Three days without a post and the yearn to do it is clearly visible on me.

Montenegro's independence is approaching. For the record, I believe that an independent Montenegro will be a boon to itself and the region. A successful trip to Europe for Montenegro will show the path to all of its neighbors, including Serbia. A Montenegro takings seriously its bid will insure that it works hard to fulfill European standards, without having anybody to blame. Its political class consciously or unconsciously is entering into a path through which they will be highly monitored and evaluated. All in all, Montenegro is small and with potential. It might very well turn into EU's show child and drag Serbia along into the EU. While reformists in Belgrade suffered a defeat in Belgrade last week with the exit of Labus from government, a Montenegro on the way to Europe could very well prove their biggest asset.

But let's see what other people are saying about Sunday's referendum.

Carl Bildt:

Although the election campaign is monitored by both the OSCE and the Council of Europe, it is obvious that all the tricks of the trade - and in Montenegro there are many - are employed.

Has Russia put another knife on Serbia's back? Are Russian business interests for Montenegro's independence, as Bildt suggests?

It's not unlikely that there are shady Russian interests also supporting the pro-independence camp. The by far largest enterprise of the country - the aluminum works by Podgorica - has just been taken over by a Russian group of somewhat debatable reputation, and other Russian business interests are moving in, not the least on the property market.

As Slovenian leadership would predict at the onset of the Yugoslav upheaval, the break-up started and will end in Kosovo. But who would have thought that Montenegro too would make its bid for independence. Once again, like in the good old 80's, some Serbs bring on the all-or- nothing mentality threatening with war and mass migration if they don't get it their way.

Berane, a town of about 15,000 people and former industrial hub in the northwest of Montenegro, is widely regarded as a bastion of pro-unionist support, Serb leaders say further separation from the government in Belgrade would provoke an exodus. Mayor Relja Jovancevic, a Serb, talks forebodingly about the region being plunged into a civil conflict, just as Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina were from 1992 to 1995 at the cost of tens of thousands of lives.

"There'll be civil war. I'll sell my house and my property and leave," Jovancevic said in an interview.

Both sides have been mobilized to bring out the vote. I think the government (pro-independence) factions are way more organized, and not only because they have most of the government institutions at their disposal. Serb government has responded where it could, despite promises not to intervene. JAT has offered extra flights to carry Montenegrins living in Serbia and Serb church has blessed the union. Probably as many M-Albanians live outside of Montenegro (mostly in New York) as within; they are all likely to vote for independence. Government airline is offering to fly in Montenegrins abroad for free.

In what history may yet call the Podgorica airlift, the local airline has scrapped its normal timetable to lay on more than 200 special flights for émigrés exercising their right to vote on Montenegro’s destiny. Some have proudly paid their own way but many, from as far away as New York and Chicago, have been given free tickets, paid for by unnamed benefactors.

And what is at stake?

Montenegrins have been seduced by a dream of a Europe that is a peculiar mixture of the bourgeois prosperity that they hope the EU will deliver and the Europe of tinpot principalities that their brocaded flags recall.

I should probably mention that there are concerns coming from Serbia, once again, on the economic survival of such a small country. But institute little or no taxes and a policy of secrecy and Montenegro could very well be Monaco of the eastern Mediterranean. For a change. Who would need EU if you can be a Monaco. But nevertheless it seems like a plan already exists to jumpstart Montenegro in the association talks with EU.

Along Montenegro’s spectacular coastline, where limestone cliffs plunge into emerald bays and developers salivate over the “next Croatia”, plan B may very well be for “bonanza”.

Once the results are settled, Montenegro is definitely a buy, buy, buy.