Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic decides to step down, puts forward Deputy PM Igor Luksic as his successor

Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic told his annual press conference today, December 21, that he has decided to step down.

The decision comes shortly after the European Council’s confirmation of Montenegro’s EU candidate status on December 17.

The Prime Minister underlined that his decision was well thought out and made of his own accord, without any pressures either internal or external.

Asked about his successor, PM Djukanovic said that he put forward current Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Igor Luksic as his successor to the Presidium of the ruling DPS earlier today.

Milo Djukanovic was born on February 15, 1962 in Niksic. He graduated from the Faculty of Economics of the University of Montenegro, Podgorica.

He was elected to the office of Prime Minister on February 15, 1991, on his 29th birthday, as the youngest prime minister in Europe. He served three consecutive terms as Prime Minister until 1998.

On January 15, 1998 he was sworn in as President of the Republic, having won a presidential election held by direct ballot on October 19, 1997. He was elected Chairman of the Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro (DPS) in October 1998.

Having led the Democratic Coalition for a European Montenegro to victory in the Parliamentary election held on October 20, 2002, Milo Djukanovic was nominated Prime Minister Designate of Montenegro. He was inaugurated on January 8, 2003.

He was the leader of the Block for Independent Montenegro. Under his leadership, the people of Montenegro took the historic decision to restore Montenegrin independence in the referendum held on May 21, 2006.

In the elections of September 10, 2006 the Coalition for a European Montenegro - Milo Djukanovic – DPS-SDP won an outright majority in the Parliament.

After the restoration of statehood and the landslide victory of his coalition in the September elections, Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic decided to step down as head of government in early October 2006.

He was a member of the Montenegrin Parliament from October 2006 until February 28, 2008. He returned to the post of Prime Minister again on February 29, 2008 amidst the global economic downturn and held this position until the retirement announcement made earlier today.