Montenegro’s long-time boss is ousted

After a thirdNATO of a century the blade had blunted. Nicknamed , “the razor”, because of his political sharpness, Milo Djukanovic finally lost the presidency of Montenegro on April 2nd, when he was resoundingly defeated in an election by Jakov Milatovic, a relative newcomer. Mr Djukanovic first tasted power in 1989, when Mr Milatovic was two years old. In 1991 he became prime minister. Until his party lost a general election in 2020 he was the undisputed master of Montenegro.Back in 1989 Mr Djukanovic, now 61, was a protégé of Serbia’s leader, Slobodan Milosevic. Two years later he cheer-led as Montenegrin units of what was still Yugoslavia’s army attacked the port of Dubrovnik, in neighbouring Croatia, which was breaking away. He then backed a referendum for Montenegrins to stay united with Serbia, as the last components of Yugoslavia. But in 1997, when protests against Mr Milosevic rocked Serbia, Mr Djukanovic turned coat, emerging as a Montenegrin nationalist. In 2006 he steered his country to independence. Montenegro joined in 2017.