On Europe’s Balkan periphery, there is constant dispute over what space this region truly belongs to. It’s neither quite the West nor truly the East — let alone part of the Global South. In times of war, economic recession, and globalization, the Balkans are rarely mentioned: a “desert of post-socialism” left off the map.
A steady flow of neocolonial projects continues in the Balkans, often cast as an “unfinished capitalist transition.” The most recent example: an agreement signed between Montenegro and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This deal grants extraordinary privileges to the investor, including the ability to bypass national legislations and to basically pick a piece of land they can privatize.
The tragicomedy of parliamentary democracy reached new heights when Montenegro’s government approved the act via legislators’ WhatsApp group. The message was sent by Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, a crypto evangelist and ex–Goldman Sachs analyst.
After that, Spajić triggered the urgent procedure in the Assembly to ratify the two agreements with the UAE: one on economic cooperation and the other on cooperation in tourism and real estate development. The Assembly passed them, after a debate that ended after 1 a.m. Following a public outcry due to blatant corruption, the appropriation of land, and the potential devastating environmental impact, President Jakov Milatović returned the controversial agreement to the Assembly unsigned, meaning a second vote is imminent.
The Agreement on Cooperation in Tourism and Real Estate Development is seen as especially problematic. It states that any contracts and further agreements with UAE investors are exempted from both countries’ legislation on public procurement and tendering. To put it simply: a UAE investor can choose any mountain, beach, or the land near any river or lake, and together with the Montenegrin government do whatever they want with it — even if that means…
Auteur: Dušan Pajović
