PODGORICA, Montenegro: Montenegro’s newly-established government received parliamentary confirmation on Tuesday, with the prime minister vowing to jumpstart the Balkan nation’s stalled European Union integration efforts.
This development coincided with a visit from a prominent EU official who was scheduled to engage in discussions within Montenegro, a small NATO member country.
The new Cabinet gained approval with 46 votes in favour and 19 against following a marathon session that extended through the night. Notably, Montenegro’s assembly comprises 81 members, although not all were present for the vote.
The government’s formation marked the culmination of months of political wrangling that ensued after an election in June. The centrist Europe Now party, led by Prime Minister Milojko Spajic, secured victory in the election. However, their support wasn’t sufficient to independently form a government.
To establish the government, the winning coalition garnered support from staunchly anti-Western groups, under the condition that one of their leaders, Andrija Mandic, assumed the role of parliament speaker – a position of significant political influence.
Spajic affirmed that his government would maintain a pro-European stance, even in light of Mandic’s election. He refuted suggestions that his Cabinet would be swayed by neighbouring Serbia, from which Montenegro had separated in 2006 following an independence referendum.
We are eager to deliver positive outcomes for our country, Spajic emphasized to reporters. “Our goal is to accelerate the European integration process, advancing swiftly toward European Union membership.”
Spajic’s comments were made just ahead of the visit of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to the capital, Podgorica, as part of her tour of Western Balkan nations aspiring to join the 27-nation union. Von der Leyen had previously visited North Macedonia and Kosovo and was scheduled to travel to Serbia later on the same Tuesday.
Six Western Balkan countries are at varying stages of their journeys toward EU accession, a process expected to unfold over several years. Against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, EU officials have recently intensified their efforts to propel this process forward, encouraging Balkan nations to accelerate reforms to facilitate their accession. Von der Leyen’s discussions encompassed the details of a 6 billion-euro ($6.37 billion) package earmarked for Western Balkan countries and also addressed lingering tensions in the region, dating back to the ethnic conflicts of the 1990s.
Recent instances of violence and tensions between Serbia and Kosovo featured prominently on von der Leyen’s agenda, as the EU sought to negotiate a resolution to this long-standing dispute. Kosovo had declared independence from Serbia in 2008, yet Belgrade refused to acknowledge the former province’s sovereignty.
Both U.S. and EU officials had cautioned Montenegro against including an anti-NATO and anti-Western political party in its coalition if it wished to attain EU membership. Mandic, who had advocated for closer ties with Russia, expressed opposition to Montenegro’s NATO membership and resisted the separation from Serbia. Nevertheless, upon his election as parliament speaker on Monday, Mandic signaled readiness to convey a different message.
In response to the new government, hundreds of opposition supporters, brandishing Montenegrin flags, staged a protest outside the parliament building in the capital. Opposition lawmakers critiqued the new government, labelling it as anti-European due to the participation of pro-Serb parties.
