Democratic Front (Montenegro)
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The Democratic Front ( sh, Демократски фронт / Demokratski front, DF) is a
right-wing populist Right-wing populism, also called national populism and right-wing nationalism, is a political ideology that combines right-wing politics and populist rhetoric and themes. Its rhetoric employs anti- elitist sentiments, opposition to the Establ ...
and
social conservative Social conservatism is a political philosophy and variety of conservatism which places emphasis on traditional power structures over social pluralism. Social conservatives organize in favor of duty, traditional values and social instituti ...
political alliance in
Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...
. It is currently composed of the
New Serb Democracy New Serb Democracy (, NSD; officially abbreviated NOVA) is a Serbian nationalist right-wing political party in Montenegro, formed on 24 January 2009 as a merger between Serb People's Party and the People's Socialist Party of Montenegro. Since 2 ...
,
Movement for Changes Movement for Changes (, PZP) is a right-wing populist, sovereignist and conservative political party in Montenegro. Its current leader is Nebojša Medojević, the party's founder. History Party was founded by a group of economists and academic ...
and Democratic People's Party, with some other minor parties as the alliance's partners at the local level, while
United Montenegro United Montenegro (, UCG) is a conservative political party in Montenegro. Party founder and de facto political leader is Goran Danilović, former Minister of Interior Affairs in Government of Montenegro. History The United Montenegro was founded ...
and Workers' Party are external members of the Democratic Front parliamentary group. The alliance was formed mainly to overthrow the
Democratic Party of Socialists The Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro ( cnr, Демократска партија социјалиста Црне Горе, Demokratska partija socijalista Crne Gore, DPS) is a populist political party in Montenegro. A former long-time ...
, the party in power from the introduction of the multi-party system until the 2020 parliamentary election.


History


Catch-all alliance (2012-2015)

Miodrag Lekić Miodrag Lekić (; born 21 November 1947) is a Montenegrin political scientist, diplomat and politician. He is the founder and current president of the liberal conservative Democratic Alliance (DEMOS). Biography Early academic and political caree ...
led the alliance's list in the
parliamentary election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
of October 2012. Lekić ran in the 2013 presidential election, supported by both his Democratic Front and the Socialist People's Party. According to the electoral committee's report, he was narrowly defeated by incumbent
Filip Vujanović Filip Vujanović ( Montenegrin Cyrillic: Филип Вујановић, ; born 1 September 1954) is a Montenegrin politician who served as the President of Montenegro from 2003 to 2018. Early life and career Born and raised in Belgrade, Vujano ...
of the ruling DPS. However, many independent observers insisted that Vujanović's victory came about as the result of a massive electoral fraud. In March 2015, Lekić split from the alliance due to internal disagreements, having decided to form a new centre-right, moderate and pro-EU political party,
DEMOS Demos may refer to: Computing * DEMOS, a Soviet Unix-like operating system * DEMOS (ISP), the first internet service provider in the USSR * Demos Commander, an Orthodox File Manager for Unix-like systems * plural for Demo (computer programming) ...
.


Shift to the right (2015-present)

After Lekić departing from the alliance, the Democratic Front significantly changed its public appearance and radicalized its rhetoric and ideology. At the 2016 parliamentary election, DF came second, behind ruling DPS, with 20.32% of the vote with 18 seats won, remaining in opposition. On 9 May 2019, members of alliance leadership Andrija Mandić and Milan Knežević, along with 12 another people found guilty by the Higher Court in Montenegro for the " plotting to commit terrorist acts and undermine the constitutional order of Montenegro on the day of 2016 parliamentary election."


2020 parliamentary election

On 3 August 2020, the Democratic Front alliance decided to sign an agreement with the Socialist People's Party,
United Montenegro United Montenegro (, UCG) is a conservative political party in Montenegro. Party founder and de facto political leader is Goran Danilović, former Minister of Interior Affairs in Government of Montenegro. History The United Montenegro was founded ...
, Workers' Party, as well some minor extra-parliamentary parties, forming a pre-election coalition under the name
For the Future of Montenegro For the Future of Montenegro ( Serbian: Za budućnost Crne Gore / За будућност Црне Горе, abbreviated as ''ZBCG'') was a catch-all, mainly cultural conservative and populist pre-election opposition political coalition in Monte ...
, in order to participate at the forthcoming 30 August 2020 elections. The coalition common list for 2020 election is led by a Montenegrin university professor,
Zdravko Krivokapić Zdravko Krivokapić ( cyrl, Здравко Кривокапић; born 2 September 1958) is a Montenegrin professor and politician who served as Prime Minister of Montenegro from 2020 to 2022. In addition to his professorship at the Universities ...
. Many media, analysts, but also political opponents have labeled the new coalition as the "Vučić's list", because major parties in the new coalition have very close cooperation with the populist SNS-led regime in
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
, the largest number of constituents of the new coalition were present at several meetings in
Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
during 2019 and 2020, organized by Serbian President (also the SNS chairman)
Aleksandar Vučić Aleksandar Vučić ( sr-Cyrl, Александар Вучић, ; born 5 March 1970) is a Serbian politician serving as the president of Serbia since 2017, and as the president of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) since 2012. Vučić served ...
, gathering "leaders of Serb communities" in Serbia's neighboring countries. The August 2020 election resulted in a victory for the opposition parties and the fall from power of the ruling DPS, which has ruled the country since the introduction of the multi-party system in 1990. The electoral coalition list won 32.55% of the popular vote, which equals 27 seats in the
parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
, of which the Democratic Front member parties get 20 MPs. In October 2020, Democratic Front parliamentary club was joined by United Montenegro and the Workers' Party, while the
Movement for Changes Movement for Changes (, PZP) is a right-wing populist, sovereignist and conservative political party in Montenegro. Its current leader is Nebojša Medojević, the party's founder. History Party was founded by a group of economists and academic ...
decided to form separate parliamentary group, under the name "Democratic Front - Movement for Changes". Since a political split with their candidate for PM,
Zdravko Krivokapić Zdravko Krivokapić ( cyrl, Здравко Кривокапић; born 2 September 1958) is a Montenegrin professor and politician who served as Prime Minister of Montenegro from 2020 to 2022. In addition to his professorship at the Universities ...
, after he questioned their competence to participate in his cabinet, leaders of the Democratic Front, Andrija Mandić and
Nebojša Medojević Nebojša Medojević (Serbian Cyrillic: Небојша Медојевић; born June 13, 1966) is a politician in Montenegro. He is the president of Movement for Changes (PzP), a political party emerging from the Montenegrin NGO ''Group for Changes ...
started to publicly criticize the alleged influence of the
Serbian Orthodox Church The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches. The majori ...
, as well of the businessman 
Miodrag Davidović Miodrag "Daka" Davidović (; born 1957) is a Montenegrin businessman, economist and politician, prominent representative of Serbs from Montenegro, benefactor of the Serbian Orthodox Church and a longtime financier of the Montenegrin opposition du ...
on Krivokapić's decisions and on composition of his cabinet, which they eventually supported in parliament after all. Mandić claimed that Krivokapić had been appointed head of the "For the Future" list after "pressure and conditioning of electoral support" by "parts of the Serbian Church", accusing parts of the church and Krivokapić of "acting on someone's orders from abroad", while Medojević stated that Bishop
Joanikije Mićović Joanikije II ( sr-cyrl, Јоаникије, secular name Jovan Mićović, sr-cyrl, Јован Мићовић; born 20 April 1959) is a Serbian Orthodox metropolitan bishop serving as the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral and the pri ...
and priest Gojko Perović set the terms of the church's support and threatened to withdraw Krivokapić from the electoral list, a few days before handing over the electoral lists for 2020 parliamentary election, which Perović categorically denied. During October and November Medojević and Mandić have repeatedly conditioned their parties' support for the
Krivokapić Cabinet The Krivokapić Cabinet was the 42nd cabinet of Montenegro. It was elected on 4 December 2020 by a majority vote in the parliament. The technocratic government was composed of independents, URA, NGO Ne damo Crnu Goru and Europe Now, both mo ...
, if they were not part of it. Mandić explicitly asked Krivokapić to "return the mandate and that they would look for a new PM designate". Unfoundedly accusing and public insults were publicly condemned by the Serbian Church, PM Krivokapić, Davidović, but also by the DF's coalition partner the Socialist People's Party, while the
True Montenegro The True Montenegro (; abbr. Права / Prava or ПЦГ / PCG) is a right-wing populist political party in Montenegro, formed in January 2018 from the political movement ''Resistance to Hopelessness'' (OB), prior to the March 2018 presidential ...
left the parliamentary group of the Democratic Front, out the protest. The DF maintains a very close cooperation with the right-wing populist  SNS regime in Serbia led by
Aleksandar Vučić Aleksandar Vučić ( sr-Cyrl, Александар Вучић, ; born 5 March 1970) is a Serbian politician serving as the president of Serbia since 2017, and as the president of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) since 2012. Vučić served ...
,
President of Serbia The president of Serbia ( sr, Председник Србије, Predsednik Srbije), officially styled as the President of the Republic ( sr, Председник Републике, Predsednik Republike) is the head of state of Serbia. The curr ...
. Since mid-2010s, Vučić and members of his party have repeatedly publicly supported DF activities in Montenegro. In December 2020, Vučić, speaking to the media about Serbia future relation with the new government in Montenegro and PM Krivokapić, called DF leaders "sole true representatives of Serbian community in Montenegro". In 2021, Vučić even claimed the existence of a conspiracy that "many in Montenegro" allegedly want the "destruction" of this political alliance.


Elections


Parliamentary elections


Presidential elections


Members


Former members

Members of the Democratic Front's parliamentary group only. Regional-level partner parties


Alliance leadership

*
Miodrag Lekić Miodrag Lekić (; born 21 November 1947) is a Montenegrin political scientist, diplomat and politician. He is the founder and current president of the liberal conservative Democratic Alliance (DEMOS). Biography Early academic and political caree ...
(2012–2015) * ''Presidency'' (2015–present)


Presidency

Since Lekić's abandonment the alliance, it is led by the Presidency, which consists of six members, two representatives from all three major parties; New Serb Democracy (NSD), Movement for Changes (PzP) and Democratic People's Party (DNP). Since March 2015 members of the collective presidency are: NSD * Andrija Mandić * Strahinja Bulajić PzP *
Nebojša Medojević Nebojša Medojević (Serbian Cyrillic: Небојша Медојевић; born June 13, 1966) is a politician in Montenegro. He is the president of Movement for Changes (PzP), a political party emerging from the Montenegrin NGO ''Group for Changes ...
* Branko Radulović DNP * Milan Knežević *
Predrag Bulatović Predrag Bulatović (Serbian Cyrillic: Предраг Булатовић; born 16 July 1956) is a Montenegrin politician, current member of the Parliament of Montenegro and vice-president of the Democratic People's Party since the party's foundi ...


See also

* 2015–2016 Montenegrin crisis * 2016 Montenegrin coup allegations * 2019–2020 Montenegrin crisis


References

{{Montenegrin political parties 2012 establishments in Montenegro Conservative parties in Montenegro Eurosceptic parties in Montenegro Montenegro–Serbia relations Political parties established in 2012 Political party alliances in Montenegro Right-wing populist parties