Who Holds Power in Montenegro in 2026

MONTENEGRO · POLITICS

Montenegro, a NATO member on the Adriatic coast, wants to join the European Union by 2028, which would make it the bloc’s 28th member. Its ruling coalition mixes pro-European and pro-Serb parties, and that mix shapes every big decision.

This guide explains who holds power in Podgorica, what is holding up EU talks and why it matters to US readers. It is part of our Europe politics hub, which tracks who governs across the continent.

The Offices and Who Fills Them

Milojko Spajić, co-founder of the Europe Now Movement (PES), has been prime minister since the Assembly elected his government on 31 October 2023. His coalition brings together pro-European and pro-Serb parties.

Jakov Milatović is president after beating Milo Đukanović, the long-time leader, in a runoff on 2 April 2023. Đukanović had dominated Montenegrin politics for three decades.Andrija Mandić, leader of the pro-Serb New Serb Democracy party (NSD), has been speaker of the Assembly since 30 October 2023.His party belongs to the ruling majority.

How the Assembly Is Built

The Assembly has 81 members, elected by proportional representation in a single national district with a 3% threshold. A majority needs 41 votes.

In the 11 June 2023 vote, PES won 24 seats. A list led by the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), which dominated politics for three decades until 2020, won 21, and the For the Future of Montenegro bloc, led by NSD and the Democratic People’s Party, won 13.

The next election is due by 30 June 2027. A poll by Spektrum, a Montenegrin pollster, taken from 10 to 19 October 2026 put PES first at 24.6% and DPS at 19%.

The Fights Dominating the Agenda

On 13 October the Assembly rejected an opposition motion to dismiss Mandić, with 41 votes against and 37 in favour in a secret ballot. The motion followed his 27 August condolence message to the family of Ratko Mladić, a Bosnian Serb commander convicted of genocide.

Mandić said he had acted according to custom. The opposition had tied its support for EU-related constitutional changes to a debate on his future.

On 20 October, 56 lawmakers backed starting a constitutional change that would require an integrity check before a prime minister or ministers are nominated. That is above the two-thirds needed, but the vote only opened the process, and the final text still needs approval.

DPS, the Civic Movement URA and the pro-Serb Democratic People’s Party (DNP), which left the government in January, withheld support. The change matters because Brussels links the closing of Chapter 23, on the judiciary and fundamental rights, to it.

On 25 August, 68 lawmakers had voted for judicial amendments, as members of the Democratic People’s Party left the chamber. They remove the justice minister from the Judicial Council and strengthen the central bank’s independence.

Brussels, Moscow and Beijing

Montenegro has provisionally closed 21 of 33 EU negotiating chapters, the policy areas a candidate must settle before joining. The most recent three, closed on 12 October, covered economic policy, statistics and social policy.

Marta Kos, the EU enlargement commissioner, said on 13 October, after those closures, that “the finish line is within reach”. The government wants to join in 2028.

From 1 November 2026 Montenegro ended visa-free entry for citizens of Russia, Belarus, China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, with exemptions for holders of some Western visas and residence permits. Moscow announced reciprocal visas for Montenegrin citizens on 14 October.

On 18 October Spajić met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Podgorica. He thanked Chinese firms for helping to build the north-south expressway.

What It Means for US Readers

Montenegro has been a NATO ally since 2017, so its tilt toward Brussels or Belgrade matters for US security planning in the Balkans. The new visa rules for Russians are a visible step toward the EU line on Moscow.

Montenegro is a popular Adriatic holiday destination. Check the US State Department’s current advisory before you book.

What Is Not Known

It is unclear whether the integrity-check change will clear its final votes, or whether Chapter 23 can close by the end of 2026. The 2027 budget could become another test of the coalition.

We found no official seat table for today’s Assembly, because the 2023 blocs have since shifted. The exact coalition size is therefore not stated here.

Sources give no clock times for these events. We found no prediction market on Montenegro’s election.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who leads Montenegro’s government?

Milojko Spajić of the Europe Now Movement has been prime minister since 31 October 2023. He leads a coalition of pro-European and pro-Serb parties.

When is Montenegro’s next parliamentary election?

It is due by 30 June 2027, four years after the vote of 11 June 2023. A Spektrum poll in October 2026 put PES first at 24.6% and DPS at 19%.

How close is Montenegro to joining the EU?

It has provisionally closed 21 of 33 negotiating chapters as of 13 October 2026. The government aims to join in 2028, but closing Chapter 23 by year-end is not assured.

Who is speaker of the Montenegrin Assembly?

Andrija Mandić of the New Serb Democracy party. He survived a dismissal vote on 13 October 2026 by 41 votes to 37.

Sources: European Commission, enlargement statements by Commissioner Marta Kos, 2026-10-13; Assembly of Montenegro, votes of 25 August, 13 October and 20 October 2026, 2026; State Election Commission, results of the 11 June 2023 election, 2023-06; Chinese Foreign Ministry, meeting of Wang Yi with Prime Minister Spajić, 2026-10-19; Government of Montenegro, visa decree, 2026-07-23.