Politics 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.

• More than 542,000 Montenegrin citizens are eligible to vote at 1,038 polling stations.
• The last parliamentary elections in August 2020 saw Milo Djukanovic's Democratic Party of Socialists ousted from power after almost three decades.

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.

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.

Presidential candidate and incumbent President Milo Djukanovic at the polling station in Podgorica. Photo: EPA-EFE/BORIS PEJOVIC

The longest-serving leader in Europe lost the presidential elections by a large margin to 36-year-old political rookie and Europe Now candidate Jakov Milatovic.

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

On 19 March 2023, presidential election will be held in Montenegro for the eighth time since the introduction of the multi-party system in this country and for the fourth time since its independence was proclaimed in 2006. 542,154 voters will be eligible to give a vote.  The president of Montenegro is elected in a single national-wide constituency based on the two-round system.