Montenegro’s Democratic People’s Party (DNP) said on Friday it will remain in Prime Minister Milojko Spajić’s government for now but has presented a series of identity-focused demands that must be addressed to maintain its support.
The party’s leadership announced that DNP ministers, Deputy Prime Minister Milun Zogović and Transport Minister Maja Vukićević, would push for constitutional amendments recognizing Serbian as an official language, changes to citizenship laws, revisions to state symbols including the adoption of the tricolour flag as the national symbol, and a comprehensive dialogue on the planned wastewater treatment plant in Botun.
DNP officials warned that failure to meet these demands could prompt the resignation of Zogović and Vukićević and withdrawal of parliamentary and municipal support from the government. However, the party did not set a formal deadline for these demands, leaving room for negotiation.
Analysts described the move as a tactical effort to assert influence within the ruling coalition while signalling to its electorate that its identity and programmatic priorities have not been forgotten. Aleksandar Ćuković, a political analyst, said the demands also test the government’s reliance on DNP’s support.
“The party is seeking both political visibility and confirmation that its priorities, particularly on identity issues, remain relevant,” Ćuković said.
Observers noted that DNP’s ultimatum comes after months of local unrest in Botun, where residents opposed the construction of a wastewater plant. Despite earlier threats to leave the government following police intervention in the village, DNP’s leadership decided to remain part of the coalition, presenting the four demands instead.
Political analyst Nikoleta Đukanović described the Botun issue as “a tool for political manoeuvring,” suggesting that the DNP’s threats to leave were largely tactical rather than substantive.
DNP joined Spajić’s government in October 2023 under a coalition agreement that pledged members to avoid topics that could deepen societal divisions. Analysts said the party’s current demands, while framed as urgent, are intended to reaffirm its identity and programmatic profile rather than trigger an immediate government crisis.
The government has yet to formally respond to the DNP’s initiative. Observers expect negotiations to proceed through institutional channels, including expert committees and dialogue with local communities, to avoid destabilising the parliamentary majority ahead of Montenegro’s 2027 elections.