Government formed in Montenegro more than 5 months after elections

After weeks of negotiations, Montenegro’s parliament on October 31 appointed a new government, a coalition of pro-European and pro-Serbian parties expected to lead the small Balkan country in its quest to join the European Union.

The new government, which will be headed by economist Milojko Spajić of the Europe Now movement, will have 18 ministries and five deputy prime ministers. It will include the centre-right pro-European Democrats, the pro-Serbian Socialist People’s Party, and five Albanian minority parties, Reuters reported.

“Our four main foreign policy priorities are full membership … in the EU, active, reliable membership in NATO, improving good relations with our neighbours, and strengthening the country’s role in multilateral organisations,” Spajić told the MPs.

He said economic policy would aim to improve the living standards of Montenegro’s population of only 620,000 people and include reforms to boost budget revenues, investment, and improve the business climate and judicial system.

After an overnight debate, 46 members of the 81-seat parliament backed the government.

The pro-Serbian and pro-Russian Alliance for a Better Montenegro, led by Andrej Mandić, agreed to vote for Spajić’s cabinet in exchange for the post of parliamentary speaker and four ministerial positions after a government reshuffle tentatively scheduled for next year.

Mandić is considered one of the most pro-Serbian and pro-Russian politicians in Montenegro. He is one of the defendants in the case of the 2016 coup attempt in Montenegro.

Amid the formation of the government, one of the priority topics in the country is the planned census, which the opposition criticises as an attempt to “artificially increase the number of Serbs” in the country.