Interim report on Montengro April 2019: The people against the president.

On 2 February 2019 a protest on a Saturday night took place in Ulica Slobode, Podgorica, Montenegro.1 The protest was over the corruption and criminal conduct openly known to be present in Montenegrin politics, law and business. From initially 1,000 people, the protests are now growing in size and involve 10’s of thousands of this small former Yugoslav republic with a population of 620,000.2 The aspiration of the population in common with others in the Western Balkans, is for EU membership and their dreams have stalled and are unlikely to be fulfilled with a President, Milo Djukanovic, who has been in power one way or another, for 30 years. President Djukanovic’ politics and style of governance belong to a time when Montenegro was part of the former Yugoslavia, but the people want to join Europe and feel the freedoms and benefits that come with the Rule of Law and separation of the State from business and commerce.