The European Commission (EC) and the US have expressed concerns regarding a major government reshuffle in Montenegro that gave significant powers to pro-Russian nationalist For the Future of Montenegro (ZBCG) coalition.

On July 23, Prime Minister Milojko Spajic proposed the government changes, which were adopted by the parliament on the same day. ZBCG got more ministerial seats that Spajic’s Europe Now (PES) party.

“We strongly warn against any decisions that may jeopardise the country’s strategic path to the EU, which is supported by the vast majority of Montenegrin citizens,” public broadcaster RTCG quoted the EC’s spokesperson as saying.

According to the EC, it is crucial that political parties continue building the necessary consensus on advancing EU-related reforms in all areas.

The US embassy to Montenegro said that it was concerned about the inclusion in government of parties and leaders who do not condemn Russian aggression against Ukraine and oppose the EU’s sanctions on Russia.

The inclusion of ZBCG ministers in the government was expected as when Spajic signed the initial coalition agreement, ZBCG agreed not to get ministerial seats if the government is reshuffled this summer.

ZBCG was also forced to sign an agreement saying it will not interrupt reforms to bring the country closer to EU membership.

Spajic said the move would bring reconciliation to Montenegro.“This government is guarantor of stability and maturity. We show that Serbs and Albanians, Serbs and Bosniaks, Serbs and Montenegrins – all can live and work together. We shall be a beacon for the entire Balkans,” Spajic said during a parliament session live broadcasted by public broadcaster RTCG earlier this week.

However, his opponents from the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) and President Jakov Milatovic disagreed.

The DPS accused Spajic of making decisions dictated by Moscow and Belgrade, and claimed that the government's actual leader is Andrija Mandic – one of the leaders of ZBCG and current parliament speaker.

Milatovic, who was co-founder and deputy leader of PES but left the party due to disagreements with Spajic, also criticised the reshuffle harshly.

Despite the controversy over the new government, in its newly published rule of law report on Montenegro, European Commission has praised Podgorica's intense work on reforms of the judiciary to tackle systemic issues of independence, accountability and impartiality that have not been addressed for years.

Spajic's government has been pushing hard to advance in key reforms to bring the country closer to EU membership. In May, Podgorica adopted a new judicial reform strategy for 2024-2027.