Montenegro’s Parliament is scheduled to hold an extraordinary session on Thursday to consider an initiative to remove Speaker Andrija Mandić from office following his public condolences to the family of former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladić, who was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The dismissal initiative was submitted by the opposition Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), which argues that Mandić’s decision damaged the reputation of Parliament and Montenegro’s international credibility. The vote comes as the country continues its EU accession process. The initiative was signed by 35 MPs when it was formally submitted.
The extraordinary session is scheduled to begin at noon on September 24, provided a quorum of at least 41 MPs is reached. Under parliamentary rules, the Speaker can be removed by a majority of MPs present and voting once the quorum has been established.
European Parliament rapporteur for Montenegro Marjan Šarec has said he expects the quorum to be secured. Five MEPs, including Šarec, recently said Mandić’s expression of condolences carried institutional weight because of his position as Speaker, despite the message having been sent in his personal and party capacity.
The five MEPs said they were not seeking to instruct Montenegrin MPs how to vote, but argued that honoring a person convicted of war crimes was incompatible with the principles associated with Montenegro’s European integration process.
Mandić sent his condolences to Mladić’s son, Darko Mladić, on August 27, following Ratko Mladić’s death in The Hague. He said the message had been sent on his own behalf and on behalf of his party, the New Serb Democracy (NSD).
Mandić has rejected the criticism, saying his message was consistent with customary practices and contained nothing controversial.
Support for the dismissal initiative has been declared by opposition parties and several members of the governing coalition, including the Bosniak Party and Albanian parties. However, Prime Minister Milojko Spajić’s Europe Now Movement has said it will not support Mandić’s removal, while the Democrats, Socialist People’s Party, Democratic People’s Party and United Montenegro have also opposed the initiative.
The outcome could therefore depend not only on the number of MPs supporting or opposing the motion but also on attendance at the session. Šarec has said that, regardless of how individual MPs vote, it is important for the parliamentary process to take place.
Mandić’s potential removal would be the latest in a series of attempts to replace him as Speaker. He has held the position since October 2023.
The session is scheduled to last two hours if the required quorum is reached.
