The fine line between freedom of speech and hate speech is most clearly illustrated by the recent rhetoric of politicians in Montenegro. Competent institutions have completely failed to act, and their lack of adequate response—despite the evident presence of hate speech and incitement to intolerance—contributes to the abuse of freedom of expression, without fear of any accountability for such behavior.
This approach results in the normalization of such language in public discourse, used to mobilize support for nationalist and exclusionary ideologies. What is particularly alarming in such cases is the attempt to twist the narrative and deny what was said by individuals and groups promoting such rhetoric, sending a clear message: “Don’t believe what you hear, believe our interpretation of it.”
Condemnation of such statements by political party representatives does not genuinely contribute to the fight against hate speech. If they are truly committed to deeming such speech unacceptable, then they must take political steps, including withdrawing support from those individuals or political entities. Otherwise, they are encouraging those same individuals and entities to continue with such rhetoric—rhetoric that, ultimately, can lead to increased physical violence and societal radicalization.
There are multiple factors contributing to the tolerance of such behavior from individuals and political parties. Primarily, political calculations prevent them from taking concrete actions that would result in the loss of support on either the national or local level. Furthermore, party representatives tend to follow the party line and lack the courage to speak out independently against such rhetoric. And finally—but no less importantly—they are aware that citizens tend to quickly forget what was said, so they deliberately avoid making political moves that might affect their voter base from various angles.
Given all of the above, UZOR will soon be implementing the project “Strengthening Social Responsibility in the Digital Era,” which will shed light on this type of speech, the narratives involved, and the extent to which they are influenced by foreign actors. The project is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
