Events of 2020 in Montenegro.
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Svetozar Marović is a Montenegrin lawyer and politician who served as the last head of state and head of government of Serbia and Montenegro from 2003 until Montenegro's declaration of independence in 2006.
The Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro is a social-democratic and populist political party in Montenegro. A former long-time ruling party sitting at the opposition for the first time since 2020, it was formed on 22 June 1991 as the successor of the League of Communists of Montenegro, which had governed Montenegro within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia since World War II, and has remained a major force in the country ever since. The party is a member of the Socialist International and the Progressive Alliance, and an associate of the Party of European Socialists. During the 1990s, DPS was the major centre-left, social-democratic party in favour of Serbian–Montenegrin unionism. However, since 1997, the party has embraced Montenegrin independence and has been improving ties with the West, slowly turning into a catch-all party embracing Atlanticism, Montenegrin nationalism, neoliberalism, and pro-Europeanism.
Dr. Nikola "Niko" Miljanić was a Montenegrin and Serbian anatomist and surgeon, professor of anatomy at Belgrade Medical School, resistance participant during World War II and the president of Montenegrin wartime Assembly.
Prof. Šerbo Rastoder, PhD is a Montenegrin historian of Bosniak ethnicity. He is also an author, writing about the history of Montenegro and about a few specific parts in Montenegro's history. He is a member of the Doclean Academy of Sciences and Arts, Bosniak Academy of Sciences and Arts and Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts. In 2017, he signed the Declaration on the Common Language of the Croats, Serbs, Bosniaks and Montenegrins.
Montenegrin–Serbian relations are foreign relations between Montenegro and Serbia. From 1918 until 2006, the two states were united under the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and Serbia and Montenegro. Since 2006, there have been sporadic instances of debate on Montenegro's legitimacy as a separate state as well as much more prominent controversial debate on the Montenegrin ethnic identity. Despite this, the two countries have maintained mostly friendly geopolitical and economic relations.
The Democratic Front was a right-wing populist and socially conservative political alliance in Montenegro. It was composed of the New Serb Democracy, Movement for Changes and Democratic People's Party, with some other minor parties as the alliance's partners at the local level, while United Montenegro and Workers' Party were external members of the Democratic Front parliamentary group. The alliance was formed mainly to overthrow the Democratic Party of Socialists, the party in power from the introduction of the multi-party system until the 2020 parliamentary election.
A political crisis in Montenegro was initiated by the opposition parties which staged protests requesting fair elections and transitional government. Opposition coalition Democratic Front organised continuous protests in October 2015 which culminated in a large riot in Podgorica on 24 October. A split in the ruling coalition followed in January 2016, leaving the government functioning as a de facto minority government.
Parliamentary elections were held in Montenegro on 30 August 2020. They were the fifth parliamentary in Montenegro since gaining its independence in 2006. Eighty-one members of the Montenegrin parliament were elected. Elections were organized in special conditions, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Montenegro. The parliamentary election was also held simultaneously with the local elections in five municipalities.
A coup d'état in the capital of Montenegro, Podgorica was allegedly planned and prepared for 16 October 2016, the day of the parliamentary election, according to Montenegro's special prosecutor. In September 2017, the trial of those indicted in connection with the plot began in the High Court in Podgorica, the indictees including leaders of the Montenegrin opposition and two alleged Russian intelligence agents. Russian government officials denied any involvement. In 2019, the Higher Court found the accused guilty of plotting to commit ″terrorist acts″, also of "undermine the constitutional order of Montenegro" and first instance sentenced 13 people. In February 2021, the appellate court annulled the first instance verdict on all counts of the indictment. The acquittals were upheld on appeal in July 2024.
In late December 2019, a wave of protests started against the controversial, newly adopted "Law on Freedom of Religion or Belief and the Legal Status of Religious Communities" which effectively transferred ownership of church buildings and estates built before 1918 from the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro to the Montenegrin state. The Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro, which owned 66 mainly medieval monasteries, dozens of churches and other real estate there, insisted the state wanted to impound its assets, while Pro-Western Montenegro's president Milo Đukanović, accused the Serbian church of promoting pro-Serb policies that are aimed at "undermining Montenegrin statehood".
The Marković Cabinet was the 41st cabinet of Montenegro. It was led by Prime Minister Duško Marković. It was elected on 28 November 2016 by a majority vote in the Parliament of Montenegro. The coalition government was composed of the Democratic Party of Socialists, the Social Democrats, and ethnic minority parties. The cabinet lasted until 4 December 2020, when it was succeeded by the Krivokapić Cabinet, and was the last cabinet of the era of DPS dominance, which lasted from the introduction of the multi-party system in SR Montenegro.
Zoran Pažin is a Montenegrin jurist and politician, former Minister of Justice and Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro since was appointed by Duško Marković on 28 November 2016, and until 4 December 2020, when he was succeeded by Vladimir Leposavić as the new Minister of Justice and Dritan Abazović, as new Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Montenegro has resulted in 251,280 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 2,654 deaths.
Zdravko Krivokapić is a Montenegrin professor and former politician who served as Prime Minister of Montenegro from 2020 to 2022.
Vladislav Dajković is a Montenegrin Serb politician serving as a member of the City Assembly of Podgorica since 12 April 2023. He was one of the founders and former secretary general of the True Montenegro, a right-wing populist pro-Serbian political party in Montenegro, which he left in 2019, after which he founded another right-wing party, Free Montenegro.
Vladimir Leposavić is a Montenegrin lawyer and politician who served as the Minister of Justice and Human and Minority Rights in the Government of Montenegro and the cabinet of Zdravko Krivokapić from 4 December 2020 to 17 June 2021. Prior to this, he was a senior legal advisor of the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral and the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro.
Milojko "Mickey" Spajić is a Montenegrin politician and financial engineer serving as Prime Minister of Montenegro since October 2023. He also served as the Minister of Finance and Social Welfare in the Government of Montenegro and the cabinet of Zdravko Krivokapić from 2020 to 2022.
Jakov Milatović is a Montenegrin politician and economist who is the incumbent president of Montenegro, serving since May 2023. He previously served as the minister of economic development in the cabinet of Zdravko Krivokapić from 2020 to 2022, and as an economist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London and Podgorica. He was a co-founder and until 24 February 2024 the deputy leader of Europe Now!, a liberal and pro-European political party that is the largest single party in the Montenegrin parliament.
A series of violent protests against the enthronement of Joanikije Mićović of the Serbian Orthodox Church as the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral took place at the historic Cetinje Monastery in September 2021.