Democratic Front (Montenegro)

The Democratic Front (Montenegrin and Serbian: Демократски фронт/Demokratski front, DF) is a right-wing populist and social conservative opposition political alliance in Montenegro. It is currently composed of the New Serb Democracy (NSD), Movement for Changes (PzP), Democratic People's Party (DNP), True Montenegro (PCG), United Montenegro (UCG) and Workers' Party (RP).[2] The main goal of the DF is to overthrow the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro (DPS), which was in power in country since introduction of the multi-party system in 1990, until 2020 parliamentary election.[3]

Democratic Front

Демократски фронт
Demokratski front
LeaderCollective leadership
FoundersMiodrag Lekić
Andrija Mandić
Nebojša Medojević
Founded24 July 2012 (2012-07-24)
HeadquartersPodgorica
IdeologySocial conservatism
Anti-corruption
Serb ethnic interests
Soft Euroscepticism
Populism (majority)
Initially, now factions:
Catch-all alliance
Liberal conservatism
Pro-Europeanism[1]
Political positionRight-wing (majority)
Parliament
21 / 81
Local Parliaments
78 / 786
Party flag
Website
www.demokratskifront.me

History

Miodrag Lekić led the alliance's list in the parliamentary election of October 2012.[4] 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 (supported by the ruling DPS). However, many independent observers insisted that Vujanović's victory came about as the result of a massive electoral fraud.[5]

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.

After Lekić departing from the alliance, the Democratic Front significantly changed its public appearance and radicalized its rhetoric and ideology. 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."

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.[6][7] 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.[6][8][9][10] 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.[11] 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".[12]

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 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.[13] 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".[14][15] 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.[16]

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%
20 / 81
 2 gov't support
  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

Members
Party Abbr. Ideology Leader Since No. of seats
New Serb Democracy
Nova srpska demokratija
Нова српска демократија		 NSD National conservatism
Unionism
Russophilia		 Andrija Mandić 2012–
9 / 81
Movement for Changes
Pokret za promjene
Покрет за промјене		 PzP Populism
Anti-corruption
Souverainism		 Nebojša Medojević 2012–
5 / 81
Democratic People's Party
Demokratska narodna partija
Демократска народна партија		 DNP Populism
Social conservatism
Unionism		 Milan Knežević 2015–
5 / 81
United Montenegro[a]
Ujedinjena Crna Gora
Уједињена Црна Гора		 UCG Cultural conservatism
National conservatism
Pro-Europeanism		 Vladimir Dobričanin 2020–
1 / 81
Workers' Party[a]
Radnička partija
Радничка партија		 RP Social conservatism
Left-wing populism
Cultural conservatism		 Maksim Vučinić 2020–
1 / 81

Former members
Party Abbr. Ideology Leader Member
Party of United Pensioners and the Disabled
Partija ujedinjenih penzionera i invalida
Партија уједињених пензионера и инвалида		 PUPI Rights of pensioners
Social justice		 Momir Joksimović 2012–16
Democratic Party of Unity
Demokratska stranka jedinstva
Демократска странка јединства		 DSJ Unionism
Conservatism		 Nebojša Jušković 2015–17
Resistance to Hopelessness
Otpor beznađu
Отпор безнађу		 OB Populism
Military neutrality		 Mladen Bojanić
Marko Milačić		 2016–17
Democratic Serb Party
Demokratska srpska stranka
Демократска српска странка		 DSS Christian democracy
Conservatism		 Dragica Perović 2016–20
Yugoslav Communist Party
Jugoslovenska komunistička partija
Југословенска комунистичка партија		 JKP Yugoslavism
Marxism-Leninism		 Zoran Radošević 2016-17
Serb Radical Party
Srpska radikalna stranka
Српска радикална странка		 SRS Serbian nationalism
National conservatism		 Ilija Darmanović 2016–17
True Montenegro
Prava Crna Gora
Права Црна Гора		 PCG Populism
Serb ethnic interests		 Marko Milačić In 2020[a]

a Members of the Democratic Front's parliamentary group only.

Alliance leadership

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:

See also

References
  1. Demokratski front predstavio svoje simbole, Vijesti, 23 August 2012
  2. "CG: Osnovan "Demokratski front"". novosti.rs.
  3. "Lekić na čelu opozicionog fronta Crne Gore". Slobodnaevropa.org. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  4. "DPS i SDP nakon 11 godina bez apsolutne vlasti". Vijesti.me. Archived from the original on 24 November 2015. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  5. "Rezultat predsedničkih izbora u Crnoj Gori i dalje sporan". Time.rs. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  6. "Dogovorili se DF, SNP, Narodni pokret, Prava Crna Gora i ostali: Krivokapić nosilac liste". www.vijesti.me.
  7. Litije dobile politički profil: Zdravko Krivokapić na čelu koalicije DF-a, SNP-a, Prave Crne Gore i Narodnog pokreta!, borba.me, 1 August 2020
  8. Milovi, Vučićevi, Amfilohijevi; razvrstavanje, Monitor
  9. Od "Vučićeve liste" ostao samo DF, RTCG/Pobjeda
  10. Beograd gura SNP u zagrljalj Frontu, CdM, 29 July 2020
  11. "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.
  12. Klubovi poslanika, Skupština Crne Gore/Parliament of Montenegro (Retrieved 28 October 2020)
  13. Gojko Perović: Stiče se utisak da Nebojša Medojević preuzima anti-crkveni manir od svojih dojučerašnjih protivnika, Vijesti, 23 October 2020
  14. Ko prolongira formiranje vlade, radi za DPS, Vijesti, 26 October 2020
  15. NE ODUSTAJE OD EKSPERTSKOG KONCEPTA: Krivokapić saopštio Mandiću: Nova vlada bez tri lidera, Vijesti, 24 October 2020
  16. Šćekić pozvao Medojevića i predstavnike ostalih partija da prekinu sa uvredama i iznošenjem neprovjerenih izjava, Vijesti (Nov 2020)
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