Montenegro’s parliament elected a new coalition government led by Zdravko Krivokapic on December 4, putting an end to three decades of rule by the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) led by President Milo Djukanovic.

The historic change of power followed the August 30 general election when opposition parties gained more votes than the DPS and its traditional allies, paving the way for a major change in Montenegro’s politics, which seemed impossible a year earlier.

41 MPs backed Krivokapic’s government, while 28 voted against and one did not vote. 11 MPs chose not to vote at all.

The election of Krivokapic’s government took people out on the streets despite the curfew imposed due to the high number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases. Dozens went out to celebrate the election of the new government, carrying Serbian flags and singing Serbian songs, N1 reported.

The government is considered to be pro-Serbian and pro-Russian, although the new ruling coalition has repeatedly said it will continue Montenegro’s EU membership path.

Krivokapic has proposed a cabinet of 12 ministers, of whom only one is a member of a political party.

Prior to the vote, during the three-day debate in parliament, Krivokapic said his government would seek to achieve national unity and create conditions for knowledge-based economic development.

The new ruling coalition comprises around 20 small parties that were formerly in opposition. They agreed to work together following the August 31 general election, when Djukanovic’s DPS lost its political dominance for the first time.

After the election, three coalitions – For the Future of Montenegro, Peace is Our Nation and Black in White – decided to set aside their political differences and form the next ruling majority, pledging to continue on Montenegro’s EU membership path and to tackle corruption.

Krivokapic, 62, decided to enter politics in mid-2020, after becoming politically active the previous year when he participated in anti-corruption protests and later in protests against the controversial church law adopted by the outgoing DPS government.

The church law, according to its critics, may strip the Serbian Orthodox Church of hundreds of religious sites in Montenegro, including medieval monasteries and churches.

Two-thirds of Montenegrins are Orthodox Christian and the main church is the Serbian Orthodox Church. A separate Montenegrin Orthodox Church was set up in 1993 but has not been recognised by other Orthodox Christian communities to date.

Krivokapic was seen as independent as he had not been a member of a political party before. He considered a compromise figure who was able to unite all parties in the new coalition despite their differences. However, as he was part of the pro-Russian and pro-Serbian coalition For the Future of Montenegro, giving rise to speculation might give more significance to Montenegro’s good relations with the East than with the West. This would be a change of direction for Montenegro as in recent years Podgorica has prioritised EU accession and entered Nato, while allowing relations with Russia to deteriorate.