Basic information about the territory
Subchapters:
- System of governance and political tendencies in the country
- Foreign policy of the country
- Population
The system of governance and political tendencies in the country
Official name: Černá Hora
System of government: parliamentary republic
Political tendencies: Montenegro is a NATO member country and an EU candidate state (accession negotiations started in June 2012), Montenegrin government officials state that the country will be ready to join the EU (i.e. close all chapters of accession negotiations) in 2025. Check computerminus to learn more about Montenegro political system.
Composition of the government: Prime Minister – Dritan Abazović
Deputy Prime Minister: Jovana Marović (Minister of European Affairs),
Vladimir Joković (Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management),
Raško Konjević (Minister of Defence),
Ervin Ibrahimović (Minister of Capital Investments)
Secretary General of the Government: Boris Marić
Advisors to the Prime Minister: – Sergej Sekulović, advisor for internal policy and the political system
– Ivo Šoć, advisor for legal issues
– Miloš Perišić, media advisor
– Radivoje Koprivica, consultant for digital media
– Đorđe Radulović, foreign policy advisor
Minister of Ecology, Spatial Planning and Urbanism – Ana Novaković Đurović
Minister of Economic Development and Tourism – Goran Đurović
Minister of Finance – Aleksandar Damjanović
Minister of Public Information – Marash Dukaj
Minister of Culture and Media – Maša Vlaović
Minister of Human and Minority Rights – Fatmir Gjeka
Minister of Science and Technological Development – Biljana Šćepanović
Minister of Justice – Marko Kovač
Minister of Education – Miomir Vojinović
Minister of Labor and Social Affairs – Admir Adrović
Minister of Sports and Youth – Vasilije Lalošević
Minister of the Interior – Filip Adžić
Minister of Health – Dragoslav Šćekić
Ministers without a hit: Adrijan Vuksanović and Zoran Miljanić
Foreign policy of the country
Together with all the states of the Western Balkans, Montenegro has the perspective of EU membership, which the EU has repeatedly confirmed. In October 2007, it signed a Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU, which entered into force in May 2010. After the successful fulfillment of the conditions for the liberalization of the visa regime with the EU states, the visa requirement was abolished in December 2009. Montenegro applied for EU membership in December 2008. It then obtained the status of a candidate country by a decision of the Council based on a positive assessment by the European Commission in December 2010, and the accession negotiations, which were officially launched in June 2012, continue. On June 5, 2017, Montenegro joined NATO.
Population
Population: 622359
Demographic composition: Montenegrins 44.98% Serbs 28.73% Bosniaks/Muslims 11.96% Albanians 4.91% Roma 1.34% Croats 0.97%
Religious composition: Orthodox 72.07% Muslims 19.11% Roman Catholics 3.44% others 1.24%
The system of governance and political tendencies in the country
Montenegro is a parliamentary republic that was established by peaceful separation from Serbia in 2006 based on the result of a referendum. Its democratic character is gradually being strengthened, after the first significant handover of power by the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) and its departure to the opposition after the 2020 elections. The government of Prime Minister Krivokapić was criticized for a year and a half of its existence for making decisions strongly influenced by the Church and Serbia, soon lost its majority in the parliament, and finally in February 2022 it was voted no confidence in the parliament. On 28/04/2022, the parliament approved the new government of Prime Minister Dritan Abazović (Civil Movement URA, ethnic Albanian), which has 20 members, including 4 women. It is broadly inclusive, including representatives of Serbian parties, ethnic minorities and the Montenegrin party. It functions as a minority with the support of the largest opposition party DPS of President Djukanović. Among its priorities are the continuation of the European integration process and economic development. The mandate of the government is set for one year, after which parliamentary elections are to take place. Another direct presidential election is also scheduled to take place next spring.
The country has a unicameral parliament with 81 deputies, the representation of women is 24%. The Constitution defines Montenegro as a civil, democratic, ecological and socially just country based on the rule of law. It enshrines the separation of church and state.
The country is under the strong influence of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC), which acts as an intermediary for the influence of Serbia and Russia and hinders democratization and social reforms. Over 70% of the population subscribes to it and it has large financial resources. At the same time, in the long term, over 70% of the population is in favor of joining the EU. The media in the country is also under strong foreign influence, a whole range of disinformation Russian media is broadcast here, and Serbian media, including tabloids, are also monitored here. At every more sensitive political moment, public opinion and events in the country try to be influenced by the disinformation campaign of these media promoting Russian and Serbian influence and seeking to destabilize the country.
The government of Prime Minister Abazović is seen as an opportunity to continue the journey to the EU, to reduce corruption and organized crime, to strengthen the rule of law and to make the investment environment in the country more transparent.
Composition of the government:
1) Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Policy, European Integration and Regional Cooperation and Minister for European Affairs Jovana Marović
2) Deputy Prime Minister for Economic System and Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, Vladimír Joković
3) Deputy Prime Minister for Political System and Internal Policy and Minister of Defense Raško Konjević
4) Deputy Prime Minister for Regional Development and Minister of Capital Investments Ervin Ibrahimović
5) Minister of Justice Marko Kovac
6) Minister of the Interior Filip Adžić
7) Minister of Finance Aleksandar Damjanović
8) Foreign Minister Ranko Krivokapić
9) Minister of Economic Development and Tourism Goran Djurović
10) Minister of Sports and Youth Vasilije Lalošević
11) Minister of Public Administration Maraš Dukaj
12) Minister of Labor and Social Welfare Admir Adrović
13) Minister of Education Miomir Mijo Vojinović
14) Minister of Health Dragoslav Šćekić
15) Minister of Culture and Media Maša Vlaović
16) Minister of Ecology, Spatial Planning and Urbanism Ana Novaković Djurović
17) Minister of Human Rights and Minority Rights Fatmir Djeka
18) Minister of Science and Technological Development Biljana Šćepanović
19) minister without portfolio Zoran Miljanić
20) minister without portfolio Adrijan Vuksanović
Foreign policy of the country
Montenegro has been an EU candidate country since 2012 and a NATO member since 2017. Its foreign policy is 100% aligned with the EU’s common foreign and security policy. He builds long-term good relations with all his neighbors. More complicated is only its relationship with neighboring Serbia, which affects it economically, politically and also through the Serbian Orthodox Church, which mediates the influence of Serbia and Russia in the region. After Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in February 2022, the country unequivocally condemned this move and after a few weeks was able to join EU sanctions against RU, including closing the airspace for Russian aircraft, freezing Russian assets and banning Russian disinformation media RT and Sputnik. Check relationshipsplus for Montenegro defense and foreign policy.
At the international level, Montenegro contributes to stability and security through its participation in a wide range of regional organizations and initiatives, is part of CEFTA, the Berlin Process, actively participates in the work of UN human rights mechanisms, is a member country of the UN Human Rights Council, participates in the Universal Periodic review of the state of human rights and is a party to the basic UN human rights conventions. It is also a party to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.
Population
Montenegro is the second smallest country in the Western Balkans region with an area of 13,812 km2 and a population of 628,000. Almost a third of the population lives in the capital Podgorica, the rest of the territory is sparsely populated. The country has a long tradition of coexistence of different nationalities and people of different faiths:
75% of the population profess the Orthodox faith,
19% to Islam,
3% to the Roman Catholic faith,
45% of the population identify themselves as Montenegrins,
28.7% for Serbs,
8.6% for Bosniaks and
4.9% for Albanians.
20% of the population lives below the poverty line. In 2019, a third of children were at risk of poverty. The employment rate is on average 43.8% (47.4% before the pandemic), 37.9% for women and 50.0% for men, 19.8% for youth. Negative gender stereotypes persist in the country, there is a high rate of domestic violence and violence against women and children. The rate of property ownership by women is low and the tradition of women being left out of inheritance in favor of their male relatives persists. The rate of independent economic activity of women and their employment rate is low. Seasonal employment in tourist services plays a big role in the country.