Unraveling the Miracle: The Serbian Orthodox Church and the 2020 Regime Change in Montenegro

Abstract

This paper investigate the transnational political engagement of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the 2020 regime change in Montenegro. Methods. I used in-depth interviews based on purposive sampling of experts that covers three problems: transnational action; success of litije movement; and political aspirations of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the Balkans. Results. I found that the Serbian Orthodox Church does have the potential to act transnationally; that its decision to act transnationally in Montenegro was key to the success of litije; and that the activities of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the Balkans are guided by Serbian Orthodox nationalism. Conclusions. Contrary to the dominant paradigm, litije showed that the Serbian Orthodox Church is politically ambivalent. Yet, its key challenge remains the lack of church-state separation, as it is only when the Church is independent from the State it can excess its democratizing potential.

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