Montenegro: the president dissolves the Parliament in view of the anticipated legislative

The President of Montenegro, Miodrag Djukanovic, on Thursday dissolved the Parliament of the small Balkan country, a member of NATO and which is negotiating its accession to the European Union, in the grip of a political crisis since the legislative elections of 2020.

The pro-European head of state, whose Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) was defeated in the last legislative elections, announced his decision by decree, after the expiry of a three-month period granted by Parliament to a former diplomat, Miodrag Lekic, to try to form a government.

No stable majority

Miodrag Lekic's candidacy had been supported by a group of parties led by the Democratic Front, a pro-Russian formation.

The current government was overthrown by a vote of no confidence last August but is still in control.

In accordance with the Constitution, Miodrag Djukanovic must call early elections on Friday, which should take place in May or June.

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Since the 2020 legislative elections, no camp has managed to build a stable majority and the country is going from crisis to crisis.

This decision comes three days before the first round of Sunday's presidential election in which Milo Djukanovic, 62, a veteran of the local political scene, will face several candidates, including Andrija Mandic, 59, of the Democratic Front.

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In the small country of 620,000 inhabitants with a coast on the Adriatic Sea, the presidential function is essentially ceremonial and the Prime Minister holds the main levers of power.

Milo Djukanovic nevertheless remains an important figure, he who has led Montenegro almost continuously for three decades.

A former close friend of Belgrade strongman Slobodan Milosevic, he rallied to the Western camp and secured his country's divorce from Serbia in 2006.

The result of the presidential election looks very close.

According to the polls, the new president will only be elected in the second round scheduled for April 2.

A possible defeat of Milo Djukanovic could mean a change of course for a country whose European prospects are clouded by accusations of corruption and the slow pace of reforms.