PRO-EU, anti-russian Djukanovic is Montenegro’s new president
MONTENEGRO has defied Russia by electing a pro-nato political veteran who hopes to lead the small Balkan state into the European Union.
Yesterday night, officials announced that Milo Djukanovic, who has dominated politics in the former Yugoslav republic for nearly 25 years, had secured victory.
The result is likely to rattle pro-russian groups who bitterly opposed Montenegro joining the Western military alliance in 2017.
It would also allow Mr Djukanovic, who favours deeper European integration, to push for Montenegro to become an EU member, which experts say could happen as soon as 2025.
His main rival was Mladen Bojanic, an economist who has the support of most opposition parties, including prorussian factions, and was expected to secure around a third of the vote.
Mr Djukanovic has claimed that the opposition wants to turn the country into a “Russian province” and threaten Montenegro’s multicultural way of life.
Mr Djukanovic was prime minister during a tense October 2016 parliamentary election when authorities said they thwarted a pro-russian coup attempt designed to prevent the country from joining Nato.
Two Russian citizens are being tried in absentia for the plot, which prosecutors said included a plan to assassinate Mr Djukanovic.
The Kremlin has denied any involvement.
In 2006, Mr Djukanovic led Montenegro to independence from Serbia, which also hopes to became an EU member within the next seven years.