00:00 Montenegro is preparing for a controversial census on December 3rd that could raise tensions
00:06 and risk further sharpening ethnic divides.
00:09 The tiny nation of just over 600,000 people has a large ethnic Serbian community, making
00:14 up 28 percent of the population.
00:17 But some fear that pro-Russian forces could try to inflate the number of people identifying
00:21 as Serbian.
00:22 "The president of the Republic of Serbia said on one television broadcast that the census
00:31 in Montenegro is one of the key issues of vital interest for him or the Republic of Serbia.
00:40 Imagine that statement.
00:42 Imagine that before the census in the Republic of Serbia, the president of Montenegro or the
00:50 president of Croatia."
00:52 The census was initially supposed to take place on November 1st, but it was postponed
00:57 because of technical problems and a possible boycott by opposition parties.
01:01 "Billboards are set up along the roads in Montenegro that highlight Serbian identity.
01:07 The authorities in Montenegro believe that more than 50 percent of the population will
01:11 find out that they speak Serbian, so that the Serbian language can be returned to schools
01:16 and to the official use of this country."
01:20 The divide between ethnic Serbs and the rest of the population is somewhat blurry, as some
01:24 Montenegrin nationalists are native Serbian speakers.
01:27 "The forces that came to power on August 30th, they are counting on more Serbs and those
01:36 who identify as Serbs, less Montenegrins, so that they can come to change and to redefine
01:46 certain issues from the constitution."
01:49 Montenegro gained independence from Serbia in 2006.
01:52 In 2023, a new coalition of pro-European and pro-Serb parties took power, aiming to lead
01:58 the Balkan nation to EU membership.
01:59 (whooshing)
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