The political scene in Montenegro appears to have turned a page on Sunday when veteran Milo Djukanovic lost – after three decades of monopoly in the small Balkan country – to upstart politician Jakov Milatovic.

The outcome of the second round of presidential elections could be decisive in the tiny Adriatic state. This could affect early parliamentary elections on June 11, after months of political stalemate with the government simply tasked with day-to-day business.

According to the non-governmental organization CeMI, based on the results of almost all constituencies, Mr. Milatovic, an economist friend close to the EU, aged 36, received about 60% votes against 40% of the outgoing head of state.

“Montenegro has chosen, and I respect its choice,” said Mr. Djukanovic, admitting defeat. “I want Milatović to become a successful president, because that will mean that Montenegro will become a successful country.”

On the streets of Podgorica and other cities, supporters of the Europe Now candidate set off fireworks and flares and honked cars in celebration.

Mr. Djukanovic has been a dominant figure in the Montenegrin political scene for over thirty years, either as Prime Minister or as President.

This is the heaviest defeat he has ever suffered personally, following the historic defeat of his faction, the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), in the previous parliamentary elections in 2020. Since then, the country has staggered from crisis to crisis and two governments have fallen.

Mr. Milatovic spoke of the defeat of the old regime. He proclaims that Montenegro will become “calmer, richer, fairer.”

Milo Djukanovic came to power in 1991, at the age of 29, with the backing of former Belgrade leader Slobodan Milosevic, as bloodshed began to tear the former Yugoslavia apart.

As Serbia was being turned into an international pariah by the West, he distanced himself. He contacted the West, broke with Belgrade, won the independence of Montenegro in a referendum in 2006. The country joined NATO, became a candidate member of the European Union and withdrew from Russia’s sphere of influence.

But opponents accuse him personally of clientelism, favoritism, endemic corruption and even ties to organized crime. The interested party denies all these allegations.

“Tonight, together with all citizens, we resolutely said goodbye to crime, corruption and the links between crime, corruption and politics in Montenegro,” said Yakov Milatovic in his victory speech.

Priority – accession to the EU

Mr. Djukanovic spent much of his campaign questioning the sincerity of his opponent and Europe Now, arguing that the other side was vulnerable to Serbian influence.

Mr. Milatovic countered that “Montenegro’s number one priority is full integration into the European Union.” He states that he favors “good relations with Serbia and with all the countries of the Western Balkans.”

For years, Mr. Djukanovic has sought to curb Serbian influence and forge a distinct national identity. Something not entirely simple in a country where more than 200,000 of its 620,000 inhabitants, more than a third, declare themselves Serbs.

Mr. Milatovic, Minister of Economic Development in the first government formed after the 2020 elections, left his post at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to head the ministry.

For some populists, the father of three was one of the founders in 2022 of the Europe Now movement. He became popular thanks to a controversial economic program that almost doubled the minimum wage to 450 euros.

For many voters, this year’s elections put at stake an improvement in economic conditions in Montenegro, which, like other Balkan countries, is suffering from a youth exodus.

Official results will be announced in the coming days.

Source: RES-IPE