Members of the 44th Montenegrin government pose for a family photo in front of the parliament in Podgorica, Montenegro, October 31, 2023. /Reuters
Members of the 44th Montenegrin government pose for a family photo in front of the parliament in Podgorica, Montenegro, October 31, 2023. /Reuters
After weeks of negotiations, Montenegro’s parliament on Tuesday appointed a new government, a coalition of pro-European and pro-Serb parties expected to lead the small Balkan country in its bid to join the European Union.
The new government, led by economist Milojko Spajic of the Europe Now Movement, will have 18 ministries and five deputy prime ministers. It will include the center-right pro-European Democrats, the pro-Serbian Socialist People’s Party and five parties of the Albanian minority.
“Our four main foreign policy priorities are full membership … in the EU, active, credible membership in NATO, improvement of good relations with neighbors and strengthening of the country’s role in multilateral organizations,” Spajic told deputies.
He said economic policies would aim to improve the living standards of Montenegro’s population of only 620,000 and include reforms enabling more fiscal revenue, investment and a better business climate and judiciary.
According to the World Bank, the economy of Montenegro, which unilaterally adopted the euro in 2002 as its de facto currency and mainly relies on revenues from its Adriatic tourism, is expected to grow by 4.8 percent in 2023.
Source(s): Reuters
