The current president of MontenegroMilo Djukanovic, and economist Jakov Milatovic, both pro-European politicians, were the most voted today in the first round of the presidential elections.
The next president of the country, member of the I’LL TAKE and candidate for membership in the European Union (EU)will be chosen between the two in the second round, which will be held on April 2.
Djukanoviccandidate of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), won today with 35.3% of the votes obtainedstill according to the projections of the scrutiny of the non-governmental organization CeMI, broadcast by public television RTCG, which are based on 98.5% of the count.
Milatovic, of the young extra-parliamentary movement Europe Now! (ES), which is on the rise in the unstable Montenegrin political scene, has obtained 29.2% of the votesaccording to those projections.
Djukanovic stated tonight that the result has shown that citizens respect his “policy of a modern Montenegro”and that it is a good basis for the legislative elections, which will be held on June 11.
Presidential elections take place in the midst of a political crisis in Montenegroand according to analysts, they show the strength of the parties represented by the candidates for the anticipated legislative elections.
“The first round and what I project as the final result are a strong push so that in the next parliamentary let us confirm the strength of a European Montenegro“Djukanovic said today.
Milatovic, 37, was economy minister as an expert with experience in Western countries in the first government formed after the fall of Djukanovic’s DPS in 2020.
He promotes moderate and conciliatory discourse, and is considered by many as a favorite in the second round as he could be supported by the parties that together defeated the DPS three years ago.
The candidate of the pro-Serbian and pro-Russian Democratic Front (DF) Andrija Mandic, who in today’s presidential elections was the third most voted with 19%, he already announced tonight his support for Milatovic in the second round.
It is considered that the centrist Europeanist Democratic Montenegro would also support him.
Milatovic assured after knowing the results that has taken “a crucial step” towards victory on April 2, and “restore hope” to the citizens in the building of a European country with the new politicians on the Montenegrin scene.
Some 540,000 citizens with the right to vote The polls were called today to elect the new president for a five-year term in the fourth presidential election since Montenegro’s independence in 2006.
Political instability has caused the fall of two governments since 2020the last one last August and which continues on an interim basis.
Djukanovic, 61, who has dominated the political scene for more than 30 years, he was prime minister in six terms and has so far been president in the second term.
It is considered the “father of the independence of Montenegro”, and his critics accuse him of autocracy, but he has charted the country’s Euro-Atlantic path.
His eventual win in the second round would be a big boost to his DPS, down from 2020, when he lost power for the first time in three decades facing a heterogeneous coalition of pro-Europeans and pro-Russians, but which also has a burden of corruption scandals in long years in power.