Written by Krastina Razheva                                                                                         

The passive dispute between Serbia and Montenegro took shape on 5 September 2021 with a physical clash between protesters and riot police in Cetinje, the former royal capital of Montenegro. The conflict was provoked by the inauguration of Bishop Joanikje II as the new Head of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro. Protesters put up barricades and were allegedly throwing rocks and fireworks at police officers in an attempt to prevent the inauguration, compelling riot police to respond with tear gas and to dismantle the barricades. The conflict resulted in many arrests and left at least 60 people injured (Deutsche Welle, 2021).