Constitution |
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NATO | Montenegro |
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The accession of Montenegro to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, took place on 5 June 2017. [1] In December 2009, Montenegro was granted a Membership Action Plan, the final step in an application for membership in the organization. [2] A formal invitation was issued by the alliance on 2 December 2015, [3] with accession negotiations concluded with the signature by the Foreign Ministers of an Accession Protocol on 19 May 2016. [4] Montenegro officially joined NATO on 5 June 2017.
The State Union of Serbia and Montenegro applied to NATO's Partnership for Peace (PfP) program in June 2003. [5] [6] Montenegro declared independence on 3 June 2006 and soon after opened a Permanent Mission to NATO in Brussels. [7] The new country subsequently joined PfP at the 2006 Riga summit. In November 2007, Montenegro signed a transit agreement with NATO, allowing the alliance's troops to move across the country. [8] Montenegro then signed an agreement with the United States, in which Montenegro would destroy its outdated weaponry as a precondition for NATO membership. [9] In late 2007, Montenegro's Defense Minister Boro Vučinić said that Montenegro would intensify its accession to the alliance after the 2008 Bucharest summit. [10] Montenegro entered Intensified Dialogue with NATO in April 2008, and adopted an Individual Partnership Action Plan in June 2008. [11] It was invited to join the Adriatic Charter of NATO aspirants on 25 September 2008. [12] [13] The country then applied for a Membership Action Plan on 5 November 2008 with support of Prime Minister Milo Đukanović, [14] which was granted in December 2009. [15] Montenegro also began full membership with the Adriatic Charter of NATO aspirants in May 2009. [16] [17]
Montenegro began to contribute its national armed forces to NATO foreign military operations. [18] The country deployed 40 soldiers, a three-member military medical team, and two officers under German command to Afghanistan in 2010. Montenegrin peacekeepers were also deployed to Liberia and Somalia. [19]
Montenegro has received support for its membership bid from several NATO countries, including Romania, Turkey, Germany and the United States. [20] [21] [22] [23] [24]
In December 2013, Dnevne Novine reported that NATO had decided that Montenegro would join NATO at the same time as Macedonia, whose membership has been vetoed by Greece over the Macedonia naming dispute, making accession unlikely in 2014. [25]
In March 2014, Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Đukanović stated the desire for Montenegro to join NATO, [26] and in May 2014 expressed the hopes an invitation to join the organization will be favoured at the 2014 NATO summit in September. Russian MP Mikhail Degtyarev of the nationalist LDPR warned that NATO membership would make Montenegro "a legitimate target of Russian missiles." [27]
On 29 May 2014, the Slovenian (Karel Erjavec & Roman Jakič) and Croatian (Vesna Pusić & Ante Kotromanović) foreign and defense ministers sent a letter to the Secretary General of NATO, stressing the importance of inviting Montenegro into NATO. The Slovene defense minister also stated that he expects Montenegro to receive a NATO invitation during NATO's 2014 Summit in Wales. [28] However, later that year NATO announced that it would not be offering any new countries membership into the organization that year. Analysts confirmed this as a sign that NATO members are becoming skeptical about further Eastern expansion following Russia's annexation of Crimea, due to worries about Russian retaliation to new security guarantees to countries so close to its borders. [29]
In June 2014, then NATO secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen suggested that NATO would open "intensified talks" with the aim of inviting Montenegro to join the alliance by the end of 2015, [30] but that Montenegro would not get an invitation to join the NATO summit in September. Further assessment of Montenegro's progress was expected by the end of 2015. [31]
A formal invitation was issued by the alliance on 2 December 2015. [3] [33] Final accession talks began in February 2016, [34] and concluded in May, allowing Montenegro to take an "observer" status pending ratification by the governments of the other members, as well as by Montenegro's own parliament. [35]
Pro-Russian opposition parties argued that a referendum on NATO membership should be held simultaneously to parliamentary elections in October 2016, though the government suggested that the elections were a de facto plebiscite on the issue. [36] Pro-NATO parties advanced in the election result.
The United States Senate voted on the Resolution of Ratification (Resolution of Advice and Consent to Ratification (Treaty Doc. 114-12)) on 28 March 2017. [37] President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum on 11 April 2017. [38] Ratification by each member state was completed with Spain's ratification on 10 May. On 28 April 2017 Montenegro's parliament ratified the accession treaty. [39] Montenegro officially joined NATO as a member state on 5 June 2017. [1]
The reaction of the Russian government to Montenegro's bid to join NATO had been increasingly hostile [40] culminating in an attempt to stage a coup d'état on 16 October 2016, on the day of the parliamentary election that allegedly would have included assassination of Montenegro's prime minister Milo Đukanović, according to the statements made by Montenegrin officials. [41] [42] The coup plot involved Russian nationals, including a Russian military intelligence officer previously expelled from Poland. [43] [44] [45] Tensions between the countries went on unabated thereafter. [46]
Date | Polling Firm/Source | For NATO membership | Against NATO membership | Lead |
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6–12 October 2017 | CISR/IRI | 43 | 51 | 8.0 |
June 2017 | CEDEM [ permanent dead link ] | 54.2 | 45.8 | 10.0 |
Dec 2016 | CEDEM Archived 29 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine | 49.88 | 50.12 | 0.2 |
26 June 2016 | DAMAR | 54.2 | 45.8 | 8.4 |
24 June 2016 | CEDEM | 50.5 | 49.5 | 1 |
28 May-5 Jun 2016 | NSPM Archived 26 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine | 39.9 | 60.1 | 20.2 |
16–20 May 2016 | DAMAR | 54.6 | 45.4 | 9.2 |
22 February 2016 | DAMAR | 55.6 | 44.4 | 11 |
Feb 2016 | Ipsos | 50.5 | 49.5 | 1 |
Nov 2015 | CEDEM Archived 6 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine | 49.8 | 50.2 | 0.4 |
8–16 Oct 2015 | Ipsos | 56 | 44 | 10 |
11–18 Sep 2015 | Ipsos | 52 | 48 | 4 |
28 July 2015 | CEDEM | 49.5 | 50.5 | 1 |
8–14 Jun 2015 | DAMAR Archived 17 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine | 51.2 | 48.8 | 2.4 |
4–11 Jun 2015 | Ipsos Archived 17 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine | 53.4 | 46.6 | 6.8 |
Oct 2014 | CEDEM | 43.75 | 56.25 | 12.5 |
Mar 2014 | Ipsos | 52.2 | 47.8 | 4.4 |
11 August 2013 | Ipsos Archived 20 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine | 50.6 | 49.4 | 1.2 |
Mar 2013 | CEDEM Archived 6 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine | 37.3 | 62.7 | 25.4 |
Sep 2012 | CEDEM Archived 6 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine | 49 | 51 | 2 |
July 2012 | CEDEM Archived 6 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine | 46.8 | 53.2 | 6.4 |
Dec 2011 | CEDEM Archived 6 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine | 51.5 | 48.5 | 3 |
Sep 2011 | CEDEM Archived 6 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine | 43.9 | 56.1 | 12.2 |
Oct 2010 | CEDEM Archived 6 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine | 45.1 | 54.9 | 9.8 |
Oct 2009 | CEDEM Archived 6 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine | 41.5 | 58.5 | 17 |
24 June 2009 | CEDEM | 40.92 | 59.08 | 18.16 |
Nov 2008 | CEDEM Archived 6 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine | 36.45 | 63.55 | 27.1 |
According to a government poll in March 2014, 46 percent of Montenegro's populace supported NATO membership, while 42 percent opposed it. [47] A poll in July 2015 from the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights, which receives financial support from NATO, found that 36.6 percent support membership, to 37.3 percent against, with sharp divisions between ethnic groups: 71.2 percent of Montenegrin Albanians and 68 percent of Montenegrin Bosniaks support membership, while only 11.3 percent of Montenegrin Serbs do. [48] Russian MP Mikhail Degtyarev of the Nationalist LDPR threatened in May 2014 that NATO membership would make Montenegro "a legitimate target of Russian missiles." [27]
The ruling Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro and Social Democratic Party of Montenegro maintain a strong desire for Montenegro to become a NATO member state. In early 2009 they launched a two-year campaign with the aim of promoting accession to NATO, which is handled by the MAPA media agency under theatrical director Radmila Vojvodić. [49] The ruling coalition of PM Milo Đukanović claims Montenegro cannot afford to remain neutral and identifies NATO and the EU as a common process of Euro-Atlantic integrations. [50] According to a demographic breakdown of polling, citizens of pro-Serbian or pro-Russian political orientation, Eastern Orthodox Christian conservatives, women and the undereducated are the main groups that do not support NATO membership. The campaign has been somewhat successful, but received criticism from the Nansen Dialogue Centre for significant financial investment in a biased and propagandist campaign during a recession. [51] As a direct response, the establishment of the Serb National List group launched the "No to NATO!" campaign, on a much smaller scale. [52]
The memory of NATO's 1999 bombing campaign of the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and resulting civilian casualties form a crucial part of the opposition to NATO membership in Montenegro.
The leading opposition political party, the Socialist People's Party of Montenegro, has remained ambiguous on the question of NATO membership. Although strong supporters of European integration, they maintain that EU and NATO integrations are completely separate paths and endorse holding a referendum. SNP CG has generally avoided giving a direct answer, but it is indirectly opposed to NATO membership.[ citation needed ] The New Serb Democracy is an outspoken opponent of NATO membership, supporting a referendum and convinced there would be a negative outcome. [53] The Movement for Changes is completely neutral and supports holding a referendum, and acknowledging its result. [54] According to Strategic Marketing's poll on the question as to whether to schedule a referendum, 72% of respondents support holding it. CATI's poll from 11–15 December 2009 on the question of its result yielded the following: 44% would vote against it, 40% would vote in favor, while 8% is unsure. According to a poll released in October 2009, 31.2% of Montenegro's populace supported NATO membership, while 44% opposed it. [55] A poll by Ipsos in March 2014 found that 46% supported membership versus 42% who were opposed. [56] A December 2015 poll found support at 47%, opposition at 39%, with the remaining 14% undecided. [57]
Opposition parties, including Socialist People's Party of Montenegro, have argued that membership should be approved in a national referendum. [57] A political crisis followed the government's announcement of intention to join NATO; large protests, supported by pro-Serbian parties, were held in Podgorica in mid-October 2015 that culminated in a riot in the capital on 24 October.[ citation needed ] Đukanović accused Serbia and Russia of supporting. [58]
A split in the ruling coalition followed in January 2016.[ citation needed ]
NATO membership was an issue of debate during the October 2016 parliamentary election. The Democratic Party of Socialists, which had governed Montenegro since 1991 and supports membership, won the election with 41% of the popular vote.
Event | Date | ||||||
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Partnership for Peace | 2006-12-14 | ||||||
Individual Partnership Action Plan | 2008-06-20 | ||||||
Intensified Dialogue | 2008-04-03 | ||||||
Membership Action Plan | 2009-12-04 | ||||||
Invitation to join | 2015-12-02 | ||||||
Accession protocol | 2016-05-19 | ||||||
Domestic ratification | 2017-04-28 | ||||||
Ratification by: [59] | |||||||
Albania | 2016-09-06 | ||||||
Belgium | 2017-01-18 | ||||||
Bulgaria | 2016-08-18 | ||||||
Canada | 2017-03-06 | ||||||
Croatia | 2017-02-13 | ||||||
Czech Republic | 2017-01-27 | ||||||
Denmark | 2017-01-17 | ||||||
Estonia | 2017-01-09 | ||||||
France | 2017-04-18 | ||||||
Germany | 2017-05-03 | ||||||
Greece | 2017-03-22 | ||||||
Hungary | 2016-07-11 | ||||||
Iceland | 2016-06-23 | ||||||
Italy | 2017-02-01 | ||||||
Latvia | 2016-11-01 | ||||||
Lithuania | 2016-12-20 | ||||||
Luxembourg | 2017-02-01 | ||||||
Netherlands | 2017-05-04 | ||||||
Norway | 2017-02-09 | ||||||
Poland | 2016-11-28 | ||||||
Portugal | 2017-03-27 | ||||||
Romania | 2017-03-24 | ||||||
Slovakia | 2016-07-06 | ||||||
Slovenia | 2016-07-08 | ||||||
Spain | 2017-05-18 | ||||||
Turkey | 2016-09-27 | ||||||
United Kingdom | 2016-11-15 | ||||||
United States | 2017-04-21 | ||||||
Member of NATO | 2017-06-05 |
Montenegro became the 29th member of NATO on 5 June 2017 when it deposited its instrument of accession to the North Atlantic Treaty with the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C. On 7 June 2017, The Flag of Montenegro was raised at NATO Headquarters in a special ceremony to mark the country's accession to NATO. Flag raising ceremonies were also held simultaneously at Allied Command Operations in Mons and Allied Command Transformation in Norfolk, Virginia. [60]
Montenegro is a country in Southeastern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Its 25 municipalities have a total population of 633,158 people in an area of 13,812 km2. It is bordered by Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast, Kosovo to the east, Albania to the southeast, Croatia to the west, and has a coastline along the Adriatic Sea to the southwest. The capital and largest city is Podgorica, while Cetinje is the Old Royal Capital and cultural centre.
The early written records of the history of Montenegro begin with Illyria and its various kingdoms until the Roman Republic incorporated the region into the province of Illyricum after the Illyro-Roman Wars.
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.
Milo Đukanović is a Montenegrin politician who served as the President of Montenegro from 2018 to 2023, previously serving in the role from 1998 to 2002. He also served as the Prime Minister of Montenegro and was the long-term president of the Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro, originally the Montenegrin branch of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, which governed Montenegro alone or in a coalition from the introduction of multi-party politics in the early 1990s until its defeat in the 2020 parliamentary election. He is the longest-ruling contemporary politician in Europe, having held key positions in the country for over 33 years. However, he was defeated by the 36-year-old centrist former economy minister, Jakov Milatović, after the presidential run-off held on 2 April 2023.
Filip Vujanović is a Montenegrin politician who served as the 3rd president of the Republic of Montenegro under Serbia and Montenegro from 2003 to 2006, and the 1st president of independent Montenegro from 2006 to 2018.
Movement for Changes is a right-wing populist and far-right political party in Montenegro. Its current leader is Nebojša Medojević, the party's founder.
An independence referendum was held in Montenegro on 21 May 2006. It was approved by 55.5% of voters, narrowly passing the 55% threshold. By 23 May preliminary referendum results were recognized by all five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, suggesting widespread international recognition if Montenegro were to become formally independent. On 31 May the referendum commission officially confirmed the results of the referendum, verifying that 55.5% of the population of Montenegrin voters had voted in favor of independence. Because voters met the controversial threshold requirement of 55% approval, the referendum was incorporated into a declaration of independence during a special parliamentary session on 31 May. The Assembly of the Republic of Montenegro made a formal Declaration of Independence on Saturday 3 June.
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Igor Lukšić is a Montenegrin politician who served as the 4th Prime Minister of Montenegro from 2010 to 2012, following the resignation of Milo Đukanović. He was succeeded by Đukanović on 4 December 2012 and served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the latter’s fourth cabinet from 2012 to 2016. Presently, Lukšić is with PwC and handles public sector activities in southeast Europe.
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