Montenegro's political scene was turned upside down on Sunday (April 2nd) by the defeat in the presidential election of veteran Milo Djukanovic, after three decades of rule in the tiny Balkan country, against newcomer Jakov Milatovic.

The outcome of the second round of the presidential election is decisive in this country bordering the Adriatic. It will weigh on early legislative elections called for June 11 after months of deadlock, with a censored government that only manages current affairs.

According to CeMI projections of almost all polling stations, Jakov Milatovic, a 36-year-old pro-European economist, won about 60% of the vote, compared to 40% for his rival.

"Montenegro has chosen and I respect this choice," said the outgoing president as he conceded defeat. "I want Milatovic to be a successful president because that will mean that Montenegro can be a successful country."

In the streets of Podgorica and other cities across the country, supporters of the "Europe Now" candidate celebrated his victory by setting off fireworks and honking their horns.

Milo Djukanovic has been a fixture on the Montenegrin political scene for more than 30 years, serving as Prime Minister or President on multiple occasions. This is his biggest setback since the historic defeat of his party, the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), in the last legislative elections of 2020. Since then, the country has been going from crisis to crisis, with the fall of two governments.

'Defeat of the old regime'

"I am convinced of my victory," Milatovic said as he voted. "It will represent the final defeat of the symbol of the old regime" and "we will take a giant step towards a reconciled, richer, fairer Montenegro."

Milo Djukanovic came to power in 1991 at the age of 29, supported by Belgrade strongman Slobodan Milosevic at the beginning of the wars that consecrated the bloody break-up of the former Yugoslavia. As Serbia became a pariah on the international stage, he distanced himself. He moved closer to the West, broke with Belgrade, won Montenegro's independence in a referendum in 2006. His country joined NATO, became a candidate for the European Union and left the Russian sphere of influence. But his critics accuse him of clientelism, widespread corruption and links to organized crime, which he strongly denies.

"Tonight, together with all citizens, we said a decisive farewell to crime, corruption, and the links between crime, corruption and politics in Montenegro," Milatovic said in his victory speech.

Vulnerability to interference

Milo Djukanovic campaigned by questioning the sincerity of his rival's European anchoring and "Europe Now", while accusing him of being vulnerable to Serbian interference. To which Jakov Milatovic replied that his "number one priority for Montenegro was full membership of the European Union." He also said he supported "good relations with Serbia as with all the nations of the Western Balkans."

For years, Milo Djukanovic has sought to limit Serbia's influence and consolidate a separate national identity from Montenegro. This is not an easy task in a country where a third of the 620,000 inhabitants identify as Serbs.

Jakov Milatovic, a former member of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), entered politics by becoming Minister of Economic Development in the first government formed after the 2020 parliamentary elections. Described as populist by some, this father of three children was particularly appreciated by imposing a controversial economic program that almost doubled the minimum wage to 450 euros.

For many voters the election should lead to better economic conditions in Montenegro, which, like the rest of the Balkans, is suffering from the exodus of its youth.

The official results of the election are expected in the coming days. In any case, the president essentially has a representative role and the prime minister holds the main levers of power.

With AFP

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