In Montenegro, parliament has overthrown Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic’s government, who had been in office for only three and a half months. On the initiative of President Milo Djukanovic’s DPS party and four other parliamentary groups, 50 of the 81 MPs voted in favor on Saturday evening. The eco-liberal Abazovic had angered the head of state more than two weeks earlier for signing a controversial contract with the Serbian Orthodox Church.
For now, Abazovic will likely continue to rule on an interim basis until a decision is made on his successor. Abazovic, 36, did not take office until April 28, after the previous mostly pro-Serb government was ousted in parliament. Like Djukanovic, Abazovic is considered pro-western. He had led a minority government, with a motley crew that included his URA party, Greens, Social Democrats, ethnic Albanian and Bosnian parties, and a pro-Serb party.
“I am very proud of everything we have done in 100 days,” Abazovic said after the vote. “We will be remembered as the government that had the shortest term of office but made the most difficult decisions.”
Gaining more influence in the NATO country
The church contract is considered controversial as it grants special rights to the Serbian-controlled Orthodox Church. Their leadership never really came to terms with Montenegro’s state independence. The former Yugoslav republic became independent in 2006 – at the time in consultation with the Serbian state. Today, the government in Belgrade is trying to regain more influence in the NATO country through the church and local pro-Serb parties and organizations.
Abazovic signed the church agreement this month despite criticism from human rights groups and pro-Western political parties who claimed the church has too much power compared to other religious communities. He said the pact would solve a long-standing domestic political problem and help bridge the gap between pro-European parties and those in favor of closer ties to Serbia and Russia.
Country long marked by division
Politics in the Adriatic country of just 625,000 has long been marked by divisions between those who identify as Montenegrins and pro-Russian Serbs, who oppose Montenegro’s independence from the former state union with Serbia.
Three days earlier, tensions between Abazovic and parliament had also caused the election of members to a politically independent judicial council in parliament to fail. The European Commission had requested this step several times. The small Adriatic country has been a member of NATO since 2017 and aims to join the EU.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
