Montenegro has approved a new minority government led by Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic and supported by the Civic Movement URA, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the parties representing national minorities, and the pro-Serbian Socialist People’s Party (SNP). It is a “pro-western” government whose top priorities are the promotion of European integration and the fight against corruption as well as the rule of law and the reform of judicial institutions. “The idea is for Montenegro to regain stability, reconciliation and a European perspective, leaving behind the current political instability”, said Dritan Abazovic, who was deputy prime minister in the previous government led by Zdravko Krivokapic brought down by a no-confidence motion in February. Dritan Abazovic assured that his government would only have a one-year mandate with the main task to prepare for the early elections scheduled for the spring of 2023. “The idea is to unblock Montenegro and set up functional institutions to end chaos”, he explained at a press conference. “We are not opposed to early elections, but we need functioning institutions first”. Among the decisions that the government is called upon to take is the signing of a controversial agreement with the Serbian Orthodox Church, the holding of a population census and the possibility of Montenegro joining the Open Balkans initiative.