Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro

An opposition bloc led by the Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, which was swept from power in 2020 after three decades of uninterrupted rule, came second with 23.8 per cent of votes.

Leader of Europe Now movement Milojko Spajic talks to media after casting his ballot in Podgorica, Montenegro. Photo: EPA-EFE/BORIS PEJOVIC

The result confirmed Europe Now's dominance after it took power in the capital, Podgorica, and another town in October last year and its deputy leader, Jakov Milatovic, beat incumbent Milo Djukanovic in April's presidential election.

Electoral campaign billboards in Montenegrin capital Podgorica. Photo: BIRN/Samir Kajosevic

Since then the small Adriatic country has endured almost constant political turbulence and two governments have been ousted.

Podgorica-based University professor Predrag Zenovic said there are expectations that the elections could herald an end to the turmoil.

Democratic Front MPs at a Montenegrin parliament session in Podgorica. Photo: Parliament of Montenegro

They said on Saturday that pro-Serbian politicians Andrija Mandic and Milan Knezevic's New Serbian Democracy and Democratic People's Party will go to polls as a coalition, while Nebojsa Medojevic's Movement for Changes will compete on its own.

In the second round of the election, preliminary results put Milatovic far ahead on 60 per cent of the counted votes while Djukanovic won 40 per cent.

Milatovic had the support of the ruling majority parties, while Djukanovic was supported by the smaller opposition Bosniak Party and two ethnic Albanian parties.

It is the first definitive electoral personal defeat of Djukanovi since his entry into state politics in February 1991.
Djukanovi was defeated in the first round of the presidential elections in 1997, but emerged as winner in the second.
Djukanovi received the unanimous support of the DPS Main Board for this new candidacy at the session held on February 24.

Montenegro is likely to have a new president after the sociological institute CeMI predicted 60.1% of the vote for Jakov Milatovic, the former economy minister, over incumbent Milo Djukanovic.

Latest data; CeMi: Milatovi won 60 percent of the vote
According to the Centre for Monitoring and Research (CEMI), which published its preliminary results of the run-off presidential election in Montenegro, the candidate of the "Europe Now!" movement, Jakov Milatovic, won 60 percent of the vote based on 98 percent of the votes processed so far.

A woman walks past campaign billboards for Presidential candidates Milo Djukanovic and Jakov Milatovic in Podgorica, Montenegro. Photo: EPA-EFE/BORIS PEJOVIC

Europe Now candidate Jakov Milatovic casts his ballot during the first round of presidential elections in Podgorica. Photo: EPA-EFE/BORIS PEJOVIC