The process of forming a new government in Montenegro, which began after the government led by Dritan Abazovic failed to win a vote of confidence on August 20th 2022, turned into a political crisis. In this context, within the scope of the formation of the new government, the parties were given 30 days to present the prime ministerial candidate; however, the pro-Serbian parties in the country were unable to deliver to the president all the signatures of the deputies supporting the candidacy of Miodrag Lekic of the Democratic Front Party to form a new government for President Milo Djukanovic. For this reason, Djukanovic refused to give Lekic the task of forming a government because he did not accomplish the necessary conditions and demanded early general elections, announcing that this could happen at the beginning of 2023.[1]
Following these developments, the Democratic Front Party demanded an amendment to the Law on the Presidency. So much so; On November 2, 2022, the 81-member Montenegrin Parliament adopted the legal amendment, described by President Milo Djukanovic as a “constitutional coup”, with the votes of forty-one deputies. However, the President of the Republic sent the relevant decision back to the Parliament on 8 November 2022.
According to the said legal regulation in question, if the President does not give anyone the task of forming a government to enable the formation of pro-Serbian parties in Montenegro, the candidate with the support of the parliamentary majority will take over. Democratic Front MP Predrag Bulatovic argued that the arrangement would solve the political crisis.2
Djukanovic did not invite political parties to consultations to form a government. The law restricting the powers of the president was voted on for the second time in the Montenegrin Parliament on 12 December 2022 and passed the approval of the deputies. However, the members of the Constitutional Court could not be determined because Djukanovic’s opposition Democratic Party of Socialist Party (DPS) deputies did not attend the session. The session also raised a proposal to launch an investigation to determine whether the President violated the Constitution by failing to appoint a representative despite his constitutional obligation.3
Following the adoption of a draft law restricting the president’s powers, thousands of demonstrators began to protest in the country under the leadership of Montenegro’s DPS, led by Djukanovic. In the demonstrations that have been going on for weeks; “We are here for Montenegro and the European Union (EU),” and “We want elections,” are carried placards. The demonstrators are demanding early elections by chanting “We are uncomfortable with fascism”, “We are not here to be silent” and “We will not violate the constitution, we want elections”. Reacting to the parliament, activists gathered in front of the Parliament building and threw stones and bottles at the building. In violent demonstrations, protesters have called Prime Minister Abazovic and Interior Minister Filip Adzic “traitors.”4
Meanwhile, the EU has summoned political actors in Montenegro to revoke the “decision restricting the powers of the President”. European Commission Spokesperson Ana Pisonero said the provocative actions in Montenegro must end as soon as possible. Pisonero also pointed out that Montenegro has once again missed the opportunity to end the institutional crisis by appointing the members of the Constitutional Court, adding, “A functional Constitutional Court is key for Montenegro to protect the fundamental rights of its citizens and move forward on the path to the EU.”5
At the same time, the United States (US) Embassy in Podgorica called for peaceful and constructive talks. “We call on Montenegrin politicians and all citizens of the country to find peaceful solutions to political problems,” the embassy said in a statement.6
As can be understood, although the citizens of the country are not satisfied with the DPS government, they think that this will be solved with early elections. Therefore, if early elections cannot be held in the country, there is a possibility that these events will turn into internal turmoil. In addition, since the law is not accepted by the President, it is possible to hold early elections at the beginning of 2023.
As a result, the EU and the US will not welcome the formation of a pro-Serbian government in the country, which will have the support of the Russians. Therefore, it may make some attempts to prevent this from happening. This indicates that the country could become one of the playgrounds of the Russian-Western struggle.
[1] “Karadağ Cumhurbaşkanı’ndan Yeni Hükümet Kurulması Yerine Seçime Gidilmesi Kararı”, Anadolu Ajansı (AA), https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/dunya/karadag-cumhurbaskanindan-yeni-hukumet-kurulmasi-yerine-secime-gidilmesi-karari/2692392, (Date of Accession: 13.12.2022).
2 “Thousands in Montenegro Clash with Police over Political Tension”, Anadolu Agency (AA), https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/thousands-in-montenegro-clash-with-police-over-political-tension/2762549, (Date of Accession: 13.12.2022).
3 “Propao pokušaj izbora sudija Ustavnog suda Crne Gore”, Al Jazeera Balkans, https://balkans.aljazeera.net/videos/2022/12/12/propao-pokusaj-izbora-sudija-ustavnog-suda-crne-gore, (Date of Accession: 13.12.2022).
4 “Karadağ’daki Protestoya Polis Müdahalesi”, Balkan News, https://www.balkannews.com.tr/karadag/karadag-daki-protestoya-polis-mudahalesi-h5255.html, (Date of Accession: 13.12.2022).
5 “AB’den, Karadağ’a ‘Cumhurbaşkanının Yetkilerini Kısıtlayan Kararı’ İptal Çağrısı”, Balkan News, https://www.balkannews.com.tr/karadag/ab-den-karadag-a-cumhurbaskaninin-yetkilerini-h5260.html, (Date of Accession: 13.12.2022).
6 Ibid.
