Montenegro votes in parliamentary elections

Montenegrins headed to the polls Sunday to cast votes in parliamentary elections aiming to end months of political gridlock after the government collapsed last August.

The elections come just months after Montenegro's political establishment was rocked when long-time leader Milo Djukanovic suffered a crushing defeat in a presidential run-off in April to the upstart Jakov Milatovic, ending decades of rule by the incumbent.   

Djukanovic had been a political mainstay in Montenegro for decades, rotating through various positions -- including multiple stints as both president and prime minister. 

Sunday's elections will likely provide a glimpse into where the Balkan nation is headed as it plunges into a new political era while the country continues to cling to the long-sought goal of joining the European Union.

At the front of the pack is President Milatovic's Europe Now party, a political newcomer that formed in 2022 but has taken Montenegro by storm with its pro-European platform and pledge to raise wages and launch reforms. 

Europe Now will be hoping to capture the eagerness of young voters looking for an injection of fresh faces into the country's leadership long dominated by Djukanovic and his Democratic Party of Socialist (DPS). 

 

 

 

AFP