Test for the Ruling Coalition

Milojko Spajic (BETAPHOTO/Parliament of Montenegro)

Although Andrija Mandic has survived a third attempt at removing him as Montenegro’s speaker, the political crisis triggered by his condolences to Ratko Mladic’s family is far from over. Quite the contrary, it has turned into a test of relations within the ruling coalition, as well as of the ability of the government and opposition to work together on the final reforms needed on Montenegro’s path toward the European Union (EU). The crisis has also become a test of Montenegro’s political credibility as Brussels is warning that there is no room for the glorification of war criminals in EU candidate countries.