Why Montenegro’s protests are unlikely to spell the end for Milo Đukanović

Starting in late September, Montenegro has experienced a stream of protests, with police at times resorting to the use of force to disperse protesters. Mirko Bošković writes that initially the protests were driven by an opposition party, the Democratic Front, and were perceived to be largely pro-Russian and anti-NATO in nature. While this ensured a substantial part of the country’s civil society did not participate in the demonstrations when they first began, the situation changed dramatically following the authorities’ attempts to repress the movement. The anti-government character of the demonstrations has now taken centre stage, with protesters calling for ‘the first free and fair elections in the history of Montenegro’ and the end of Milo Đukanović‘s 26-year-long rule

Endemic plant relict

Endemi su organizmi koji žive na određenom ograničenom geografskom području i nigdje drugdje na svijetu. Prema starosti razlikujemo reliktne endeme (paleoendeme) i neoendeme. Reliktni endemi su vrste koje su u prošlosti imale veliki areal, ali se zbog klimatskih i geografskih promjena i velike konkurencije ostalih vrsta jako smanjio. Cycas revoluta endem je istočne Azije i prirodna rasprostranjenost mu je od Japana do Jave, Ginkgo biloba je endem istočne Kine, Metasequoia glyptostroboides endem srednje Kine, Sequoia sempervirens je endem obalnog dijela Kalifornije i Oregona, Sequoiadendron giganteum je endem Kalifornije (Sierra Nevada), Wollemia nobilis je endem Australije, a Zamia integrifolia endem jugoistočnog dijela SAD-a, Bahamima, Kajmanskom otočju, Kubi, Portoriku. Prethodno navedeni reliktni endemi potječu iz mezozoika. Sljedeći reliktni endemi potječu iz tercijara i endemi su Balkanskog poluotoka. Picea omorica endem je istočne Bosne i zapadne Srbije, Ramonda nathaliae i Ramonda serbica endemi su Srbije, Makedonije, Crne Gore, Albanije, Grčke i Bugarske. Neke od navedenih vrsta možemo naći i izvan njihove prirodne rasprostranjenosti. Čuvaju se u botaničkim vrtovima i arboretumima te se mnoge od njih sade po parkovima kao ukrasne vrste. Sve opisane reliktne vrte (izuzev R.nathaliae) nalaze se na Crvenoj listi ugroženih vrsta IUCN-a.Endemic species are organisms that live in a limited geographical area and nowhere else in the world. Differ by age relict endemic species (paleoendeme) and neoendeme. The relic endemics are species which in the past had a great range, but due to climatic and geographical changes and fierce competition in other species are much reduced. Cycas revoluta is endemic in eastern Asia and its natural distribution is from Japan to Java, Ginkgo biloba is endemic to eastern China, Metasequoia glyptostroboides endemic to Central China, Sequoia sempervirens is endemic to the coastal region of California and Oregon, Sequoiadendron giganteum is endemic to California (Sierra Nevada), Wollemia nobilis is endemic to Australia, and Zamia integrifolia endemic in the southeastern part of the United States, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Cuba, Puerto Rico. The foregoing relict endemics originated from the Mesozoic. The next relict endemics originated from the Tertiary and they are endemics of Balkan peninsula. Picea omorica endemic to the east of Bosnia and western Serbia, Ramonda nathaliae and Ramonda serbica are endemic Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Greece and Bulgaria. Some of these species can be found outside their natural range. Kept in arboretums and botanical gardens and many of them planted in parks as ornamental species. All described relict, exept R. nathaliae, running are on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Montenegro parliamentary election: going beyond the ‘NATO vs Russia’ dichotomy

Montenegro votes in parliamentary elections on Sunday 16 October. Mirko Bošković outlines the main topics of the campaign, recent controversies regarding party funding, and possible future scenarios for Montenegro following the election. Montenegro’s invitation to join NATO, which is yet to be ratified by the country’s parliament and could cause a geopolitical stir should it not happen, has overshadowed all other issues in international press coverage of the election. However, he argues that there are far more important issues at stake and the temptation to understand this election as a choice between two options must be resisted