Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, the longest-serving leader in the Balkans who led his tiny state to independence, says he is considering stepping down after securing another election victory for his pro-EU coalition.
"I'm a bit tired and fed up with this job," Djukanovic said on Monday in an interview with the Associated Press. "In the next few weeks, I'll think about stepping down."
He said his government "finished some main jobs in the development of Montenegro, re-established its independence and stability ... and as somebody who has carried much of that responsibility," it may be time to call it quits.
PHOTO: AP
Djukanovic became the youngest prime minister in Europe at the age of 29 in 1991. He was elected Montenegro's president in 1998, before again assuming the prime minister's job in 2002.
His center-left coalition, which has campaigned on a platform of having Montenegro join the EU and NATO, won a majority in Montenegro's parliamentary elections on Sunday in the first vote since Montenegro gained independence from Serbia in May.
"The victory was never in doubt," Djukanovic, 44, said. "Now, a new government can be formed in a relaxed way."
Djukanovic, a former ally turned bitter foe of former Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic, was the only leader in the Balkans to survive wars and political turmoil and continuously remain in power.
Now, with his coalition firmly in control for at least the next four years, he says Montenegro is on a certain road toward the EU and NATO.
"At the end of the four-year man-date, I expect Montenegro to be on the doorsteps of the European Union," he said. "By this time, we can expect to gain a membership status with the EU."
"I hope that Europe will not give up on the Balkans," Djukanovic said, adding that the EU must help the turbulent and war-ravaged region "to live under European rules. That would stabilize the region."
"My realistic expectation is that by November, Montenegro will join NATO's Partnership for Peace program," Djukanovic said, referring to a NATO outreach program that can lead to full membership in the alliance.
He did not say what he may do after quitting, but local media has speculated that he may devote himself to "business."
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