A condition for the group\u2019s backing of Spajic\u2019s coalition government was that Mandic would be elected as the speaker of parliament, a role that was confirmed on Monday to the dismay of the opposition.<\/p>\n
On Monday, Spajic tried to convince parliamentarians to support his new coalition government\u2019s programs by saying: \u201cOur goal is to make Montenegro the Switzerland of the Balkans, the Singapore of Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n
But the opposition, the Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro, lamented that the new government would be far from what Spajic had promised.<\/p>\n
\u201cMontenegro now has an anti-European, anti-Montenegrin and pro-Russian government,\u201d said the president of the party Danijel Zivkovic.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of opposition supporters waving Montenegrin flags staged a protest in front of the parliament building in the capital against the new government on Monday.<\/p>\n
The coalition agreement also includes the condition that the pro-Serbian groups will join the government within a year with their government ministries.<\/p>\n
Despite previous recommendations from EU officials saying Spajic should avoid introducing anti-NATO, anti-Western political groups in its government, EU Commission top official Ursula von der Leyen told Spajic on Tuesday that he should push ahead with Montenegro\u2019s European Union integration process.<\/p>\n
\"Montenegro has been for a long time the most advanced Western Balkan country on the EU accession path and I am happy to see that you are determined to keep the ... position,\" von der Leyen said after talks with President Jakov Milatovic.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy first message is that I welcome that you now should be fully focused on the task of the accession objective,\u201d she added. \u201cTogether we should go now the last mile, bring it over the finish line.\u201d<\/p>\n
Von der Leyen met Spajic and other Montenegrin officials while on a tour of Western Balkan nations aspiring to join the 27-nation union. Von der Leyen visited North Macedonia and Kosovo before Montenegro and is slated to travel to Serbia later on Tuesday.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1698756657,"updatedAt":1723539856,"publishedAt":1698759377,"firstPublishedAt":1698759382,"lastPublishedAt":1698759382,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/62\/02\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_5c9b0332-9ded-5a4d-878d-dacb962413be-8006202.jpg","altText":"Montenegro's new Prime Minister Milojko Spajic speaks during a parliament session in Montenegro's capital Podgorica, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023. ","caption":"Montenegro's new Prime Minister Milojko Spajic speaks during a parliament session in Montenegro's capital Podgorica, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023. ","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Risto Bozovic\/AP","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":3680,"height":2454},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/62\/02\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_12fa2e85-18e0-5826-9bb1-747b8c3d5176-8006202.jpg","altText":"People protest against new speaker of parliament Andrija Mandic in front of parliament building in Montenegro's capital Podgorica, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023. ","caption":"People protest against new speaker of parliament Andrija Mandic in front of parliament building in Montenegro's capital Podgorica, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023. ","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Risto Bozovic\/AP","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":5294,"height":3530},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/00\/62\/02\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_7024c81e-006c-5061-b539-f2d51f6b43a6-8006202.jpg","altText":"European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, center left, reviews the honour guard with Montenegro's President Jakov Milatovic in Montenegro's capital Podgorica.","caption":"European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, center left, reviews the honour guard with Montenegro's President Jakov Milatovic in Montenegro's capital Podgorica.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Risto Bozovic\/AP","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":4206,"height":2804}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":360,"slug":"montenegro","urlSafeValue":"montenegro","title":"Montenegro","titleRaw":"Montenegro"},{"id":12051,"slug":"government","urlSafeValue":"government","title":"Government","titleRaw":"Government"},{"id":26700,"slug":"membership","urlSafeValue":"membership","title":"membership","titleRaw":"membership"},{"id":105,"slug":"european-union","urlSafeValue":"european-union","title":"European Union","titleRaw":"European Union"},{"id":18906,"slug":"ursula-von-der-leyen","urlSafeValue":"ursula-von-der-leyen","title":"Ursula von der Leyen","titleRaw":"Ursula von der Leyen"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":2}],"related":[{"id":2299470},{"id":2294792}],"technicalTags":[{"path":"euronews.byenglishwebteam"},{"path":"euronews"}],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews, AFP, AP","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":360,"urlSafeValue":"montenegro","title":"Montenegro","url":"\/news\/europe\/montenegro"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gb_safe_from_high','gb_safe_from_high_med','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','gs_politics','gs_politics_misc','gs_politics_issues_policy','gs_science','gs_science_geography','custom_politics_brussels','shadow9hu7_pos_ukrainecrisis','gt_mixed','gs_busfin','neg_facebook_q4','neg_intel_mobkoi','neg_ukraine_russia_war','shadow9hu7_pos_ukraine-russia','gs_politics_british','neg_citi_campaign'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/2023\/10\/31\/montenegros-new-government-finally-takes-power-after-coalition-with-anti-western-pro-russi","lastModified":1698759382},{"id":2294792,"cid":7669172,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230612_NWSU_52013941","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"MONTENEGRO VOTE","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Montenegro's pro-EU party wins election, initial results show","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Montenegro's pro-EU party wins election, initial results show","titleListing2":"Montenegro's pro-EU party wins election, initial results show","leadin":"Elections in Montenegro are the first in more than 30 years that do not feature Milo Djukanovic, Europe's longest-ruling contemporary politician.","summary":"Elections in Montenegro are the first in more than 30 years that do not feature Milo Djukanovic, Europe's longest-ruling contemporary politician.","keySentence":"","url":"pro-eu-group-projected-to-win-montenegro-snap-parliamentary-election","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/06\/12\/pro-eu-group-projected-to-win-montenegro-snap-parliamentary-election","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Montenegro\u2019s Europe Now Movement (PES) has won a snap election, according to preliminary results.\u00a0 \n\n\nBut the recently formed pro-EU, centrist party doesn't have enough support to form a government on its own. \n\nPES received 25.6% of the vote, based on a projection by the Center for Monitoring and Research (CEMI). \n\n\u201cTomorrow is a new day,\u201d said its leader Milojko Spajic. \u201cWe are not going to be arrogant, and we will sit down with anyone who shares our values. We will obviously form a new pro-European government.\u201d \n\nMontenegro held an early parliamentary election on Sunday. It could put an end to deep political divisions and years of instability, which have hampered the small Balkan country's path to EU membership.\u00a0 \n\nYet, the turmoil is likely to continue, with no clear winner and difficult coalition talks ahead. \n\nThe pro-European Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) and a group of small allied parties, which ruled Montenegro between 1990 and 2020, came in second with 23.7% of the vote, according to pollster CEMI. \n\nThese unofficial results were based on the results from representative samples of individual polling stations. The state election commission is due to announce the official election results in the coming days. \n\nSome 542,000 voters were eligible to choose among 15 parties and coalitions fielding candidates, ranging from groups that are staunchly pro-Western to ones that are pro-Serbian and pro-Russian. \n\nAs the polls closed, the turnout was just over 56 per cent - the lowest in Montenegro since it split from Serbia to become an independent state in 2006. \n\nAnalysts say turnout was low because many voters are fed up with frequent elections that produced no major changes on the local political scene. \n\nEconomy and living standards dominated campaign \n\nUnlike in previous elections, which focused on whether the country should lean towards the EU or Russia and Serbia, the economy and living standards dominated the agenda this time.\u00a0 \n\nThe election was Montenegro\u2019s first in more than 30 years that does not feature Milo Djukanovic, who served almost continuously as the country\u2019s prime minister or president since 2001. \n\nHe lost a presidential election in April and has taken a back seat in national politics. \n\nHis Democratic Party of Socialists has experienced a decline in popularity after three decades of dominance, with its new leadership was looking to make a comeback. \n\nA pro-Serb coalition - For the Future of Montenegro - has emerged as a kingmaker in creating a future coalition government, winning some 15% of the vote Sunday, according to the independent pollsters. \n\nPolitical promises not based on economic reality \n\nPolitical analyst Ana Nenezic, executive director of the Centre for Monitoring and Research, said the focus on the economy \u201cis beneficial for the society\" but promises of salary hikes made by politicians \u201care not based on a real economy.\u201d \n\nShe added based on the latest election forecasts, \u201cI will be really surprised if we get a politically stable government.\u201d \n\nEx-leader Djukanovic led Montenegro to independence from Serbia in 2006 and defied Russia to join NATO in 2017.\u00a0 \n\nAn alliance dominated by parties seeking closer ties with Serbia and Russia ousted his party from power in the previous parliamentary elections, held in 2020. \n\nThe new ruling coalition, however, soon plunged into disarray, which stalled Montenegro\u2019s path toward the EU and created a political deadlock.\u00a0 \n\nThe government fell in a no-confidence vote last year but remained in office for months because of the stalemate. \n\nMontenegro, a picturesque Adriatic Sea country of about 620,000 people, was once viewed as the country first in line to join the EU from the Western Balkans. \n\n\n","htmlText":"
Montenegro\u2019s Europe Now Movement (PES) has won a snap election, according to preliminary results.\u00a0 <\/p>\n
But the recently formed pro-EU, centrist party doesn't have enough support to form a government on its own.<\/p>\n
PES received 25.6% of the vote, based on a projection by the Center for Monitoring and Research (CEMI).<\/p>\n
\u201cTomorrow is a new day,\u201d said its leader Milojko Spajic. \u201cWe are not going to be arrogant, and we will sit down with anyone who shares our values. We will obviously form a new pro-European government.\u201d<\/p>\n
Montenegro held an early parliamentary election on Sunday. It could put an end to deep political divisions and years of instability, which have hampered the small Balkan country's path to EU membership.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yet, the turmoil is likely to continue, with no clear winner and difficult coalition talks ahead.<\/p>\n
The pro-European Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) and a group of small allied parties, which ruled Montenegro between 1990 and 2020, came in second with 23.7% of the vote, according to pollster CEMI.<\/p>\n
These unofficial results were based on the results from representative samples of individual polling stations. The state election commission is due to announce the official election results in the coming days.<\/p>\n
Some 542,000 voters were eligible to choose among 15 parties and coalitions fielding candidates, ranging from groups that are staunchly pro-Western to ones that are pro-Serbian and pro-Russian.<\/p>\n
As the polls closed, the turnout was just over 56 per cent - the lowest in Montenegro since it split from Serbia to become an independent state in 2006.<\/p>\n
Analysts say turnout was low because many voters are fed up with frequent elections that produced no major changes on the local political scene.<\/p>\n
Unlike in previous elections, which focused on whether the country should lean towards the EU or Russia and Serbia, the economy and living standards dominated the agenda this time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The election was Montenegro\u2019s first in more than 30 years that does not feature Milo Djukanovic, who served almost continuously as the country\u2019s prime minister or president since 2001.<\/p>\n
He lost a presidential election in April and has taken a back seat in national politics.<\/p>\n
His Democratic Party of Socialists has experienced a decline in popularity after three decades of dominance, with its new leadership was looking to make a comeback.<\/p>\n
A pro-Serb coalition - For the Future of Montenegro - has emerged as a kingmaker in creating a future coalition government, winning some 15% of the vote Sunday, according to the independent pollsters.<\/p>\n
Political analyst Ana Nenezic, executive director of the Centre for Monitoring and Research, said the focus on the economy \u201cis beneficial for the society\" but promises of salary hikes made by politicians \u201care not based on a real economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added based on the latest election forecasts, \u201cI will be really surprised if we get a politically stable government.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ex-leader Djukanovic led Montenegro to independence from Serbia in 2006 and defied Russia to join NATO in 2017.\u00a0<\/p>\n
An alliance dominated by parties seeking closer ties with Serbia and Russia ousted his party from power in the previous parliamentary elections, held in 2020.<\/p>\n
The new ruling coalition, however, soon plunged into disarray, which stalled Montenegro\u2019s path toward the EU and created a political deadlock.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The government fell in a no-confidence vote last year but remained in office for months because of the stalemate.<\/p>\n
Montenegro, a picturesque Adriatic Sea country of about 620,000 people, was once viewed as the country first in line to join the EU from the Western Balkans.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1686532591,"updatedAt":1723539856,"publishedAt":1686564233,"firstPublishedAt":1686564235,"lastPublishedAt":1686565996,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/66\/77\/04\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_eec16941-9cef-5c4c-b3e7-83a76087c89f-7667704.jpg","altText":"Milojko Spajic","caption":"Milojko Spajic","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Risto Bozovic\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/66\/91\/70\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_074bc93e-79e8-5245-a9e7-fdd6e979815e-7669170.jpg","altText":"Milojko Spajic","caption":"Milojko Spajic","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Risto Bozovic\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":360,"slug":"montenegro","urlSafeValue":"montenegro","title":"Montenegro","titleRaw":"Montenegro"},{"id":18,"slug":"balkans","urlSafeValue":"balkans","title":"Balkans","titleRaw":"Balkans"},{"id":246,"slug":"serbia","urlSafeValue":"serbia","title":"Serbia","titleRaw":"Serbia"},{"id":343,"slug":"kosovo","urlSafeValue":"kosovo","title":"Kosovo","titleRaw":"Kosovo"},{"id":105,"slug":"european-union","urlSafeValue":"european-union","title":"European Union","titleRaw":"European Union"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"twitter","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2231744},{"id":2405102}],"technicalTags":[{"path":"euronews.byenglishwebteam"},{"path":"euronews"}],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"S5GmDCs_Lxk","dailymotionId":"x8lp8mr"},"hasExternalVideo":1,"video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/06\/12\/en\/230612_NWSU_52013941_52016491_87000_105531_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":87000,"filesizeBytes":11048148,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/06\/12\/en\/230612_NWSU_52013941_52016491_87000_105531_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":87000,"filesizeBytes":16694996,"expiresAt":0}],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":360,"urlSafeValue":"montenegro","title":"Montenegro","url":"\/news\/europe\/montenegro"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gs_politics','gs_politics_misc','gs_politics_issues_policy','gs_science','gs_news_and_weather','gs_news','gs_travel_locations_europe','gs_travel_locations'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/2023\/06\/12\/pro-eu-group-projected-to-win-montenegro-snap-parliamentary-election","lastModified":1686565996},{"id":2294234,"cid":7667704,"versionId":4,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230611_NWSU_52006896","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"MONTENEGRO SNAP ELEX","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Montenegro's pro-EU party wins election, initial results show","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":null,"titleListing2":"Montenegro's pro-EU party wins election, initial results show","leadin":"Elections in Montenegro are the first in more than 30 years that do not feature Milo Djukanovic, Europe's longest-ruling contemporary politician.","summary":"Elections in Montenegro are the first in more than 30 years that do not feature Milo Djukanovic, Europe's longest-ruling contemporary politician.","keySentence":"","url":"voting-underway-in-election-that-could-put-montenegro-back-on-eu-track","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/06\/11\/voting-underway-in-election-that-could-put-montenegro-back-on-eu-track","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Montenegro\u2019s Europe Now Movement (PES) has won a snap election, according to preliminary results.\u00a0 \n\nThe pro-EU party - which also wants closer ties with neighbouring Serbia - received 25.6% of the vote, based on a projection by the Center for Monitoring and Research (CEMI).\u00a0 \n\n\u201cThis is a great victory \u2026 we will speak with everybody who shares our values,\u201d said PES leader Milojko Spajic.\u00a0 \n\nMontenegro held an early parliamentary election on Sunday. It could put an end to deep political divisions and years of instability, which have hampered the small Balkan country's path to EU membership.\u00a0 \n\nThe pro-European Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) and a group of small allied parties, which ruled Montenegro between 1990 and 2020, came in second with 23.7% of the vote, according to pollster CEMI.\u00a0 \n\nThey made this projection on the basis of 98.7% of ballots counted in a representative sample of 400 polling stations across the country. \n\nSome 542,000 voters were eligible to choose from 15 parties and coalitions fielding candidates, ranging from groups that are staunchly pro-Western to ones that are pro-Serbian and pro-Russian. \n\nEconomy and living standards dominated campaign \n\nUnlike in previous elections, which focused on whether the country should lean towards the EU or Russia and Serbia, the economy and living standards dominated the agenda this time.\u00a0 \n\n\u201cFinally, we are deciding on the quality of life, rather than on the East or West,\u201d Tanja Bojovic, 38, said as she cast her ballot in the Montenegrin capital, Podgorica.\u00a0 \n\n\u201cI expect the victory of those who will lead us to a better life.\u201d \n\nThe election was Montenegro\u2019s first in more than 30 years that does not feature Milo Djukanovic, who served almost continuously as the country\u2019s prime minister or president since 2001.\u00a0 \n\nHe lost a presidential election in April and has taken a back seat in national politics. \n\nPolls and analysts had predicted Europe Now, a newly formed centrist movement, was most likely to be the top vote-getter but without enough seats in the 81-seat parliament to form a new government on its own. \n\nThe Democratic Party of Socialists, the party formerly led by Djukanovic, experienced a decline in popularity after three decades of dominance and has new leadership looking for a chance to make a comeback. \n\nAlso running were candidates from the pro-Serb and pro-Russian Democratic Front, a party considered likely to emerge as a kingmaker in the formation of a future coalition government. \n\nPolitical promises not based on economic reality \n\nPolitical analyst Ana Nenezic, executive director of the Centre for Monitoring and Research, said the focus on the economy \u201cis beneficial for the society\" but promises of salary hikes made by politicians \u201care not based on a real economy.\u201d \n\nShe added that based on the latest election forecasts, \u201cI will be really surprised if we get a politically stable government.\u201d \n\nDjukanovic led Montenegro to independence from Serbia in 2006 and defied Russia to join NATO in 2017.\u00a0 \n\nAn alliance dominated by parties seeking closer ties with Serbia and Russia ousted the Democratic Party of Socialists from power in the previous parliamentary elections, held in 2020. \n\nThe new ruling coalition, however, soon plunged into disarray, which stalled Montenegro\u2019s path toward the EU and created a political deadlock.\u00a0 \n\nThe government fell in a no-confidence vote last year but remained in office for months because of the stalemate. \n\nMontenegro, a picturesque Adriatic Sea country of about 620,000 people, was once viewed as the country first in line to join the EU from the Western Balkans. \n\n","htmlText":"
Montenegro\u2019s Europe Now Movement (PES) has won a snap election, according to preliminary results.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The pro-EU party - which also wants closer ties with neighbouring Serbia - received 25.6% of the vote, based on a projection by the Center for Monitoring and Research (CEMI).\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a great victory \u2026 we will speak with everybody who shares our values,\u201d said PES leader Milojko Spajic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Montenegro held an early parliamentary election on Sunday. It could put an end to deep political divisions and years of instability, which have hampered the small Balkan country's path to EU membership.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The pro-European Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) and a group of small allied parties, which ruled Montenegro between 1990 and 2020, came in second with 23.7% of the vote, according to pollster CEMI.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They made this projection on the basis of 98.7% of ballots counted in a representative sample of 400 polling stations across the country.<\/p>\n
Some 542,000 voters were eligible to choose from 15 parties and coalitions fielding candidates, ranging from groups that are staunchly pro-Western to ones that are pro-Serbian and pro-Russian.<\/p>\n
Unlike in previous elections, which focused on whether the country should lean towards the EU or Russia and Serbia, the economy and living standards dominated the agenda this time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFinally, we are deciding on the quality of life, rather than on the East or West,\u201d Tanja Bojovic, 38, said as she cast her ballot in the Montenegrin capital, Podgorica.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI expect the victory of those who will lead us to a better life.\u201d<\/p>\n
The election was Montenegro\u2019s first in more than 30 years that does not feature Milo Djukanovic, who served almost continuously as the country\u2019s prime minister or president since 2001.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He lost a presidential election in April and has taken a back seat in national politics.<\/p>\n
Polls and analysts had predicted Europe Now, a newly formed centrist movement, was most likely to be the top vote-getter but without enough seats in the 81-seat parliament to form a new government on its own.<\/p>\n
The Democratic Party of Socialists, the party formerly led by Djukanovic, experienced a decline in popularity after three decades of dominance and has new leadership looking for a chance to make a comeback.<\/p>\n
Also running were candidates from the pro-Serb and pro-Russian Democratic Front, a party considered likely to emerge as a kingmaker in the formation of a future coalition government.<\/p>\n
Political analyst Ana Nenezic, executive director of the Centre for Monitoring and Research, said the focus on the economy \u201cis beneficial for the society\" but promises of salary hikes made by politicians \u201care not based on a real economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added that based on the latest election forecasts, \u201cI will be really surprised if we get a politically stable government.\u201d<\/p>\n
Djukanovic led Montenegro to independence from Serbia in 2006 and defied Russia to join NATO in 2017.\u00a0<\/p>\n
An alliance dominated by parties seeking closer ties with Serbia and Russia ousted the Democratic Party of Socialists from power in the previous parliamentary elections, held in 2020.<\/p>\n
The new ruling coalition, however, soon plunged into disarray, which stalled Montenegro\u2019s path toward the EU and created a political deadlock.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The government fell in a no-confidence vote last year but remained in office for months because of the stalemate.<\/p>\n
Montenegro, a picturesque Adriatic Sea country of about 620,000 people, was once viewed as the country first in line to join the EU from the Western Balkans.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1686428432,"updatedAt":1723539856,"publishedAt":1686485504,"firstPublishedAt":1686485507,"lastPublishedAt":1686564389,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/66\/77\/04\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_eec16941-9cef-5c4c-b3e7-83a76087c89f-7667704.jpg","altText":"Milojko Spajic, president of the centrist Europe Now party talks to the media after voting at the polling station in Montenegro's capital Podgorica, Sunday, June 11, 2023.","caption":"Milojko Spajic, president of the centrist Europe Now party talks to the media after voting at the polling station in Montenegro's capital Podgorica, Sunday, June 11, 2023.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Risto Bozovic\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/66\/77\/04\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_039a139b-85e4-5038-bdca-9c6013849339-7667704.jpg","altText":"Elections being held in Montenegro","caption":"Elections being held in Montenegro","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Risto Bozovic\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/66\/77\/18\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_177754ac-321d-5cb7-89dc-cc90298984c5-7667718.jpg","altText":"Elections being held in Montenegro","caption":"Elections being held in Montenegro","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Risto Bozovic\/Copyright 2023 The AP","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":360,"slug":"montenegro","urlSafeValue":"montenegro","title":"Montenegro","titleRaw":"Montenegro"},{"id":12689,"slug":"parliament","urlSafeValue":"parliament","title":"Parliament","titleRaw":"Parliament"},{"id":9291,"slug":"general-election","urlSafeValue":"general-election","title":"General election","titleRaw":"General election"},{"id":18,"slug":"balkans","urlSafeValue":"balkans","title":"Balkans","titleRaw":"Balkans"},{"id":246,"slug":"serbia","urlSafeValue":"serbia","title":"Serbia","titleRaw":"Serbia"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2239158},{"id":2222300}],"technicalTags":[{"path":"euronews.byenglishwebteam"},{"path":"euronews"}],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"-v6_gFmdTm8","dailymotionId":"x8log90"},"hasExternalVideo":1,"video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/06\/11\/en\/230611_NWSU_52006896_52006964_35000_143830_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":35000,"filesizeBytes":4820727,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/06\/11\/en\/230611_NWSU_52006896_52006964_35000_143830_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":35000,"filesizeBytes":6937335,"expiresAt":0}],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":360,"urlSafeValue":"montenegro","title":"Montenegro","url":"\/news\/europe\/montenegro"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gs_politics','gs_science','gs_politics_issues_policy','gs_politics_misc','gs_travel','gs_travel_locations','gs_news_and_weather','gs_science_weather'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/2023\/06\/11\/voting-underway-in-election-that-could-put-montenegro-back-on-eu-track","lastModified":1686564389},{"id":2258624,"cid":7562420,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230426_NWSU_51399135","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"WEB: DUTCH COURT BLOCKS ITALY DEPORTATIONS FOR MIGRANTS","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Dutch court blocks migrant returns to Italy, citing human rights concerns","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Dutch court blocks migrant returns to Italy, citing rights concerns","titleListing2":"\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddf1 Dutch court blocks migrant returns to \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf9 Italy, citing concern over human rights violations they could face when they get there. ","leadin":"The court found that there was a genuine risk the basic needs of migrants, such as shelter, food and running water, will not be available at the camp.","summary":"The court found that there was a genuine risk the basic needs of migrants, such as shelter, food and running water, will not be available at the camp.","keySentence":"","url":"dutch-court-blocks-migrant-returns-to-italy-citing-human-rights-concerns","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/04\/26\/dutch-court-blocks-migrant-returns-to-italy-citing-human-rights-concerns","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"The Netherlands\u2019 top administrative court ruled Wednesday that immigration authorities can\u2019t send migrants back to Italy, because they face possible human rights violations when they get there -- a decision that will likely put further pressure on the strained Dutch asylum system. \n\nThe ruling came in cases brought by two migrants, a Nigerian and a man who claims to be from Eritrea. Both entered Europe via Italy. The Nigerian applied for asylum three times in Italy before applying in the Netherlands, and the other man arrived in Italy but didn\u2019t seek asylum there, according to the Council of State. \n\nSuccessive Italian governments have pressed their European Union partners for years, largely in vain, to take in many of the hundreds of thousands of asylum-seekers who reach Italy\u2019s Mediterranean shores. Most risk the dangerous, expensive sea voyage in hopes of finding family or work in northern Europe, but EU rules require them to apply for asylum in the country where they landed. \n\nThe Dutch court said that, since December, Italian authorities have indicated that this rule should be suspended because of a lack of reception facilities for migrants in Italy. \n\n\n\u201cWithout reception, there is a genuine risk that their basic needs, such as shelter, food and running water, will not be met, which is a human rights violation,\u201d the Council of State said in a statement. \n\nThe decision will likely serve as a precedent and prevent the return to Italy of other migrants who sought asylum in the Netherlands after traveling through Italy. That will likely compound existing problems at overcrowded Dutch asylum centers. \n\n\u201cThis doesn't help,\u201d the Dutch junior minister in charge of migration, Eric van der Burg , told Dutch broadcaster NOS. \u201cItaly is, of course, an important country where many people arrive.\u201d \n\nLast summer migrants were forced to sleep outdoors in unsanitary conditions near a reception center in the northern Netherlands village of Ter Apel, because there was no room for them indoors. Prime Minister Mark Rutte said earlier this month that he couldn't rule out similar scenes this year. \n\nThe Dutch government sought last year to cut the number of migrants entering the Netherlands by restricting family members from joining asylum-seekers who have been granted residency, but the move was scrapped after courts ruled it unlawful. \n\n","htmlText":"
The Netherlands\u2019 top administrative court ruled Wednesday that immigration authorities can\u2019t send migrants back to Italy, because they face possible human rights violations when they get there -- a decision that will likely put further pressure on the strained Dutch asylum system.<\/p>\n
The ruling came in cases brought by two migrants, a Nigerian and a man who claims to be from Eritrea. Both entered Europe via Italy. The Nigerian applied for asylum three times in Italy before applying in the Netherlands, and the other man arrived in Italy but didn\u2019t seek asylum there, according to the Council of State.<\/p>\n
Successive Italian governments have pressed their European Union partners for years, largely in vain, to take in many of the hundreds of thousands of asylum-seekers who reach Italy\u2019s Mediterranean shores. Most risk the dangerous, expensive sea voyage in hopes of finding family or work in northern Europe, but EU rules require them to apply for asylum in the country where they landed.<\/p>\n
The Dutch court said that, since December, Italian authorities have indicated that this rule should be suspended because of a lack of reception facilities for migrants in Italy. <\/p>\n
\u201cWithout reception, there is a genuine risk that their basic needs, such as shelter, food and running water, will not be met, which is a human rights violation,\u201d the Council of State said in a statement.<\/p>\n
The decision will likely serve as a precedent and prevent the return to Italy of other migrants who sought asylum in the Netherlands after traveling through Italy. That will likely compound existing problems at overcrowded Dutch asylum centers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis doesn't help,\u201d the Dutch junior minister in charge of migration, Eric van der Burg<\/strong><\/a>, told Dutch broadcaster NOS. \u201cItaly is, of course, an important country where many people arrive.\u201d<\/p>\n Last summer migrants were forced to sleep outdoors in unsanitary conditions near a reception center in the northern Netherlands village of Ter Apel, because there was no room for them indoors. Prime Minister Mark Rutte said earlier this month that he couldn't rule out similar scenes this year.<\/p>\n The Dutch government sought last year to cut the number of migrants entering the Netherlands by restricting family members from joining asylum-seekers who have been granted residency, but the move was scrapped after courts ruled it unlawful.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1682525225,"updatedAt":1723539856,"publishedAt":1682526311,"firstPublishedAt":1682526334,"lastPublishedAt":1682526334,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/56\/24\/20\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_10af302f-47db-54ec-826d-0cbbb095e4b3-7562420.jpg","altText":"FILE: \ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddf1 Dutch court blocks migrant returns to \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf9 Italy, citing concern over human rights violations they could face when they get there. ","caption":"FILE: \ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddf1 Dutch court blocks migrant returns to \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf9 Italy, citing concern over human rights violations they could face when they get there. ","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Migrants disembark from a ship in the Sicilian port of Catania, Wednesday, April 12, 2023. ","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"height":900}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":208,"slug":"netherlands","urlSafeValue":"netherlands","title":"Netherlands","titleRaw":"Netherlands"},{"id":27074,"slug":"brothers-of-italy","urlSafeValue":"brothers-of-italy","title":"Brothers of Italy","titleRaw":"Brothers of Italy"},{"id":158,"slug":"italy","urlSafeValue":"italy","title":"Italy","titleRaw":"Italy"},{"id":16799,"slug":"african-migrants","urlSafeValue":"african-migrants","title":"African migrants","titleRaw":"African migrants"},{"id":13190,"slug":"migrants","urlSafeValue":"migrants","title":"Migrants","titleRaw":"Migrants"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2213208},{"id":2266466}],"technicalTags":[{"path":"euronews.byenglishwebteam"},{"path":"euronews"}],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":360,"urlSafeValue":"montenegro","title":"Montenegro","url":"\/news\/europe\/montenegro"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','gs_politics_misc','gs_politics','gs_politics_issues_policy','sm_politics','gb_sensitive_news-ent','gs_travel','gs_society','gs_society_misc','gs_travel_locations_europe','gs_travel_locations','gb_crime_edu','neg_facebook_2021','italy_eng','shadow9hu7_pos_ukrainecrisis','gt_mixed','castrol_negative_uk','neg_mobkoi_castrol'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/2023\/04\/26\/dutch-court-blocks-migrant-returns-to-italy-citing-human-rights-concerns","lastModified":1682526334},{"id":2239158,"cid":7505000,"versionId":5,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230402_NWSU_51073154","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"MONTENEGRO ELEX","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Former economy minister Jakov Milatovi\u0107 set to become next president of Montenegro","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Former economy minister Jakov Milatovi\u0107 wins Montenegro election","titleListing2":"Former economy minister Jakov Milatovi\u0107 wins Montenegro election","leadin":"Former economy minister Jakov Milatovi\u0107 wins the presidential runoff election in Montenegro on Sunday, defeating longtime incumbent Milo \u0110ukanovi\u0107.","summary":"Former economy minister Jakov Milatovi\u0107 wins the presidential runoff election in Montenegro on Sunday, defeating longtime incumbent Milo \u0110ukanovi\u0107.","keySentence":"","url":"voters-in-montenegro-choose-president-amid-political-turmoil","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/04\/02\/voters-in-montenegro-choose-president-amid-political-turmoil","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"For the first time in more than three decades, Montenegro has a new president.\u00a0Former Economy Minister Jakov Milatovi\u0107 declared victory in a presidential election run-off on Sunday after getting the backing of almost all political parties. \n\nHe defeated the country's incumbent\u00a0Milo \u0110ukanovi\u0107 who has been in power as prime minister or president since 1991 in the small NATO member nation in Europe. \n\n\"They will never divide us again, they will not impoverish us, and they will not entrap the state with crime and corruption,\" Milatovi\u0107 said after winning the election. \"We now say that Montenegro is moving forward, moving towards wealth, towards equality, towards a land of justice, trust and togetherness.\" \n\nVoting was peaceful in an election that appeared decided two weeks ago when it was clear that the political mathematics was on the side of the candidate of the Europe Now movement.\u00a0 \n\nMilatovi\u0107 won 60 percent of the vote, and \u0110ukanovi\u0107 40 percent of the vote, and which means his Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro lost the presidential election after losing the parliamentary elections in 2020 \n\nMilatovi\u0107\u2019s victory is believed to reflect voter fatigue with \u0110ukanovi\u0107 and disillusionment with established politicians.\u00a0 \n\n\u0110ukanovi\u0107 is credited with leading his country to independence from Serbia in 2006 and defying Russia to steer Montenegro into NATO in 2017. But critics say \u0110ukanovi\u0107 and his Democratic Party of Socialists have let crime and corruption engulf society. \n\nAfter his defeat, he told a crowd of his supporters: \"Montenegro chose, I respect that choice. I congratulate Jakov Milatovi\u0107 on the trust he received in the presidential elections. \n\n\"I wish him to be a successful president because if he is a successful president, it can mean that Montenegro will also be a successful country and that it will move forward towards its goal.\" \n\n","htmlText":" For the first time in more than three decades, Montenegro has a new president.\u00a0Former Economy Minister Jakov Milatovi\u0107 declared victory in a presidential election run-off on Sunday after getting the backing of almost all political parties.<\/p>\n He defeated the country's incumbent\u00a0Milo \u0110ukanovi\u0107 who has been in power as prime minister or president since 1991 in the small NATO member nation in Europe.<\/p>\n \"They will never divide us again, they will not impoverish us, and they will not entrap the state with crime and corruption,\" Milatovi\u0107 said after winning the election. \"We now say that Montenegro is moving forward, moving towards wealth, towards equality, towards a land of justice, trust and togetherness.\"<\/p>\n Voting was peaceful in an election that appeared decided two weeks ago when it was clear that the political mathematics was on the side of the candidate of the Europe Now movement.\u00a0<\/p>\n Milatovi\u0107 won 60 percent of the vote, and \u0110ukanovi\u0107 40 percent of the vote, and which means his Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro lost the presidential election after losing the parliamentary elections in 2020<\/p>\n Milatovi\u0107\u2019s victory is believed to reflect voter fatigue with \u0110ukanovi\u0107 and disillusionment with established politicians.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u0110ukanovi\u0107 is credited with leading his country to independence from Serbia in 2006 and defying Russia to steer Montenegro into NATO in 2017. But critics say \u0110ukanovi\u0107 and his Democratic Party of Socialists have let crime and corruption engulf society.<\/p>\n After his defeat, he told a crowd of his supporters: \"Montenegro chose, I respect that choice. I congratulate Jakov Milatovi\u0107 on the trust he received in the presidential elections.<\/p>\n \"I wish him to be a successful president because if he is a successful president, it can mean that Montenegro will also be a successful country and that it will move forward towards its goal.\"<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1680441059,"updatedAt":1723539856,"publishedAt":1680454454,"firstPublishedAt":1680454457,"lastPublishedAt":1680517900,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/50\/00\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_31177eb7-4178-5137-b963-22cbe847f256-7505000.jpg","altText":"Jakov Milatovic, leader of the Europe Now movement, celebrates in his headquarters in Montenegro's capital Podgorica","caption":"Jakov Milatovic, leader of the Europe Now movement, celebrates in his headquarters in Montenegro's capital Podgorica","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo ","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/50\/00\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_62a9cec2-1009-5adc-b90e-f95117d8dd62-7505000.jpg","altText":"A woman casts her ballot at a polling station in Montenegro's capital Podgorica, Sunday.","caption":"A woman casts her ballot at a polling station in Montenegro's capital Podgorica, Sunday.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/50\/50\/04\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_010b7e51-c19b-5886-bcf3-aee60003934a-7505004.jpg","altText":"Pro-Western incumbent Milo Djukanovic casts his ballot at a polling station in Montenegro's capital Podgorica, Sunday, April 2, 2023. ","caption":"Pro-Western incumbent Milo Djukanovic casts his ballot at a polling station in Montenegro's capital Podgorica, Sunday, April 2, 2023. ","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Risto Bozovic\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":5814,"height":3876}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":360,"slug":"montenegro","urlSafeValue":"montenegro","title":"Montenegro","titleRaw":"Montenegro"},{"id":7942,"slug":"presidential-elections","urlSafeValue":"presidential-elections","title":"Presidential elections","titleRaw":"Presidential elections"},{"id":11939,"slug":"elections","urlSafeValue":"elections","title":"Elections","titleRaw":"Elections"},{"id":246,"slug":"serbia","urlSafeValue":"serbia","title":"Serbia","titleRaw":"Serbia"},{"id":9239,"slug":"europe","urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe","titleRaw":"Europe"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2294234}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"g4wVixxp_ho","dailymotionId":"x8jp3ca"},"hasExternalVideo":1,"video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/04\/03\/en\/230403_NWSU_51079362_51079932_120000_115723_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":35000,"filesizeBytes":4767585,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/04\/03\/en\/230403_NWSU_51079362_51079932_120000_115723_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":35000,"filesizeBytes":7178593,"expiresAt":0}],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":360,"urlSafeValue":"montenegro","title":"Montenegro","url":"\/news\/europe\/montenegro"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gs_politics','gs_politics_elections','gs_politics_issues_policy','gs_politics_misc','gs_busfin','gs_economy','gt_positive'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/2023\/04\/02\/voters-in-montenegro-choose-president-amid-political-turmoil","lastModified":1680517900},{"id":2231744,"cid":7484280,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230324_NWSU_50951740","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"Next - Do Kwon arrested","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"'Fugitive' Do Kwon, wanted over $40 billion Terra Luna crypto crash, arrested in Montenegro","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Terra's Do Kwon arrested in Montenegro months after \u00a340bn crypto crash","titleListing2":"Do Kwon, wanted in $40B crypto crash, arrested in Montenegro","leadin":"Interpol was asked to arrest the South Korean following the $40 billion (\u20ac37 billion) collapse of crypto platform Terra and its two stablecoins.","summary":"Interpol was asked to arrest the South Korean following the $40 billion (\u20ac37 billion) collapse of crypto platform Terra and its two stablecoins.","keySentence":"","url":"fugitive-do-kwon-wanted-over-40-billion-terra-luna-crypto-crash-arrested-in-montenegro","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/business\/2023\/03\/24\/fugitive-do-kwon-wanted-over-40-billion-terra-luna-crypto-crash-arrested-in-montenegro","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Police in Montenegro have arrested Terraform Labs founder Do Kwon, who is wanted in South Korea in connection with a $40 billion (\u20ac37 billion) crash of the firm\u2019s cryptocurrency that devastated retail investors around the world, the country\u2019s interior minister said on Thursday. \n\n\"Montenegrin police arrested an individual who is believed to be one of the most wanted fugitives, South Korean citizen Do Kwon,\" interior minister Filip Adzic said on Twitter.\u00a0 \n\nSouth Korea\u2019s Justice Ministry on Friday confirmed the arrest of Kwon and another unidentified individual linked to the cryptocurrency crash and said it will proceed with steps to extradite them to South Korea.\u00a0 \n\nBoth South Korea and Montenegro are signees to the European Convention on Extradition. \n\nSouth Korea asked Interpol in September to circulate a \"red notice\" for the 31-year-old Kwon across the agency\u2019s 195 member nations to find and apprehend him. \n\nKwon and the other man had been hiding in Serbia but moved to Montenegro after South Korean investigators tracked their whereabouts and asked Serbian authorities to detain them, the ministry said.\u00a0 \n\nThe men were arrested at Montenegro\u2019s Podgorica Airport while trying to depart for Dubai using fake Costa Rican passports, the ministry said. \n\nMontenegrin authorities charged the pair with forging documents, after finding a set of Belgian passports in their luggage. \n\nHours after their arrest, a US district court indicted Kwon on eight charges; two counts each of securities fraud, wire fraud, commodities fraud, and conspiracy. \n\nKwon and five others connected to Terraform are wanted because of allegations of fraud and financial crimes in relation to the implosion of its digital currencies in May 2022. \n\nTerraUSD was designed as a stablecoin, a type of crypto token that is pegged to stable assets like the US dollar to prevent drastic fluctuations in prices.\u00a0 \n\nHowever, around $40 billion (\u20ac37 billion) in market value was erased for the holders of TerraUSD and its floating sister currency, Luna, after the stablecoin plunged far below its $1 peg in May. \n\n","htmlText":" Police in Montenegro have arrested Terraform Labs founder Do Kwon, who is wanted in South Korea in connection with a $40 billion (\u20ac37 billion) crash of the firm\u2019s cryptocurrency that devastated retail investors around the world, the country\u2019s interior minister said on Thursday.<\/p>\n \"Montenegrin police arrested an individual who is believed to be one of the most wanted fugitives, South Korean citizen Do Kwon,\" interior minister Filip Adzic said on Twitter.\u00a0<\/p>\n South Korea\u2019s Justice Ministry on Friday confirmed the arrest of Kwon and another unidentified individual linked to the cryptocurrency crash and said it will proceed with steps to extradite them to South Korea.\u00a0<\/p>\n Both South Korea and Montenegro are signees to the European Convention on Extradition.<\/p>\n South Korea asked Interpol in September to circulate a \"red notice\" for the 31-year-old Kwon across the agency\u2019s 195 member nations to find and apprehend him.<\/p>\n Kwon and the other man had been hiding in Serbia but moved to Montenegro after South Korean investigators tracked their whereabouts and asked Serbian authorities to detain them, the ministry said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The men were arrested at Montenegro\u2019s Podgorica Airport while trying to depart for Dubai using fake Costa Rican passports, the ministry said.<\/p>\n Montenegrin authorities charged the pair with forging documents, after finding a set of Belgian passports in their luggage.<\/p>\n Hours after their arrest, a US district court indicted Kwon on eight charges; two counts each of securities fraud, wire fraud, commodities fraud, and conspiracy.<\/p>\n Kwon and five others connected to Terraform are wanted because of allegations of fraud and financial crimes in relation to the implosion of its digital currencies in May 2022.<\/p>\n TerraUSD was designed as a stablecoin, a type of crypto token that is pegged to stable assets like the US dollar to prevent drastic fluctuations in prices.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, around $40 billion (\u20ac37 billion) in market value was erased for the holders of TerraUSD and its floating sister currency, Luna, after the stablecoin plunged far below its $1 peg in May.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1679649841,"updatedAt":1723539856,"publishedAt":1679657741,"firstPublishedAt":1679657737,"lastPublishedAt":1679657741,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/48\/42\/80\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_733674f2-e0f3-59bc-9816-f64e0cd60453-7484280.jpg","altText":"A screen shows the falling values of the Luna cryptocurrency, at a cryptocurrency exchange in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, May 27, 2022.","caption":"A screen shows the falling values of the Luna cryptocurrency, at a cryptocurrency exchange in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, May 27, 2022.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Ryu Hyo-lim\/AP","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"height":968}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":12822,"slug":"cryptocurrency","urlSafeValue":"cryptocurrency","title":"cryptocurrency","titleRaw":"cryptocurrency"},{"id":11051,"slug":"market-crash","urlSafeValue":"market-crash","title":"Market crash","titleRaw":"Market crash"},{"id":26960,"slug":"stablecoin","urlSafeValue":"stablecoin","title":"stablecoin","titleRaw":"stablecoin"},{"id":12860,"slug":"money","urlSafeValue":"money","title":"money","titleRaw":"money"},{"id":4351,"slug":"financial-crisis","urlSafeValue":"financial-crisis","title":"Financial Crisis","titleRaw":"Financial Crisis"},{"id":8199,"slug":"arrest","urlSafeValue":"arrest","title":"Arrest","titleRaw":"Arrest"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"related","count":2}],"related":[{"id":2294792}],"technicalTags":[{"path":"euronews.just-in"},{"path":"euronews"}],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":2,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Associated Press","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"money","urlSafeValue":"money","title":"Money","online":0,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/money\/money"},"vertical":"next","verticals":[{"id":9,"slug":"next","urlSafeValue":"next","title":"Next"},{"id":11,"slug":"business","urlSafeValue":"business","title":"Business"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":9,"slug":"next","urlSafeValue":"next","title":"Next"},"themes":[{"id":"money","urlSafeValue":"money","title":"Money","url":"\/next\/money"},{"id":"business","urlSafeValue":"business","title":"Business","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":41,"urlSafeValue":"money","title":"Money"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":360,"urlSafeValue":"montenegro","title":"Montenegro","url":"\/news\/europe\/montenegro"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":"'gb_crime_edu','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_busfin','gs_law','gs_busfin_economy','neg_facebook','gv_crime','gs_economy','castrol_negative_uk','neg_mobkoi_castrol','gt_negative','neg_facebook_2021','custom_investment','gs_busfin_economy_currencies','gs_busfin_economy_markets','gs_economy_markets','gs_economy_misc','gt_negative_mistrust'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/next\/2023\/03\/24\/fugitive-do-kwon-wanted-over-40-billion-terra-luna-crypto-crash-arrested-in-montenegro","lastModified":1679657741},{"id":2229236,"cid":7476542,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230321_NWSU_50902875","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"MONTENEGRO J.MILATOVIC","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Clash in the Adriatic as pollsters say a young contender could become Montenegro's new president","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"\u0110ukanovi\u0107 v Milatovi\u0107: the race to become Montenegro's president","titleListing2":"Clash in the Adriatic as pollsters say a young contender could become Montenegro's new president","leadin":"Election pollsters in Montenegro are predicting the incumbent president Milo \u0110ukanovi\u0107, who has led the country in various posts for three decades, could be swept aside by Europe Now candidate Jakov Milatovi\u0107.","summary":"Election pollsters in Montenegro are predicting the incumbent president Milo \u0110ukanovi\u0107, who has led the country in various posts for three decades, could be swept aside by Europe Now candidate Jakov Milatovi\u0107.","keySentence":"","url":"clash-in-the-adriatic-as-pollsters-say-a-young-contender-could-become-montenegros-new-pres","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/03\/21\/clash-in-the-adriatic-as-pollsters-say-a-young-contender-could-become-montenegros-new-pres","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"The second round of presidential elections in Montenegro in two weeks could see a new era in the political history of the Balkan country that sits on the shores of the Adriatic. \n\nOne man has dominated the political scene there for 34 years in a career that spanned the fall of the iron curtain and independence. \n\nIn 1989 Milo \u0110ukanovi\u0107 served as Prime Minister of the Republic of Montenegro, which was that part of the federal republic of Yugoslavia. In 2006, he was a driving force for independence from the Serbian-Montenegrin federation. \n\nAfter the result of the first round on March 19,\u00a0\u0110ukanovi\u0107, 61,\u00a0 said his 6-point lead gave him a \u201cserious advantage\u201d in the next round. \n\nAnd while the incumbent \u0110ukanovi\u0107 remains a contender in the presidential race, the polls are predicting the vote on April 2nd could see Jakov\u00a0Milatovi\u0107\u00a0declared the winner. \n\n\"I was three years old when Mr \u0110ukanovi\u0107 entered Montenegrin politics,\u201d said Europe Now candidate Jakov Milatovi\u0107, 37, who claims 100,000 people have left Montenegro during the rule of his opponent. \n\n\u201cThis victory will be sealed on April 2 and it is the victory of free Montenegro. It is the victory of a more beautiful, richer and fairer Montenegro. It's a win for all of us.\u201d \n\nJakov Milatovi\u0107 was a surprise contender for the presidency, and only stepped in when the original Europe Now candidate Milojko Spaji\u0107 was disqualified on the grounds that he has dual Serbian-Montenegrin citizenship. \n\nMilatovi\u0107 was the Minister of Economic Development in the Government of former prime minister Zdravko Krivokapi\u0107, which was formed after the victory in the parliamentary elections in 2020. Although he was a popular minister, some economists criticised his policies. \n\nAfter the presidential vote on April 2nd, voters in Montenegro will be going to the polls again on June 11, when parliamentary elections are due to be held. \n\n","htmlText":" The second round of presidential elections in Montenegro in two weeks could see a new era in the political history of the Balkan country that sits on the shores of the Adriatic.<\/p>\n One man has dominated the political scene there for 34 years in a career that spanned the fall of the iron curtain and independence.<\/p>\n In 1989 Milo \u0110ukanovi\u0107 served as Prime Minister of the Republic of Montenegro, which was that part of the federal republic of Yugoslavia. In 2006, he was a driving force for independence from the Serbian-Montenegrin federation.<\/p>\n After the result of the first round on March 19,\u00a0\u0110ukanovi\u0107, 61,\u00a0 said his 6-point lead gave him a \u201cserious advantage\u201d in the next round.<\/p>\n And while the incumbent \u0110ukanovi\u0107 remains a contender in the presidential race, the polls are predicting the vote on April 2nd could see Jakov\u00a0Milatovi\u0107\u00a0declared the winner.<\/p>\n \"I was three years old when Mr \u0110ukanovi\u0107 entered Montenegrin politics,\u201d said Europe Now candidate Jakov Milatovi\u0107, 37, who claims 100,000 people have left Montenegro during the rule of his opponent.<\/p>\n \u201cThis victory will be sealed on April 2 and it is the victory of free Montenegro. It is the victory of a more beautiful, richer and fairer Montenegro. It's a win for all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n Jakov Milatovi\u0107 was a surprise contender for the presidency, and only stepped in when the original Europe Now candidate Milojko Spaji\u0107 was disqualified on the grounds that he has dual Serbian-Montenegrin citizenship.<\/p>\n Milatovi\u0107 was the Minister of Economic Development in the Government of former prime minister Zdravko Krivokapi\u0107, which was formed after the victory in the parliamentary elections in 2020. Although he was a popular minister, some economists criticised his policies.<\/p>\n After the presidential vote on April 2nd, voters in Montenegro will be going to the polls again on June 11, when parliamentary elections are due to be held.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1679396290,"updatedAt":1723539856,"publishedAt":1679414042,"firstPublishedAt":1679414046,"lastPublishedAt":1679414046,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/47\/65\/40\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_da82ca95-f8da-5fd8-b100-f0075521413f-7476540.jpg","altText":"Economist Jakov Milatovic of the newly-formed Europe Now group, left, and his wife Milena wait at the polling station in Montenegro's capital Podgorica, Sunday, March 19, 2023","caption":"Economist Jakov Milatovic of the newly-formed Europe Now group, left, and his wife Milena wait at the polling station in Montenegro's capital Podgorica, Sunday, March 19, 2023","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Risto Bozovic\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":3626,"height":2418}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":360,"slug":"montenegro","urlSafeValue":"montenegro","title":"Montenegro","titleRaw":"Montenegro"},{"id":7942,"slug":"presidential-elections","urlSafeValue":"presidential-elections","title":"Presidential elections","titleRaw":"Presidential elections"},{"id":105,"slug":"european-union","urlSafeValue":"european-union","title":"European Union","titleRaw":"European Union"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2228102},{"id":2227090},{"id":2038466}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"8K9OPGTyM8w","dailymotionId":"x8jbbju"},"hasExternalVideo":1,"video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/03\/21\/en\/230321_NWSU_50902875_50904074_109880_155753_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":109880,"filesizeBytes":13866592,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/03\/21\/en\/230321_NWSU_50902875_50904074_109880_155753_en.mp4","editor":"","duration":109880,"filesizeBytes":20936288,"expiresAt":0}],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Stephan Goranovi\u0107, Ljubisha Ivanovi\u0107, Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":360,"urlSafeValue":"montenegro","title":"Montenegro","url":"\/news\/europe\/montenegro"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gs_politics_misc','gs_busfin','gs_busfin_indus','gs_science'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/2023\/03\/21\/clash-in-the-adriatic-as-pollsters-say-a-young-contender-could-become-montenegros-new-pres","lastModified":1679414046},{"id":2228102,"cid":7472854,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230319_NWSU_50881307","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"WEB: MONTENEGRO PRESIDENTIAL RESULT","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Long-serving Montenegro president to face newcomer in runoff vote","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Long-serving Montenegro president to face newcomer in runoff vote","titleListing2":"\ud83c\uddf2\ud83c\uddea Long-serving Montenegro president to face newcomer in runoff vote","leadin":"President Milo \u0110ukanovi\u0107, 61, won around 35% of the votes while 37-year-old economist Jakov Milatovi\u0107 won around 29%, according to latest projections.","summary":"President Milo \u0110ukanovi\u0107, 61, won around 35% of the votes while 37-year-old economist Jakov Milatovi\u0107 won around 29%, according to latest projections.","keySentence":"","url":"long-serving-montenegro-president-to-face-newcomer-in-runoff-vote","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/03\/20\/long-serving-montenegro-president-to-face-newcomer-in-runoff-vote","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Montenegro's long-serving incumbent President Milo \u0110ukanovi\u0107 will face a political newcomer in a runoff presidential election in Montenegro next month after none of the contenders garnered enough support in the first round of voting on Sunday to achieve an outright victory, according to early projections. \n\nPresident Milo \u0110ukanovi\u0107 , 61, won around 35% of the votes while 37-year-old economist Jakov Milatovi\u0107 won around 29%, according to projections released by the Center for Monitoring and Research . \n\nIf confirmed in the official tally, the two will face each other in the 2 April runoff. The CeMI monitoring group insisted that they don't expect major changes as the counting continues. Official preliminary results are expected later on Monday. \n\nThe presidential election was held amid a political turmoil and uncertainty over whether the small NATO member state in the Balkans would unblock its bid to join the European Union or instead seek to improve ties with Serbia and Russia. \n\nThough the presidency is largely ceremonial in Montenegro, the ballot also is seen as a key indicator of popular sentiment before a parliamentary election set for 11 June. \n\n\u201cI don\u2019t plan to lose this election, and it can be expected that I lead my party at the parliamentary vote,\u201d \u0110ukanovi\u0107 said after casting his ballot earlier on Sunday. \n\n\u0110ukanovi\u0107 and his Democratic Party of Socialists, or DPS, led Montenegro to independence from Serbia in 2006, and defied Russia to join NATO in 2017. An alliance dominated by parties seeking closer ties with Serbia and Russia ousted DPS from power in 2020. \n\nThe new ruling alliance, however, soon plunged into disarray, which stalled Montenegro\u2019s path toward the EU and created a political deadlock. The latest government fell in a no-confidence vote in August, but has remained in office for months because of the stalemate. \n\nObservers say Milatovi\u0107, who served in the government elected after the 2020 parliamentary vote but later split from the ruling coalition, has gained popularity because of his independent background and focus on everyday problems. \n\nMontenegro, whose population is around 620,000, remains deeply split between supporters of \u0110ukanovi\u0107\u2019s policies and those who view themselves as Serbs and want Montenegro to ally itself with Serbia and fellow-Slavic Russia. \n\nMilatovi\u0107 said after he cast his ballot that \u0110ukanovi\u0107 symbolises \u201cdivisive policies of the past,\u201d and that the vote is crucial for a future Montenegro that will be \u201cricher, more just, more beautiful and more equal.\u201d \n\n\u0110ukanovi\u0107, who has served multiple times as both president and prime minister in the past 30 years, has seen his popularity plummet. He has hoped to regain trust among Montenegro's approximately 540,000 eligible voters and help pave the way for his party's return to power. \n\n\u0110ukanovi\u0107 has portrayed the presidential election as a choice between an independent Montenegro and a country controlled by neighboring Serbia and Russia. \n\n\u201cOnly a few years ago, no one could imagine that we would once again wage a decisive battle for the survival of Montenegro,\u201d he told supporters. \u201cUnfortunately, with the change of power two and a half years ago, the horizon of European values has been irresponsibly closed.\u201d \n\nThe political chaos and stalled reforms in a country long seen as the next in line for EU membership has alarmed EU officials, who fear Russia could try to stir trouble in the Balkans to divert attention from the war in Ukraine. \n\n","htmlText":" Montenegro's long-serving incumbent President Milo \u0110ukanovi\u0107 will face a political newcomer in a runoff presidential election in Montenegro next month after none of the contenders garnered enough support in the first round of voting on Sunday to achieve an outright victory, according to early projections.<\/p>\n President Milo \u0110ukanovi\u0107<\/strong><\/a>, 61, won around 35% of the votes while 37-year-old economist Jakov Milatovi\u0107<\/strong><\/a> won around 29%, according to projections released by the Center for Monitoring and Research<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n If confirmed in the official tally, the two will face each other in the 2 April runoff. The CeMI monitoring group insisted that they don't expect major changes as the counting continues. Official preliminary results are expected later on Monday.<\/p>\n The presidential election was held amid a political turmoil and uncertainty over whether the small NATO member state in the Balkans would unblock its bid to join the European Union or instead seek to improve ties with Serbia and Russia.<\/p>\n Though the presidency is largely ceremonial in Montenegro, the ballot also is seen as a key indicator of popular sentiment before a parliamentary election set for 11 June.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t plan to lose this election, and it can be expected that I lead my party at the parliamentary vote,\u201d \u0110ukanovi\u0107 said after casting his ballot earlier on Sunday.<\/p>\n \u0110ukanovi\u0107 and his Democratic Party of Socialists, or DPS, led Montenegro to independence from Serbia in 2006, and defied Russia to join NATO in 2017. An alliance dominated by parties seeking closer ties with Serbia and Russia ousted DPS from power in 2020.<\/p>\n The new ruling alliance, however, soon plunged into disarray, which stalled Montenegro\u2019s path toward the EU and created a political deadlock. The latest government fell in a no-confidence vote in August, but has remained in office for months because of the stalemate.<\/p>\n Observers say Milatovi\u0107, who served in the government elected after the 2020 parliamentary vote but later split from the ruling coalition, has gained popularity because of his independent background and focus on everyday problems.<\/p>\n Montenegro, whose population is around 620,000, remains deeply split between supporters of \u0110ukanovi\u0107\u2019s policies and those who view themselves as Serbs and want Montenegro to ally itself with Serbia and fellow-Slavic Russia.<\/p>\n Milatovi\u0107 said after he cast his ballot that \u0110ukanovi\u0107 symbolises \u201cdivisive policies of the past,\u201d and that the vote is crucial for a future Montenegro that will be \u201cricher, more just, more beautiful and more equal.\u201d<\/p>\n \u0110ukanovi\u0107, who has served multiple times as both president and prime minister in the past 30 years, has seen his popularity plummet. He has hoped to regain trust among Montenegro's approximately 540,000 eligible voters and help pave the way for his party's return to power.<\/p>\n \u0110ukanovi\u0107 has portrayed the presidential election as a choice between an independent Montenegro and a country controlled by neighboring Serbia and Russia.<\/p>\n \u201cOnly a few years ago, no one could imagine that we would once again wage a decisive battle for the survival of Montenegro,\u201d he told supporters. \u201cUnfortunately, with the change of power two and a half years ago, the horizon of European values has been irresponsibly closed.\u201d<\/p>\n The political chaos and stalled reforms in a country long seen as the next in line for EU membership has alarmed EU officials, who fear Russia could try to stir trouble in the Balkans to divert attention from the war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1679265638,"updatedAt":1723539856,"publishedAt":1679288430,"firstPublishedAt":1679266434,"lastPublishedAt":1679737325,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/47\/28\/54\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_7fe664f5-7478-587b-9c0d-6a2b4d43168c-7472854.jpg","altText":"Pro-Western incumbent Milo Djukanovic speaks in his headquarters in Montenegro's capital Podgorica, Sunday, March 19, 2023.","caption":"Pro-Western incumbent Milo Djukanovic speaks in his headquarters in Montenegro's capital Podgorica, Sunday, March 19, 2023.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"height":900}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":360,"slug":"montenegro","urlSafeValue":"montenegro","title":"Montenegro","titleRaw":"Montenegro"},{"id":12175,"slug":"presidential-election","urlSafeValue":"presidential-election","title":"Presidential election","titleRaw":"Presidential election"},{"id":12581,"slug":"democracy","urlSafeValue":"democracy","title":"Democracy","titleRaw":"Democracy"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2222300},{"id":2038466},{"id":2229236}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":360,"urlSafeValue":"montenegro","title":"Montenegro","url":"\/news\/europe\/montenegro"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','gs_politics','gs_politics_issues_policy','sm_politics','gs_politics_misc','shadow9hu7_pos_ukrainecrisis','gs_politics_elections','neg_facebook_2021','custom_politics_brussels','gt_negative','neg_intel_mobkoi','neg_zegna_eng','neg_ukraine_russia_war','gs_politics_civicaffairs','gt_negative_mistrust','gs_politics_american'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/2023\/03\/20\/long-serving-montenegro-president-to-face-newcomer-in-runoff-vote","lastModified":1679737325},{"id":2227090,"cid":7470188,"versionId":5,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230317_NWWB_50854858","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"WEB MONTENEGRO PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Montenegro election highlights clash between pro-Europe and pro-Russia blocs","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Montenegro's elections deepen political and religious divides","titleListing2":"\ud83c\uddf2\ud83c\uddea The upcoming presidential elections in Montenegro are set to be a make-or-break moment for the country's political future as it balances pro-European and pro-Russian blocs.","leadin":"The upcoming presidential elections in Montenegro are set to be a make-or-break moment for the country's political future.","summary":"The upcoming presidential elections in Montenegro are set to be a make-or-break moment for the country's political future.","keySentence":"","url":"montenego-election-highlights-clash-between-pro-europe-and-pro-russia-blocs","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/03\/17\/montenego-election-highlights-clash-between-pro-europe-and-pro-russia-blocs","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"The upcoming presidential elections in Montenegro are set to be a make-or-break moment for the country's political future. \n\nLjubomir Filipovi\u0107, an analyst and former deputy mayor of Budva, told Euronews that \"these presidential elections should not be taken lightly, despite the limited powers of the president in Montenegro.\" \n\nThe country is split between two blocs \u2014 one that supports the country's pro-European stance and another that leans toward Russia. This divide has led to frequent protests in the past three years. \n\nHowever, recent events in Montenegro have made these elections even more crucial. In August 2020, the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) was removed from power, and a coalition of nationalist and civic-minded parties formed a government, which has since been restructured twice. \n\nAlthough Montenegro declared its independence from Serbia in 2006, it still struggles to shake off Serbia's attempts to influence its politics, particularly through the Orthodox Church. \n\nMilo \u0110ukanovi\u0107, the incumbent president and DPS leader, played a pivotal role in organising the referendum for independence and has branded himself as the sole defender of Montenegro's sovereignty and pro-Western path. \n\nIn the presidential race, one of his opponents is Andrija Mandi\u0107 from the eurosceptic Democratic Front, a party that openly advocates for closer ties with Russia and Serbia. \n\nFilipovi\u0107 pointed out that this is not just a battle between \u0110ukanovi\u0107 and his opponents, but a fight between two ideologies in Montenegro.\u00a0 \n\nHe said that \"while \u0110ukanovi\u0107 represents corruption, organised crime, captured institutions, and a tendency towards political monopolisation on one hand, he also represents opposition to those questioning Montenegro's independence and sovereignty as a nation.\" \n\n\u201cThose who are against \u0110ukanovi\u0107 do not represent a strong enough opposition to the influence of Serbia and Russia in the country, especially through the Orthodox Church,\u201d he emphasised. \n\nBattle between two churches \n\nThe fight for control and influence over the religious and political landscape of Montenegro has been shaped by the ongoing feud between the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) and the Montenegrin Orthodox Church (MOC). \n\nThe Serbian Orthodox Church, which is closely aligned with the government in Belgrade and the Kremlin, has been accused of interfering in Montenegro's politics and spreading pro-Serbian propaganda.\u00a0 \n\nThe Montenegrin Orthodox Church, which split from the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1993, has accused its counterpart of trying to undermine its independence. \n\nThe fight boiled over in 2019 when the Montenegrin government passed a law that would transfer ownership of religious properties from the SOC to the state.\u00a0 \n\nThe SOC saw this as an attempt to strip them of their influence and rallied their supporters, held protests, and even encouraged their followers to boycott the Montenegrin census, claiming that it was biased against them. \n\nOn Thursday, \u0110ukanovi\u0107 issued a decree to dissolve parliament, days before the election and as the three-month legal deadline expired for former top diplomat and prime minister-designate Miodrag Leki\u0107 to form a government. \n\nRecent iterations of the government, at one time led by Prime Minister Dritan Abazovi\u0107 from the green-civic URA party, have been notoriously soft on the SOC\u2019s influence in the country, and the results of the presidential elections will dictate how the next government will handle this sensitive issue. \n\nNot enough new blood \n\nJovana Marovi\u0107, a respected civil society member, was part of the URA party and government but recently resigned from her positions due to policy disagreements. \n\nShe warned that both leading candidates in the election, including \u0110ukanovi\u0107 and Mandi\u0107, could pose a challenge to the country's democratic processes. \n\n\u201cThe biggest problem is that not a single one of the candidates is a civic option,\u201d she told Euronews. \n\nMarovi\u0107 recalls that it was during \u0110ukanovi\u0107\u2019s previous stints as prime minister and foreign minister that the country's institutions were brought to their knees due to cronyism and corruption. \n\n\u201cElections are always important in the Western Balkans because they define the general direction the country is headed. These elections come at a time when the country is experiencing a deep political crisis, and the results could significantly influence the democratic processes in the country,\u201d she continued. \n\nThe third front-runner, Jakov Milatovi\u0107, is a young economist from the increasingly popular Europe Now Movement. His party was not in the parliament and a win for him could bolster the party\u2019s results in the parliamentary elections. \n\nMontenegro is a frontrunner in its European integration process and how the upcoming elections shape up could influence the speed with which it progresses on this path. \n\nAlthough the country has completed most of its duties on the technical level, the unreformed justice sector remains a challenge due to high polarisation in society, Marovi\u0107 stressed. \n\n\u201cOn the other hand, the fact that there have been several government rotations after 30 years of what was effectively one-party rule. This is the healthiest way of strengthening a country\u2019s democratic reflexes,\u201d she concluded. \n\n","htmlText":" The upcoming presidential elections in Montenegro are set to be a make-or-break moment for the country's political future.<\/p>\n Ljubomir Filipovi\u0107, an analyst and former deputy mayor of Budva, told Euronews that \"these presidential elections should not be taken lightly, despite the limited powers of the president in Montenegro.\"<\/p>\n The country is split between two blocs \u2014 one that supports the country's pro-European stance and another that leans toward Russia. This divide has led to frequent protests in the past three years.<\/p>\n However, recent events in Montenegro have made these elections even more crucial. In August 2020, the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) was removed from power, and a coalition of nationalist and civic-minded parties formed a government, which has since been restructured twice.<\/p>\n Although Montenegro declared its independence from Serbia in 2006, it still struggles to shake off Serbia's attempts to influence its politics, particularly through the Orthodox Church.<\/p>\n Milo \u0110ukanovi\u0107, the incumbent president and DPS leader, played a pivotal role in organising the referendum for independence and has branded himself as the sole defender of Montenegro's sovereignty and pro-Western path.<\/p>\n In the presidential race, one of his opponents is Andrija Mandi\u0107 from the eurosceptic Democratic Front, a party that openly advocates for closer ties with Russia and Serbia.<\/p>\n Filipovi\u0107 pointed out that this is not just a battle between \u0110ukanovi\u0107 and his opponents, but a fight between two ideologies in Montenegro.\u00a0<\/p>\n He said that \"while \u0110ukanovi\u0107 represents corruption, organised crime, captured institutions, and a tendency towards political monopolisation on one hand, he also represents opposition to those questioning Montenegro's independence and sovereignty as a nation.\"<\/p>\n \u201cThose who are against \u0110ukanovi\u0107 do not represent a strong enough opposition to the influence of Serbia and Russia in the country, especially through the Orthodox Church,\u201d he emphasised.<\/p>\n The fight for control and influence over the religious and political landscape of Montenegro has been shaped by the ongoing feud between the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) and the Montenegrin Orthodox Church (MOC).<\/p>\n The Serbian Orthodox Church, which is closely aligned with the government in Belgrade and the Kremlin, has been accused of interfering in Montenegro's politics and spreading pro-Serbian propaganda.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Montenegrin Orthodox Church, which split from the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1993, has accused its counterpart of trying to undermine its independence.<\/p>\n The fight boiled over in 2019 when the Montenegrin government passed a law that would transfer ownership of religious properties from the SOC to the state.\u00a0<\/p>\n The SOC saw this as an attempt to strip them of their influence and rallied their supporters, held protests, and even encouraged their followers to boycott the Montenegrin census, claiming that it was biased against them.<\/p>\n On Thursday, \u0110ukanovi\u0107 issued a decree to dissolve parliament, days before the election and as the three-month legal deadline expired for former top diplomat and prime minister-designate Miodrag Leki\u0107 to form a government.<\/p>\n Recent iterations of the government, at one time led by Prime Minister Dritan Abazovi\u0107 from the green-civic URA party, have been notoriously soft on the SOC\u2019s influence in the country, and the results of the presidential elections will dictate how the next government will handle this sensitive issue.<\/p>\n Jovana Marovi\u0107, a respected civil society member, was part of the URA party and government but recently resigned from her positions due to policy disagreements.<\/p>\n She warned that both leading candidates in the election, including \u0110ukanovi\u0107 and Mandi\u0107, could pose a challenge to the country's democratic processes.<\/p>\n \u201cThe biggest problem is that not a single one of the candidates is a civic option,\u201d she told Euronews.<\/p>\n Marovi\u0107 recalls that it was during \u0110ukanovi\u0107\u2019s previous stints as prime minister and foreign minister that the country's institutions were brought to their knees due to cronyism and corruption.<\/p>\n \u201cElections are always important in the Western Balkans because they define the general direction the country is headed. These elections come at a time when the country is experiencing a deep political crisis, and the results could significantly influence the democratic processes in the country,\u201d she continued.<\/p>\n The third front-runner, Jakov Milatovi\u0107, is a young economist from the increasingly popular Europe Now Movement. His party was not in the parliament and a win for him could bolster the party\u2019s results in the parliamentary elections.<\/p>\n Montenegro is a frontrunner in its European integration process and how the upcoming elections shape up could influence the speed with which it progresses on this path.<\/p>\n Although the country has completed most of its duties on the technical level, the unreformed justice sector remains a challenge due to high polarisation in society, Marovi\u0107 stressed.<\/p>\n \u201cOn the other hand, the fact that there have been several government rotations after 30 years of what was effectively one-party rule. This is the healthiest way of strengthening a country\u2019s democratic reflexes,\u201d she concluded.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1679012387,"updatedAt":1723539856,"publishedAt":1679037118,"firstPublishedAt":1679037125,"lastPublishedAt":1679156288,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/47\/01\/88\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_d0e9c725-39d8-52eb-9c43-398b2f9d9b04-7470188.jpg","altText":"A supporter of long-ruling DPS party leader Milo Djukanovic holds his portrait in celebration after parliamentary elections, in Podgorica, 17 October 2016","caption":"A supporter of long-ruling DPS party leader Milo Djukanovic holds his portrait in celebration after parliamentary elections, in Podgorica, 17 October 2016","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Darko Vojinovic","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/47\/01\/88\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_44409671-dd69-5f66-a255-9f318375e75f-7470188.jpg","altText":"The leader of Montenegro's opposition Democratic Front coalition Andrija Mandic in Podgorica, March 2017","caption":"The leader of Montenegro's opposition Democratic Front coalition Andrija Mandic in Podgorica, March 2017","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Darko Vojinovic\/Copyright 2017 The AP. All rights reserved.","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":744},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/47\/01\/88\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_635d98d1-7b24-509b-8e9d-c435738e2215-7470188.jpg","altText":"Supporters of opposition groups celebrate after declaring victory in Montenegro's parliamentary elections in Podgorica, 31 August 2020","caption":"Supporters of opposition groups celebrate after declaring victory in Montenegro's parliamentary elections in Podgorica, 31 August 2020","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Risto Bozovic","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":710},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/47\/01\/88\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_9cde27b7-8cd1-5bde-aa4e-924b389d1893-7470188.jpg","altText":"Montenegro's President Milo Dukanovic arrives for a meeting of the European Political Community at Prague Castle in Prague, 6 October 2022","caption":"Montenegro's President Milo Dukanovic arrives for a meeting of the European Political Community at Prague Castle in Prague, 6 October 2022","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Petr David Josek","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":2732,"urlSafeValue":"hajdari","title":"Una Hajdari","twitter":"@UnaHajdari"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":360,"slug":"montenegro","urlSafeValue":"montenegro","title":"Montenegro","titleRaw":"Montenegro"},{"id":28270,"slug":"milo-dukanovic","urlSafeValue":"milo-dukanovic","title":"Milo \u0110ukanovi\u0107","titleRaw":"Milo \u0110ukanovi\u0107"},{"id":28272,"slug":"jakov-milatovic","urlSafeValue":"jakov-milatovic","title":"Jakov Milatovi\u0107","titleRaw":"Jakov Milatovi\u0107"},{"id":28268,"slug":"montenegrin-politics","urlSafeValue":"montenegrin-politics","title":"Montenegrin politics","titleRaw":"Montenegrin politics"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":3},{"slug":"related","count":3}],"related":[{"id":2030654}],"technicalTags":[{"path":"euronews.byenglishwebteam"},{"path":"euronews"}],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":360,"urlSafeValue":"montenegro","title":"Montenegro","url":"\/news\/europe\/montenegro"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','gs_politics','gs_politics_issues_policy','sm_politics','gs_politics_misc','neg_facebook_2021','gt_negative','gs_society','neg_nespresso','neg_saudiaramco','neg_facebook_q4','castrol_negative_uk','gs_politics_elections','gs_society_religion','gs_law','gs_politics_american'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet-web","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"path":"\/2023\/03\/17\/montenego-election-highlights-clash-between-pro-europe-and-pro-russia-blocs","lastModified":1679156288},{"id":2222300,"cid":7456212,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"TRAVEL_Podgorica guide Montenegro","channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Chic cafes and cheap beer: This eastern European capital city is still beautiful\u00a0on\u00a0a\u00a0budget","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"This lesser-known European capital is a cheap summer destination","titleListing2":"Chic cafes and cheap beer: This eastern European capital city is still beautiful\u00a0on\u00a0a\u00a0budget","leadin":"You get a lot more for your money here than in honeypot capitals like Paris or Rome.","summary":"You get a lot more for your money here than in honeypot capitals like Paris or Rome.","keySentence":"","url":"chic-cafes-and-cheap-beer-this-eastern-european-capital-city-is-still-beautiful-on-a-budge","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/travel\/2023\/03\/10\/chic-cafes-and-cheap-beer-this-eastern-european-capital-city-is-still-beautiful-on-a-budge","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"If you\u2019re looking for a cheap break this summer, forget the usual, overtouristed European cities and consider venturing to Montenegro\u2019s capital. \n\nPodgorica might not be on your \u2018must-visit\u2019 list, but there\u2019s plenty of reasons why it should be. \n\nImportantly, you get a lot more for your money here than in other European capitals like Paris or Rome. \n\nBut it\u2019s also full of quirky bookshops, stylish caf\u00e9s and riverside bars which you won\u2019t find overrun with other tourists . \n\nPodgorica: One of the cheapest destinations for a city break in Europe \n\nMontenegro \u2019s capital is a prime destination for a short holiday that doesn\u2019t break the bank. \n\nYou can eat out on a shoestring, with a meal in a casual restaurant costing as little as \u20ac6.40 and a three-course meal for two in a mid-range restaurant around \u20ac25, according to global database Numbeo. \n\nIf you\u2019re in need of refreshment, a 0.5 litre beer will set you back just \u20ac2, a cappuccino \u20ac1.49 and a bottle of water around \u20ac1.29. \n\nTransport is also a bargain , with a one-way ticket starting at \u20ac0.90 and a monthly pass just \u20ac30. \n\nAccording to Numbeo, Podgorica is 38.8 per cent less expensive than Rome and 47.9 per cent cheaper than Paris . \n\nWhat to do in Podgorica: An Ottoman era centre \n\nStara Varo\u0161 is Podgorica\u2019s old town, but you could easily be forgiven for thinking you\u2019d wandered into a rural village. \n\nThe city\u2019s oldest neighbourhood is a maze of low stone houses, some painted in pastel shades, lining overgrown lanes. \n\nBetween the 15th and 19th centuries, this was the hub of a vibrant Ottoman Turkish town. Bombing in WWII damaged many structures but traces of its golden era remain. \n\nA spartan clocktower in the central square was once used for Muslim prayer calls in the Ottoman era. \n\nWinding through the humble streets, you can also find the 15th century Starodoganjska Mosque and the more ornate 18th-century Osmanagi\u0107 Mosque with windows bearing Arabic script and floral motifs. \n\nAlong the banks of Podgorica\u2019s Ribnica River, you can follow a secluded, leafy walkway dotted with the vestiges of ancient fortifications. \n\nAs you wander down the river, you\u2019ll also come across the Roman-built, Ottoman-modified Ad\u017ei-Pa\u0161a\u2019s Bridge . \n\nBeautiful brutalist architecture in Podgorica \n\nIt may seem like an oxymoron, but Podgorica\u2019s brutalist buildings showcase how the modernist architectural style can be attractive - if austere. \n\nThe Church of the Holy Heart of Jesus is a colossal, stark structure while the surprisingly playful Blok 5 housing estate looks like giant Jenga towers. \n\nWhere to eat and drink in Podgorica: Arty caf\u00e9s and riverside bars \n\nIf you want to take advantage of the low-cost drinks, Podgorica is peppered with quirky establishments. \n\nThe city boasts a cheap but chic caf\u00e9 scene, like Zrno with its industrial lighting and metal stools or steampunk style Mehanizam. \n\nWorth hunting down is Karver, a bookstore, caf\u00e9 and gallery housed in what was once a Turkish bathhouse. \n\nVenture under the graffiti-brightened modern concrete bridge and you discover a little white building of slim arched windows and Moorish doorways. \n\nBrowse the eccentric bookshop and, if you\u2019re in need of a pick-me-up, their thick Turkish coffee is a powerful caffeine hit. \n\nFor summer drinks, meander down the Mora\u010da river to Njego\u0161ev Park near the Millenium Bridge. \n\nHere, a small beach comes alive in the warmer months with an outdoor bar, deckchairs and umbrellas. You can cool off in the water or depart on a kayaking trip from the shore. \n\nFor evening entertainment, look no further than Boke\u0161ka, the trendiest street in town lined with colourful cocktail bars and idiosyncratic pubs.\u00a0 \n\n","htmlText":" If you\u2019re looking for a cheap break this summer, forget the usual, overtouristed European cities and consider venturing to Montenegro\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n Podgorica might not be on your \u2018must-visit\u2019 list, but there\u2019s plenty of reasons why it should be.<\/p>\n Importantly, you get a lot more for your money here than in other European capitals like Paris or Rome.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s also full of quirky bookshops, stylish caf\u00e9s and riverside bars which you won\u2019t find overrun with other tourists<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Montenegro<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s capital is a prime destination for a short holiday that doesn\u2019t break the bank.<\/p>\n You can eat out on a shoestring, with a meal in a casual restaurant costing as little as \u20ac6.40 and a three-course meal for two in a mid-range restaurant around \u20ac25, according to global database Numbeo.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re in need of refreshment, a 0.5 litre beer will set you back just \u20ac2, a cappuccino \u20ac1.49 and a bottle of water around \u20ac1.29.<\/p>\n Transport is also a bargain<\/strong><\/a>, with a one-way ticket starting at \u20ac0.90 and a monthly pass just \u20ac30.<\/p>\n According to Numbeo, Podgorica is 38.8 per cent less expensive than Rome<\/strong><\/a> and 47.9 per cent cheaper than Paris<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Stara Varo\u0161 is Podgorica\u2019s old town, but you could easily be forgiven for thinking you\u2019d wandered into a rural village.<\/p>\n The city\u2019s oldest neighbourhood is a maze of low stone houses, some painted in pastel shades, lining overgrown lanes.<\/p>\n Between the 15th and 19th centuries, this was the hub of a vibrant Ottoman Turkish town. Bombing in WWII damaged many structures but traces of its golden era remain.<\/p>\n A spartan clocktower in the central square was once used for Muslim prayer calls in the Ottoman era.<\/p>\n Winding through the humble streets, you can also find the 15th century Starodoganjska Mosque and the more ornate 18th-century Osmanagi\u0107 Mosque with windows bearing Arabic script and floral motifs.<\/p>\n Along the banks of Podgorica\u2019s Ribnica River, you can follow a secluded, leafy walkway dotted with the vestiges of ancient fortifications.<\/p>\n As you wander down the river, you\u2019ll also come across the Roman-built, Ottoman-modified Ad\u017ei-Pa\u0161a\u2019s Bridge<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n It may seem like an oxymoron, but Podgorica\u2019s brutalist buildings showcase how the modernist architectural style can be attractive - if austere.<\/p>\n The Church of the Holy Heart of Jesus is a colossal, stark structure while the surprisingly playful Blok 5 housing estate looks like giant Jenga towers.<\/p>\n If you want to take advantage of the low-cost drinks, Podgorica is peppered with quirky establishments.<\/p>\n The city boasts a cheap but chic caf\u00e9<\/strong><\/a> scene, like Zrno with its industrial lighting and metal stools or steampunk style Mehanizam.<\/p>\n Worth hunting down is Karver, a bookstore, caf\u00e9 and gallery housed in what was once a Turkish bathhouse.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
Battle between two churches<\/h2>
\n
\n
Not enough new blood<\/h2>
\n
\n
Podgorica: One of the cheapest destinations for a city break in Europe<\/h2>
What to do in Podgorica: An Ottoman era centre<\/h2>
\n
Beautiful brutalist architecture in Podgorica<\/h2>
\n
Where to eat and drink in Podgorica: Arty caf\u00e9s and riverside bars<\/h2>