Only four months into its tenure, Montenegro’s coalition government, led by Prime Minister Dritan Abazović, has collapsed after losing a no confidence vote on 19 August. The fall of the government comes after the ousted PM signed a disputed agreement with the Serbian Orthodox Church, triggering opposition from the formerly longtime ruling Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), which filed a no confidence motion in parliament.

Lawmakers in the Montenegrin parliament will now aim to form a governing majority behind a new cabinet, however failure to do so will trigger snap parliamentary elections. This comes as Montenegro, which broke away from neighbouring Serbia in 2006, remains deeply divided over political and ideological differences and continues to be politically and economically impacted by the economic downturn brought by Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Below, Aretera provides further insight into the fall of the Abazović Government, its consequences for Montenegrin politics and possible forward scenarios.