Montenegrin Interior Minister Sergej Sekulovic has called for the defusion of tensions ahead of Sunday's ceremony of the enthronement of Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) Bishop Joanikije in the historical capital city of Cetinje.

Montenegrin patriots are outraged by the decision of the Serbian Orthodox Church to hold the ceremony of the enthronement of the new Serbian Orthodox Church Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral in Cetinje’s monastery that contains the remains of a Montenegrin saint from the ruling Petrović-Njegos family. They say that it amounts to an insult to Montenegro and see it as an act of provocation.

Therefore, Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic has suggested that the ceremony should be relocated, or he will also join protests that Montenegrin patriots are going to stage in Cetinje on Sunday.

Although the presence of Serbian orthodox believers had initially been planned for that ceremony, the SPC has given up from that idea amidst the growing pressure and tensions, however, it sticks to the plan that the ceremony be held in a Cetinje monastery and a few priests, including the SPC leader, Patriarch Porfirije, are due to attend the event.

Minister Sekulovic has written on his Twitter account that the government will make sure that rallies will be peaceful.

On Friday evening, after the cabinet’s meeting, the minister expressed concern over the growing tensions and said that the law enforcement forces would protect the constitutional rights and freedoms of inhabitants in the country.

Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic, whose candidacy for the premiership had been supported by the SPC, called on residents not to fall for provocation.

He blames “political and criminal groups that are afraid of the Montenegrin judicial reform” for fuelling tensions. In mid-August, Krivokapic said that he would attend the ceremony without a bodyguard.

The Serb Orthodox Church has greatly contributed to the change of government in Montenegro and to the first defeat of Milo Djukanovic’s DPS party in the election in three decades. Many leading positions in the state have been filled by those close to the SPC. The Krivokapic cabinet was elected on 4 December by a majority vote in the parliament after the parliamentary elections on 30 August 2020.