Montenegro elections are crucial for Balkan stability

Presidential elections in Montenegro on Mar. 19 are an important test for the stability of the Western Balkans.

The major candidates represent diametrically opposed positions on the future of the country and the region. While the pro-Western incumbent Milo Djukanović has a long track record of supporting NATO and the U.S., his two main challengers favor close ties with Belgrade and Moscow. Andrija Mandić represents the Democratic Front, a Serbian nationalist party, and Aleksa Bečić recently served as parliamentary president and has backed Belgrade’s foreign policy. Both have ties with the Serbian Orthodox Church, an anchor of Serbian nationalism.