Yearbook 2008
Montenegro. According to
Countryaah reports, Prime Minister Željko Šturanović resigned at
the end of January, for health reasons. President Filip
Vujanović, as the new head of government, nominated the
influential socialist leader Milo Đukanović, who was
president or prime minister in 1991-2006. Parliament
approved the appointment last February. The government in
general remained largely intact.
In April, the first presidential election was held since
Montenegro became independent from Serbia two years earlier.
Vujanović was re-elected for a second five-year term. He
received 52 percent of the vote, while three opposing
candidates got between 10 and 20 percent each.
When Montenegro acknowledged Kosovo as an independent
state in October, violent protests were triggered and
several were injured in clashes with Podgorica police. Many
Montenegrins identify themselves as Serbs and oppose
Kosovo's independence from Serbia. In Belgrade, the
government responded by expelling Montenegro's ambassador.
Macedonia, another former Yugoslav republic, simultaneously
recognized Kosovo, while Slovenia and Croatia had already
done so.
In December, Montenegro submitted an official application
for EU membership.
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