As Monday marked the 30th day of the ongoing Laziest Citizen competition, it broke the previous record of 24 days, with five steadfast contestants remaining lying in their beds with sights set on the 1,000-euro prize. The annual event, known for both its light-hearted nature and endurance testing, is held in the Montenegrin village of Brezna at a holiday resort owned by the contest organiser, Radonja Blagojevic.
Initially beginning on August 19 with a robust lineup of 21 competitors, the contest now spots a 21-year-old from Serbia as the favourite to win. The contestants, originating from various regions including Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Russia, and Ukraine, have gathered to outlast one another in a test of wills, remaining horizontal for the longest time possible.
Radonja Blagojevic shared with the media, “It is a very psychological competition, and the participants are interesting personalities.” Blagojevic also highlighted the camaraderie developed amongst the participants, affirming, “They are a great team and some friendships will remain there.”
The competition, founded in 2001 in a humorous jab at the Balkan stereotype of Montenegrins being lazy, has grown to foster a spirit of unity and friendly competition. Despite its humorous origin, rooted in the generalised stereotype that saw Montenegrins as the subject of jokes in the former Yugoslavia, the competition has brought together individuals from different backgrounds to challenge endurance limits and foster friendships.
Abiding by stringent rules that ensure the health and wellbeing of the competitors, the event allows for three meals a day and a scheduled 15-minute break every eight hours for restroom use — a modification introduced in 2021 to replace the original no-getting-up rule.
Blagojevic noted, “Earlier we had a rule that there was no getting up, not even going to the toilet, so who could last the longest. But since 2021, we introduced the innovation that every eight hours they can take a 15-minute break to go to the toilet.” Immediate disqualification awaits those who defy the gravity of the contest rules by sitting or standing.