The snap parliamentary elections in Montenegro were competitive, offering voters a wide range of alternatives, but the process was weakened by legislative deficiencies, as well as divisive campaign rhetoric and a polarized media environment, stated the International Observer Mission at a conference in Podgorica on Monday.

The joint observer mission from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), and the European Parliament (EP) concluded that the elections were well-managed and that the legal framework provides a basis for holding democratic elections, despite a series of deficiencies and discrepancies, leaving most of the previous recommendations unfulfilled.

“Voters had a variety of options to choose from in these elections, and fundamental freedoms were respected throughout the campaign,” said Nina Suomalainen, Head of the ODIHR Election Observation Mission. “However, there is a clear need for electoral reform to address the remaining shortcomings and uncertainties and to strengthen the system for future elections,” she added.

The elections took place against the backdrop of a prolonged institutional and constitutional crisis. Legal and political uncertainties regarding the election date contributed to a delayed start of the campaign, which only picked up pace two weeks before the voting day, according to observers.

During the campaign, some candidates used populist and divisive rhetoric, often based on national and religious grounds. While the use of public resources is prohibited by law during the campaign period, numerous public contracts were issued during the electoral period. Furthermore, there was a lack of clear distinction between the roles of certain candidates who also hold high official positions, including their activities on social media, stated the international observers’ report.

“With 15 candidate lists, the elections were competitive, and all candidates had equal opportunities during the campaign,” said Reinhold Lopatka, Head of the PACE delegation. “However, women remained underrepresented; the gender equality culture is still low, and violence against women entering politics is not uncommon, especially on social media,” he added.

Long-standing concerns about the accuracy of the voter list continued to undermine public confidence in the voter registration process. At the same time, the process of collecting candidates’ signatures requires additional protective measures to prevent abuse. Election day itself was calm and professionally managed, although certain procedural safeguards were not always followed during the counting, according to the report.

“The elections were well-managed, and we hope that the new parliament will provide the necessary support to the government to implement much-needed and essential reforms,” said Nikos Papandreu, Head of the EP delegation. “These can only be achieved when there is a stable and consensual political environment, a political space where partisan differences will not hinder inclusive and equal progress,” he added.

The media environment is free and diverse but polarized along political lines. The public broadcaster met the legal requirements for free airtime and organizing electoral debates, but most of the electoral coverage was transmitted on its less-known channel, said Papandreu.

He emphasized that the majority of Montenegrin citizens are in favor of EU membership.

“We expect several things to happen, such as efforts to close Chapters 23 and 24, the fight against corruption and the rule of law, and as stated in the joint declaration, the reform of electoral legislation,” said Papandreu.

He also stated that the Russian aggression against Ukraine accelerated the need for countries to join the EU and that this is an opportunity for Montenegro.

“I believe that these elections will pave the way for a strong parliamentary majority, and this kind of majority is necessary for implementing reforms,” said Papandreu.

The international election observation mission for the early Montenegrin parliamentary elections consisted of 147 observers from 27 countries, including 122 experts deployed by ODIHR and long-term and short-term observers, 19 parliamentarians from PACE, and 6 from the EP.

Pro-democratic and pro-European parties emerged as winners from these elections, indicating a potential change in the government’s composition.

Movement “Europe Now” secured the highest percentage of votes, capturing 26% or 24 mandates.

While this places them as the leading party, it falls short of the majority needed to form a single-party government.

The Democratic Party of Socialists, led by former President Milo Đukanović, followed closely with 23.7% or 21 mandates in the Parliament of Montenegro.

The pro-Serb and pro-Russian coalition “For the Future of Montenegro” (formerly the Democratic Front) achieved 15% of the votes, corresponding to 13 mandates.

The URA coalition led by Dritan Abazović in partnership with the Democrats of Aleksa Bečić, garnered 12.3% or 11 mandates.

Other minority parties made notable gains, with the Bosniak Party securing 6.8% of the votes or 6 mandates.

Additionally, the Albanian Forum will enter the parliament with 2 mandates, while the Albanian Alliance and the Croatian Civic Initiative each obtained 1 mandate.