealed in 2021 according to the European Court of Justice determined it was not in compliance with EU regulations.

However, in December 2023 Hungary adopted a new Russian-style law called Sovereignty Protection Act, similar in spirit to the Russian Foreign Agents Act. The “Office for the Protection of Sovereignty” was then established under the act. to gather information about groups and individuals receiving foreign funds. European Commission he announced on October 3, 2024, that it was suing Hungary on the law that imposes prison sentences on groups that accept foreign funds for political causes.

Although Hungarian government politicians initially denied that the sovereignty protection law was part of a campaign against civil society and independent media, a investigate by the Hungarian fact-checking service Lakmusz showed that it was clear who the law was targeting.

For example, in June the Sovereignty Protection Office was launched an investigation against the investigative newsroom Átlátszó and the anti-corruption organization Transparency International Hungary. The bureau also published “studies” of dubious methodology that listed “pro-war“newspapers and circulating articles”misinformation.” The Office for the Protection of Sovereignty is too bullying public bodies to collect information on a “sovereignty protection basis”, including the bank account details of certain individuals.

Slovakia’s right-wing populist party has also prepared a law based on the Hungarian model that would target those receiving more than €5,000 from abroad, labeling them “foreign-backed organisations”, threatening them with fines . or closing. eu condemned the law and warned that Slovakia would face a similar legal response as Hungary.

Back in Montenegro, in a statement to the newspaper Vijesti, the director of the Center for Democracy and Human Rights WE GIVE UPNevenka Vuksanović, PLEASE NOTE that the ruling coalition’s initiative for the new foreign agents law could be a “trial balloon” that tries to test pubic attitudes while promoting initiatives that currently lack public support because they are contrary to the country’s main goal of joining the EU .

Evgenio imaju širu agendu, te nam kap po kap ispostavjaju djelove koji se vjemno u jijemno discursu normalizuju, do te mijere da svim citizens jireje poznato, a onda će iu jednom moment biti i acceptable. Koja je to agenda, ipak nije u ovom moment jasno.

They obviously have a larger agenda and, drop by drop, they try to normalize the issues that are part of that agenda in public discourse. Drop by drop they make citizens familiar with such notions, and then make them acceptable. What their (ultimate) agenda is remains unclear at this point.