Europe | Falling off the black mountain

Montenegro’s long-time boss is ousted

After more than three decades in power, Milo Djukanovic had to go

Milo Djukanovic, President of Montenegro and a candidate from the Democratic Party of Socialists, speaks at his party's headquarters, on the day of the presidential election run-off, in Podgorica, Montenegro, April 2, 2023. REUTERS/Stevo Vasiljevic — Image: Reuters

Apr 5th 2023

After a third of a century the blade had blunted. Nicknamed britva, “the razor”, because of his political sharpness, Milo Djukanovic finally lost the presidency of Montenegro on April 2nd, when he was resoundingly defeated in an election by Jakov Milatovic, a relative newcomer. Mr Djukanovic first tasted power in 1989, when Mr Milatovic was two years old. In 1991 he became prime minister. Until his party lost a general election in 2020 he was the undisputed master of Montenegro.

This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “A Balkan boss falls”