Montenegrins went to the polls on Sunday to elect their new parliament, hoping to bring stability to the country after its two most recent governments collapsed. The election is being contested by a host of political parties, ranging from a pro-European party led by a new generation of leaders to veteran politicians who want to maintain the country's ties with Russia.
The Europe Now party, which was only founded last year, is currently leading in the polls. Its leader is Milojko Spajic, a former Goldman Sachs credit analyst who served as finance minister in 2021. Spajic's promises to boost wages and pensions while reducing the standard work week have garnered widespread support among voters, especially given the country's economic turmoil during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Europe Now is backed by 29% of voters, according to a survey conducted last month by the Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM), while Djukanovic's Democratic Party of Socialists trails with 24% support. Smaller groups, including nationalists, conservatives, liberals, and representatives of ethnic minorities, are also vying for seats in the 81-seat parliament.
Montenegro's two most recent governments collapsed last year, leaving the country under a caretaker administration since August. However, with almost three-quarters of the country's electorate supporting Montenegro's bid to join the European Union, the mainstream political parties are campaigning on promises to achieve that goal and to boost the country's tourism-reliant economy.
Europe Now's success in the elections could mark a historic power shift in Montenegro, which started in 2020 when Djukanovic's DPS party lost power for the first time since 1991 amid allegations of corruption and links to organized crime. Djukanovic remains a formidable force in Montenegrin politics despite stepping down as chief of the DPS party after losing to Europe Now's Jakov Milatovic for the presidency in April.
Milatovic, who previously worked for Deutsche Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, has also campaigned on pledges to root out corruption and to accelerate Montenegro's bid to join the European Union. However, Djukanovic's legacy of having restored Montenegro's independence in 2006 with a split from former partner Serbia and securing the country's accession to NATO in 2017 has given him some loyal supporters.
The right-wing groups who oppose accession to NATO and prefer ties with Russia are on the wane, with their alliance, called the Democratic Front, collapsing earlier this year. Despite this, some parties that were part of the coalition may still garner a combined 13% of the vote, according to CEDEM.
Other important parties in the election include the United Reform Action led by caretaker Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic and the Democrats led by former parliament speaker Aleksa Becic. Both are pro-EU and anti-graft and have campaigned on cracking down on Montenegro's powerful drug cartels, which have led to high-profile arrests of judges and senior police officials accused of colluding with cocaine smugglers.
The initial results of the election are expected to roll in late Sunday evening, determining the country's political future for the foreseeable future.