By Smartencyclopedia Newsroom *

According to preliminary results released by the Center for Monitoring and Research (CEMI), Montenegro’s Europe Now Movement (PES) secured 25.7 percent of the votes in the snap election held on June 11. The Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), which ruled the country from 1990 to 2020, came in second with 23.7 percent support. The conservative alliance For the Future of Montenegro, led by the pro-Serbian and pro-Russian Democratic Front, obtained 14.7 percent of the votes.

PES, which advocates closer ties with Serbia, and its member Jakov Milatovic, a political newcomer, previously won the presidential vote in April. They have now secured 23 out of the 81 seats in parliament. This election marked the first time DPS participated without Milo Djukanovic as party president, and they are projected to gain 22 seats.

The voter turnout was the lowest in Montenegrin parliamentary history, standing at 56.4 percent. The Democratic Party and URA movement, which also support EU integration, came in fourth with 12.3 percent of the votes (11 seats), according to CEMI’s projection based on counting 98.7 percent of the ballots from a representative sample of 400 polling stations.

The official results are expected to be announced in the coming days. The outcome of the elections is crucial for Montenegro’s NATO membership and its candidacy to join the European Union. Additionally, it will have implications for the implementation of economic reforms and addressing issues such as corruption, nepotism, and organized crime.

The parliamentary elections come after Djukanovic’s loss in the presidential election in April and his subsequent resignation after three decades in power. Montenegro remains divided between those identifying as Montenegrins and those considering themselves Serbs, with some objecting to the country’s separation from neighboring Serbia in 2006.

The recent elections are seen as a potential path towards stability after a period of political turbulence, which led to the ousting of two governments in the past three years. Montenegro joined NATO in 2017 and supported Ukraine following Russia’s invasion in February 2022, resulting in its inclusion on Russia’s list of unfriendly states.

Voters in Podgorica expressed cautious optimism about the election outcome, hoping for positive changes and the formation of a stable government.

Source: With Agencies