Montenegro: In the runoff presidential election held on Sunday, Montenegro's citizens overwhelmingly chose challenger Jakov Milatovic over incumbent Milo Djukanovic, bringing an end to a 33-year chapter in the history of the tiny Balkan nation.

Djukanovic, then 61, first entered politics in 1989 by taking part in a Communist party coup. Since 1991, he has exercised considerable political influence in Montenegro, serving as president, prime minister, and leader of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS).

After initial results indicated Milatovic received at least 57% of the vote with a 70% turnout, he conceded on Sunday evening. There are roughly 600,000 people living in Montenegro.

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In his speech after winning, Milatovic told his supporters, "Tonight is the night we have been waiting for more than 30 years." He promised that Montenegro would "never again" escalate tensions with any of its neighbours and that the country would gain full EU membership within five years.

Milatovic, 36, a former economic minister who jokingly claimed to have been in kindergarten when Djukanovic first came to power during the campaign. He ran for office with the catchphrase "We shall succeed together," attacking the incumbent for inflaming racial and religious tensions as well as for his economic mismanagement.

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The catchphrase of Djukanovic was "Milo, who else?" He asserted that Milatovic stood for the "politics of Greater Serbian nationalism" and that Serbia, a neighbour, and "evil Russian influence" posed threats to Montenegro.

For many years, Montenegro identified as an Orthodox, Serbian principality with strong ties to Imperial Russia. With a separate church and language, Djukanovic aimed to create a new, anti-Serbian and anti-Russian national identity. He cited an alleged "Russian-backed coup" attempt to force Montenegro into NATO without a referendum, which turned out to be false. After an unsuccessful attempt to seize property from the Serbian Orthodox Church, the DPS lost the parliamentary election in 2020.

High-profile support from Bosniak and Albanian politicians did not result in Djukanovic receiving votes in minority-dominated areas. His native Niksic voted overwhelmingly in favour of Milatovic.

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In an interview with RT Balkans on Sunday night, Niksic mayor Marko Kovacevic said, "We waited for this great victory of the people for 30 years. Montenegro will change as of tomorrow because Milo is no longer in a position of authority.

Technically, Djukanovic's term ends on May 21, the day Milatovic is scheduled to take office. The special parliamentary election scheduled for June 12 will present a new challenge for the political coalition supporting him.