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Pro-Western Europe Now movement wins most votes in elections in Montenegro
Europe: Montenegro
Prime on parliamentary elections in Montenegro
(June 11, 2023)
Parliamentary elections were held in Montenegro on June 11, 2023. At stake was the composition of the unicameral Assembly or Skupstina, with its 81 seats where members are directly elected to serve four-year terms. The previous elections were held in 2020 with the next election scheduled to take place in 2024. As a result these were snap elections in 2023, precipitated by ongoing political strife.
In 2020, an alliance dominated by parties seeking closer ties with Serbia and Russia came to power. In 2022, the coalition, beset by disarray, fell as a result of a confidence vote. Political stalemate resulted in that government remaining in power until these 2023 elections were held.
On election day, the people of Montenegro went to the polls to cast their ballots. When the votes were counted, it was apparent that Montenegro had opted to go in a pro-Western direction. A pro-Western centrist movement, Europe Now, which advocates accession to the European Union, was projected to win the most votes, albeit not a parliamentary majority. As such, it would have to form a governing coalition.
Europe Now was projected to carry about 26 percent of the vote, while the coalition led by the Democratic Party of Socialists of former President Milo Djukanovic garnered 23 percent. With 15 percent of the votes, the pro-Serb coalition For the Future of Montenegro would likely play kingmaker in the formation of a new government.
Milojko Spajic, the leader of Europe Now, assumed a pragmatic and modest tone as he declared: “Tomorrow is a new day. We are not going to be arrogant, and we will sit down with anyone who shares our values. We will obviously form a new pro-European government.”
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