After Montenegrin Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic failed to dismiss his deputy Dritan Abazovic, who belongs to the Albanian community in Montenegro, the latter submitted a request for non-confidence motion in January, following tensions that have plagued the ruling coalition since the beginning. Krivokapic’s government was fired voted by opposition and the United Reform Action (URA), who was initiator for the non-confidence motion. His non-dismissal can be considered as first Abazoviç`s victory, the second is voting his initiative for non-confidence motion against Krivokapic`s governance and now is waiting for the third victory.
Krivokapic was nominated as Montenegro’s prime minister by the Serbian Orthodox Church, which sparked outrage and protests in the country, as the opposition accused the government of planning to change the country’s demographic and political structure due to the Citizenship Law and the Law on Freedom of Religion. In fact there were cracks in governing coalition since the beginning, when the Montenegro Parliament adopted a resolution condemning the genocide in Srebrenica and fired the Minister of Justice, due to his statement when he had denied the genocide.
Protests shadowed the previous government all the time, but the political divisions deepened even more in September last year, during the ordination of the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Joanikije in Cetinje in Montenegro, this ceremony, which was held under strict security measures, once again highlighted the social divisions that exist between the supporters of the Serbian Orthodox Church and that of Montenegro. The governing coalition formed by the pro-Serbian and pro-Russian Democratic Front, Democrats and the United Reform Action (URA), was considered from the beginning dangerous for the Montenegro future due to their pro-Serbian approach.
Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic, who leads the country’s largest opposition party, has often stressed that Belgrade is intervening to destabilize the country by using the previous government. He considered that the dismissal of Krivokapic’s Government is a big step towards prosperity also a prevention against the annexation of Montenegro by Serbia, which aims to create a “Serbian World”. Recall that in Montenegro, members of the Russian intelligence service have often been detected, causing destabilization of the country to disorient it on the path to Euro-Atlantic integration.
As negotiations for the formation of new government continue, in Montenegro there is a danger that the already fragmented pro-Serbian alliance will take action by organizing protests and blocking the roads, in order to use the political gap to destabilize the country. The “dissatisfied” have warned that there will be disapproval if an agreement on governance is reached with the Democratic Party of Socialists.
While Montenegro is in the process of consolidating power, the possibility of new elections is not ruled out, but it is likely that Abazovic, with the support of Djukanovic’s Social Democrats, could take over the leadership of a new minority government. President Milo Djukanovic also confirmed his support, stating that he will not be part of the government, but will support the model of minority governance, by voting it. The Serbian Orthodox Church are fiercely opposed to the future government being elected with the support of Djukanovic’s party.
Montenegro must hurry towards the formation of a responsible government to fight corruption, organized crime, keep the country away from external influences, so as not to jeopardize its future in the EU.
Although already a member of the UN, NATO, the World Trade Organization, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, and the Union for the Mediterranean, Montenegro has risked its future in the EU due to political instability and destructive approach on its path to the EU mostly due to anti-western influence from Russia and Serbia.
