Following months of tense coalition negotiations, Montenegro’s new government has officially entered office, led by ex-Finance Minister and former Goldman Sachs banker Milojko Spajić as Prime Minister. The formation of the government follows June’s snap parliamentary elections that saw the rapid rise of the Spajić-led Europe Now movement. Europe Now, whose candidate Jakov Milatović ended the three-decades-long rule of Milo Đukanović in April’s presidential elections, came first in the polls but fell short of a majority in parliament, leading to the protracted coalition talks.

The Spajić Government will aim to speed up Montenegro’s EU accession and will prioritise a series of economic reforms needed to build a better investment climate, improve living standards and boost national finances. Similarly to its two predecessors, the new cabinet is supported by an ideologically and structurally diverse combination of pro-Western and pro-Russian/pro-Serbian parties, which could threaten its short-term stability.

Below, Aretera takes a deeper look at the formation of Montenegro’s new government and its implications for international businesses.