"It is now 6.00 am in the morning and I still haven't made my way to Ulcinj, not even Bar, and at the train station there is very confusing information. The bus was stopped several times by the police, and I was asked for my passport. Also, there were no seats available, and many of us had to ride upright'.
In old Yugoslavia, Montenegro used to be one of six republics in the federation. The nineties were a specially though period for this young republic, as the country oscillated between loyalty to the warlords in Serbia and the Western allure. And, despite moments of oblivion when that fragile equilibrium threatened to collapse, Montenegro remained fairly stable, with no carnage of the dimensions of Bosnia or Croatia ever occurring.
There has been very close ties between Serbian and Montenegrin peoples. A common language, a common religion, a common hero (Prince Njegos). Some even argue that Montenegrins are actually Serbians. Yet over the centuries both peoples have developed very peculiar identities. Montenegrins like to boast themselves as 'The never conquered nation', for their montaineous landscape and sea have effectively locked up the territory against invaders of all kinds.
Most Montenegro observers now agree that the 600,000 people inhabiting the country are evenly split between independence and closer ties with Serbia. President Milo Djukanovic has suggested a much postponed referendum on the matter, but with passions running 50 / 50, some fear that the question of independence could disturb the fragile political environment.
Yet in practice, Montenegro is pretty much an independent nation. While Serbia holds on to the Yugoslav dinar, Montenegrins do all their math in Deutsche Marks -in Euros as of the 1st of January.
This report will argue that the nineties had a profound effect on the Montenegrin national conscience. Most of today's problems and challenges, for instance, are a direct legacy of the Balkan wars.
Take the radical population shifts. As refugees flew from the wars in Bosnia, Croatia, Kosovo and so on, they flooded Montenegro, invading towns and metropolitan areas and presenting a challengue to governments as the newcomers demand basic services.
If immigration was not enough, Montenegro emerged out of the Balkan wars with an equally worrying legacy. Subsecuent U.N. embargoes, and the seediness of war economy, both provided fertile ground for a surge in clasdestine economy, from smuggling to organised crime.
'There seems to be a black market for everything', my travel notes read. 'The port of Bar, particularly, has a very unpleasant feel about it, with some people being tenacious (to say it elegantly). Try to change your foreign currency in a travel office and they'll refer you to the smoking characters around town who operate the exchange market ilegally'.
Light out of the tunnel. Is there hope for Montenegro? There certainly is, and there are already many inspiring signs to anticipate the future. The fact that the government remains committed to the Euro -and previously the Deutsche Mark- has insulated the country from Serbian hyperinflation and finances, while paving the way for future association with the European Union.
Finally, an industry worth noting is tourism. Montenegro's beaches and charming medieval towns along the coast once thrived under the afluence of German, Italian and other Western visitors (not to mention the Hollywood characters patronising Sveti Stafan islet). If Montenegro is ever to reclaim this former, not so ancient glory, there's still a long way to go.
