Montenegrin leader ousted after 32 years

Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic lost the presidential election run-off on Sunday, 2 April, ending his 32-year rule that began in February 1991.

Djukanovic, the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) leader, was squarely defeated by 36-year-old newcomer Jakov Milatovic, a candidate for Europe Now, in the second round, with preliminary results showing Milatovic winning 60.1% of the counted votes to Djukanovic’s 39.9%. Djukanovic conceded defeat and wished Milatovic success.

Turnout was 70.7% of Montenegro’s almost 542,000 eligible voters, below the 2018 presidential elections when Djukanovic won his second term as president.

The former ruling DPS party continued its downward trend among voters, as Djukanovic was their last senior state official following their loss in the parliamentary elections in August 2020. The party lost control of 10 out of 14 municipalities, including the capital, Podgorica, in the local elections last October.

Milatovic fans claim end of an era

Milatovic’s victory was praised by ruling majority parties as the end of Djukanovic’s political era and a step towards creating a democratic society.

He held the position of Minister of Economy and Economic Development in the Krivokapic Cabinet from December 4, 2020, to April 28, 2022. During his tenure, he and finance minister Milojko Spajic introduced and put into effect the “Europe Now” economic reform program, which drew controversy.

Milatovic voted for the independence of Montenegro at the 2006 independence referendum, supports EU accession, and backs closer relations with Serbia.

In 2022, Milatovic and Spajic founded the Europe Now political party, which participated in the local elections of the same year. Milatovic was selected as the mayoral candidate for Podgorica and headed the organization’s electoral list.

In March 2023, Milatovic ran as Europe Now’s candidate in the Montenegrin presidential election. He won by a significant margin in the run-off against the incumbent president Milo Djukanovic on April 2, 2023, and was elected as the new president.

Balkan expert Florian Bieber tweeted: “It looks like the end of the Djukanović era by a clear margin. Key challenge will be to reduce polarisation, ensure that identity politics & nationalism don’t prevail. Montenegro remains the only country in the Western Balkans that could realistically join the EU in coming years.”

Analyst at the Institute of New Europe think-tank Jakub Bielamowicz wrote: “Djukanovic was no role model democrat, but the likely win by faux ‘pro-EU’ Jakov Milatovic is bad news for Montenegro.

Bielamowicz described Milatovic as an “economic populist who served in the clericalist-Serb nationalist government”, adding that “backed by the pro-Serbian-Russian bloc, he openly argues for closer ties with Belgrade.”

Voting irregularities reported

On Sunday, NGO CEMI and the Centre for Democratic Transition reported numerous irregularities at dozens of polling stations, including incidents of photographing of ballot papers and party activists recording voters and giving them money outside polling stations.

The police also received a false bomb threat and reportedly confiscated voter lists during searches in several towns.

This was Montenegro’s tenth election since the fall of Communism in 1990 and the fourth since regaining independence in 2006.

In the first round, two weeks ago, Djukanovic won 35.7% while Milatovic won 28.9%. Opposition candidates supported Milatovic in the second round.