Democratic Front (Montenegro)

The Democratic Front (Serbo-Croatian: Демократски фронт / Demokratski front, DF) was a right-wing populist and socially conservative political alliance in Montenegro. It was composed of the New Serb Democracy, Movement for Changes and Democratic People's Party, with some other minor parties as the alliance's partners at the local level, while United Montenegro and Workers' Party were external members of the Democratic Front parliamentary group.^[9] The alliance was formed mainly to overthrow the Democratic Party of Socialists, the party in power from the introduction of the multi-party system until the 2020 parliamentary election.^[10]

Democratic Front Демократски фронт Demokratski front
Leader	Collective leadership
Founders	Miodrag Lekić Andrija Mandić Nebojša Medojević
Founded	24 July 2012 (2012-07-24)
Dissolved	14 May 2023 (2023-05-14)
Succeeded by	For the Future of Montenegro (partly)
Headquarters	Podgorica
Ideology	Serbian nationalism[1] Social conservatism Right-wing populism[2] Initially (2012–2015): Catch-all alliance Liberal conservatism Pro-Europeanism[3]
Political position	Right-wing[4][5][6][7][8]
Party flag
Website
www.demokratskifront.me
Politics of Montenegro Political parties Elections

History

Catch-all alliance (2012–2015)

Miodrag Lekić led the alliance's list in the parliamentary election of October 2012.^[11] 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 of the ruling DPS. However, many independent observers insisted that Vujanović's victory came about as the result of a massive electoral fraud.^[12]

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.

Shift to the right (2015–present)

After Lekić departed from the alliance, the Democratic Front significantly changed its public appearance and its rhetoric and ideology became more radicalized. 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, Workers' Party, as well some minor extra-parliamentary parties, forming a pre-election coalition under the name For the Future of Montenegro, in order to participate at the forthcoming 30 August 2020 elections.^[13][14] The coalition common list for 2020 election is led by a Montenegrin university professor, Zdravko Krivokapić. 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, the largest number of constituents of the new coalition were present at several meetings in Belgrade during 2019 and 2020, organized by Serbian President (also the SNS chairman) Aleksandar Vučić, gathering "leaders of Serb communities" in Serbia's neighboring countries.^{[13][15][16][17]} 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, of which the Democratic Front member parties get 20 MPs.^[18] In October 2020, Democratic Front parliamentary club was joined by United Montenegro and the Workers' Party, while the Movement for Changes decided to form separate parliamentary group, under the name "Democratic Front - Movement for Changes".^[19]

Since a political split with their candidate for PM, Zdravko Krivokapić, after he questioned their competence to participate in his cabinet, leaders of the Democratic Front, Andrija Mandić and Nebojša Medojević started to publicly criticize the alleged influence of the Serbian Orthodox Church, as well of the businessman Miodrag Davidović 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 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.^[20] During October and November Medojević and Mandić have repeatedly conditioned their parties' support for the Krivokapić Cabinet, 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".^[21][22] 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 left the parliamentary group of the Democratic Front, out the protest.^[23]

The DF maintained a very close cooperation with the right-wing populist SNS regime in Serbia led by Aleksandar Vučić, President of Serbia. Since the 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.^[24]

Dissolution

After an argument with Knežević on 13 May 2023, Medojević decided that PZP would have its own ticket in the 2023 parliamentary election. The day after, on 14 May 2023, the Democratic Front held a press conference where the leaders announced the dissolution of the alliance.^[25]

Elections

Parliamentary elections

Parliament of Montenegro

Year	Popular vote	% of popular vote	Overall seats won	Seat change	Government
2012	82,773	22.82%	20 / 81	20	opposition
2016	77,784	20.32%	18 / 81	2	opposition
2020	133,261[lower-alpha 1]	32.55%	21 / 81	3	support 2020–22
					opposition 2022–23

1. Run within common For the Future of Montenegro electoral list, with SNP and the Popular Movement.

Presidential elections

President of Montenegro

Election year	#	Candidate	1st round votes	%	2nd round votes	%	Notes
2013	2nd	Miodrag Lekić	154,289	48.79%	—	—
2018	2nd	Mladen Bojanić	111,711	33.40%	—	—	Independent, support
2023	3rd	Andrija Mandić	65,394	19.32%	—	—

Members

Party			Ideology	Leader	Since	No. of seats
	New Serb Democracy Nova srpska demokratija Нова српска демократија	NSD	National conservatism Serbian nationalism Russophilia	Andrija Mandić	2012–	9 / 81
	Movement for Changes Pokret za promjene Покрет за промјене	PzP	Right-wing populism Conspiracy theorism Euroscepticism	Nebojša Medojević	2012–	5 / 81
	Democratic People's Party Demokratska narodna partija Демократска народна партија	DNP	Social conservatism Populism Russophilia	Milan Knežević	2015–	5 / 81
	Workers' Party[a] Radnička partija Радничка партија	RP	Social conservatism Populism	Maksim Vučinić	2020–	1 / 81
	Serbian Radical Party[b] Srpska radikalna stranka Српска радикална странка	SRS	Serbian ultranationalism Russophilia	Ilija Darmanović	2016–	Non-parliamentary
	Yugoslav Communist Party[b] Jugoslovenska komunistička partija Југословенска комунистичка партија	JKP	Communism Titoism Yugoslavism	Zoran Radošević	2016–	Non-parliamentary
	Free Montenegro[b] Slobodna Crna Gora Слободна Црнa Горa	SCG	Right-wing populism Social conservatism Serbian nationalism	Vladislav Dajković	2021–	Non-parliamentary

Former members

Party		Abbreviation	Ideology	Leader	Member
	Party of United Pensioners and the Disabled Partija ujedinjenih penzionera i invalida Партија уједињених пензионера и инвалида	PUPI	Single-issue politics Rights of pensioners Social justice	Momir Joksimović	2012–16
	Democratic Party of Unity Demokratska stranka jedinstva Демократска странка јединства	DSJ	Unionism National conservatism Russophilia	Nebojša Jušković	2015–17
	Resistance to Hopelessness Otpor beznađu Отпор безнађу	OB	Populism Anti-establishment Military neutrality	Mladen Bojanić	2016–17
	Democratic Serb Party Demokratska srpska stranka Демократска српска странка	DSS	Christian democracy Cultural conservatism Unionism	Dragica Perović	2016–20
	True Montenegro[a] Prava Crna Gora Права Црна Гора	Prava	Right-wing populism Serbian nationalism Military neutrality	Marko Milačić	In 2020
	United Montenegro[a] Ujedinjena Crna Gora Уједињена Црна Гора	UCG	Conservatism Pro-Europeanism Unionism	Vladimir Dobričanin	2020–22

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

Alliance leadership

• Miodrag Lekić (2012–2015)
• Presidency^[a] (2015–present)

Presidency

^A 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 Branko Radulović

DNP Milan Knežević Predrag Bulatović

See also

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

References

1. ""Montenegro after the parliamentary elections; where to next?"". European Endowment for Democracy.
2. ""Montenegro election: Who are the triumphant opposition factions and what do they stand for?"". Euronews. 2 September 2020.
3. Demokratski front predstavio svoje simbole Archived 29 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Vijesti, 23 August 2012
4. "Montenegro: Nations in Transit 2021 Country Report". Freedom House. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
5. "In Serbia and Montenegro, Srebrenica is Still Politically Toxic". BIRN. 8 July 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
6. "Međunarodna zajednica smatra da DF ne treba da bude dio vlasti". Pobjeda. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
7. "Montenegro" (PDF). European Forum for Democracy and Solidarity. 12 September 2022.
8. "ANALYSIS - Elections in Montenegro: Back to the Future". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
9. "CG: Osnovan "Demokratski front"". novosti.rs.
10. Tomović, Predrag (25 July 2012). "Lekić na čelu opozicionog fronta Crne Gore". Radio Slobodna Evropa. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
11. "DPS i SDP nakon 11 godina bez apsolutne vlasti". Vijesti.me. Archived from the original on 24 November 2015. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
12. "Rezultat predsedničkih izbora u Crnoj Gori i dalje sporan". Time.rs. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
13. "Dogovorili se DF, SNP, Narodni pokret, Prava Crna Gora i ostali: Krivokapić nosilac liste". www.vijesti.me.
14. "Litije dobile politički profil: Zdravko Krivokapić na čelu koalicije DF-a, SNP-a, Prave Crne Gore i Narodnog pokreta!". Borba (in Serbian). 1 August 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
15. online, Monitor (12 August 2020). "MILOVI, AMFILOHIJEVI, VUČIĆEVI: Razvrstavanje" (in Bosnian). Retrieved 25 October 2022.
16. "Od "Vučićeve liste" ostao samo DF". RTCG - Radio Televizija Crne Gore - Nacionalni javni servis (in Bosnian). Retrieved 25 October 2022.
17. "Beograd gura SNP u zagrljalj Frontu - CdM". CDM. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
18. "Rezultati DIK-a na 100 odsto prebrojanih glasova: DPS 35.06, "Za budućnost Crne Gore" 32.55 odsto glasova". vijesti.me (in Serbian). Retrieved 31 August 2020.
19. "Skupština Crne Gore". Skupština Crne Gore. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
20. "Perović: Stiče se utisak da Medojević preuzima anti-crkveni manir od svojih dojučerašnjih protivnika". vijesti.me (in Serbian). Retrieved 25 October 2022.
21. "Ko prolongira formiranje vlade, radi za DPS". vijesti.me (in Serbian). Retrieved 25 October 2022.
22. "Krivokapić saopštio Mandiću: Nova vlada bez tri lidera". vijesti.me (in Serbian). Retrieved 25 October 2022.
23. "Šćekić pozvao Medojevića i predstavnike ostalih partija da prekinu sa uvredama i iznošenjem neprovjerenih izjava". vijesti.me (in Serbian). Retrieved 25 October 2022.
24. "VUČIĆ: Mnogi su želeli da unište Demokratski front u Crnoj Gori". kurir.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 25 October 2022.
25. "Mandić: Stranke konstituenti DF-a idu različitim putevima". Vijesti.me (in Montenegrin). Retrieved 14 May 2023.