Milo Đukanović facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Milo Đukanović
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Мило Ђукановић
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Đukanović in 2019
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| 2nd President of Montenegro | |
| In office 20 May 2018 – 20 May 2023 |
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| Prime Minister | Duško Marković Zdravko Krivokapić Dritan Abazović |
| Preceded by | Filip Vujanović |
| Succeeded by | Jakov Milatović |
| 2nd President of the Republic of Montenegro |
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| In office 15 January 1998 – 25 November 2002 |
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| Prime Minister | Filip Vujanović |
| President of Serbia and Montenegro | Slobodan Milošević Vojislav Koštunica |
| Preceded by | Momir Bulatović |
| Succeeded by | Filip Vujanović |
| Prime Minister of Montenegro | |
| In office 4 December 2012 – 28 November 2016 |
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| President | Filip Vujanović |
| Preceded by | Igor Lukšić |
| Succeeded by | Duško Marković |
| In office 29 February 2008 – 29 December 2010 |
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| President | Filip Vujanović |
| Preceded by | Željko Šturanović |
| Succeeded by | Igor Lukšić |
| In office 8 January 2003 – 10 November 2006 |
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| President | Filip Vujanović Dragan Kujović Filip Vujanović |
| Preceded by | Dragan Đurović (Acting) |
| Succeeded by | Željko Šturanović |
| In office 15 February 1991 – 5 February 1998 |
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| President | Momir Bulatović |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Filip Vujanović |
| Minister of Defence | |
| In office 5 June 2006 – 10 November 2006 |
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| Prime Minister | Himself |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Boro Vučinić |
| President of the DPS | |
| In office 31 October 1998 – 6 April 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Milica Pejanović-Đurišić |
| Succeeded by | Danijel Živković |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 February 1962 Nikšić, PR Montenegro, FPR Yugoslavia |
| Political party | DPS (since 1991) |
| Other political affiliations |
ECG (1998–2016) SKJ (1979–1991) |
| Height | 198 cm (6 ft 6 in) |
| Spouse | Lidija Kuč |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Aco Đukanović (brother) |
| Alma mater | Veljko Vlahović University |
Milo Đukanović (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Мило Ђукановић; born 15 February 1962) is a Montenegrin politician. He served as the President of Montenegro from 2018 to 2023. Before that, he was president from 1998 to 2002. He also served as the Prime Minister of Montenegro several times. He was the leader of the Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro (DPS) for a long time. This party was in power in Montenegro for many years.
When Đukanović first started in politics, he was an ally of Slobodan Milošević. His government took part in the siege of Dubrovnik (1991–1992). Later, Đukanović started to support Montenegrin nationalism. This idea was about Montenegro becoming an independent country. This led to a split in his political party. He then won the 1997 Montenegrin presidential election. In 1999, he worked with Western countries during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. He also helped Montenegro start using the Deutsche Mark as its currency.
After Milošević was no longer in power, Đukanović signed an agreement. This agreement allowed Montenegro to become independent later. In 2006, Montenegro officially separated from Serbia and Montenegro. Đukanović has worked to bring Montenegro closer to NATO and the European Union. Montenegro joined NATO in 2017. During his time in power, many public companies were sold to private investors.
Contents
His Early Life
Đukanović was born in Nikšić, Montenegro, on 15 February 1962. His father, Radovan, was a judge. His mother, Stana, was a nurse. He has an older sister, Ana, and a younger brother, Aleksandar.
He went to primary and secondary school in Nikšić. Then, he moved to Podgorica (which was called Titograd back then). He studied economics at Veljko Vlahović University. He finished his studies in 1986, focusing on tourism. When he was younger, Đukanović enjoyed playing basketball.
Starting in Politics
In 1979, while still in high school, Đukanović joined the League of Communists of Yugoslavia (SKJ). This was the only political party allowed in Yugoslavia at the time. His father was already an important member of the party. This helped Đukanović get involved quickly.
By 1986, he was a leader in the Socialist Youth Alliance. He was known for his strong and direct way of speaking. By 1988, Đukanović became the youngest member ever of the League's top decision-making group, the Central Committee.
In January 1989, Đukanović and others helped remove the leaders of the Montenegrin Communist League. They replaced them with people who supported their ideas. Đukanović helped organize protests in the capital city, Titograd.
Becoming Prime Minister
First Three Terms (1991–1998)
In December 1990, the League of Communists of Montenegro won many seats in the election. On 15 February 1991, Đukanović became the Prime Minister of Montenegro. He was chosen by President Momir Bulatović.
Later in 1991, the Communist League changed its name to the Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro (DPS). Đukanović's position as Prime Minister was confirmed after the 1992 election. In this election, the DPS won most of the seats.
Đukanović's government sent soldiers to fight in the Croatian War of Independence. He was against Yugoslavia breaking apart. His government took part in the siege of Dubrovnik from 1991 to 1992. This caused a lot of damage to the city. Đukanović believed that the borders with Croatia should be changed.
In 1992, Đukanović had a disagreement with an anti-war activist named Jevrem Brković. Brković then went to live in Croatia until 1998.
Dealing with International Issues (1992)
The siege of Dubrovnik caused problems for Yugoslavia with other countries. The European Economic Community tried to help with peace talks. Đukanović supported an agreement that would allow Montenegro to decide if it wanted to stay in Yugoslavia. This led to a vote on 1 March 1992. Voters decided that Montenegro should stay in Yugoslavia.
In August 1992, there was a difficult situation in the city of Pljevlja. A local leader took over the police headquarters. Đukanović and Bulatović had to negotiate to solve the problem. They managed to get the leader's men to give up their weapons.
Changes in Leadership (1995-1997)
In 1995, Đukanović visited the the Pentagon in the United States. He was invited by the U.S. government. Some people thought he was discussing Montenegro leaving Yugoslavia. Đukanović also met with Bill Clinton in 1996.
Đukanović's relationship with Slobodan Milošević started to get worse. They disagreed on how to handle economic problems. Đukanović also criticized Milošević publicly. He supported students who were protesting in Serbia in 1996-1997.
This led to a big split between Đukanović and Momir Bulatović. Despite this, Đukanović's party won the 1996 Montenegrin parliamentary election.
In 1997, a newspaper published a letter supposedly from Đukanović. It suggested Montenegro might break away from Yugoslavia. Đukanović said the letter was fake.
Another event that caused problems was the "AMSJ affair." This involved money found in an office. It was linked to importing goods during a time when Yugoslavia had sanctions. This was one of the early reasons for the split between Đukanović and Bulatović.
In 1997, Bulatović left the DPS party. This led to a direct competition between Đukanović and Bulatović. Đukanović won the 1997 Montenegrin presidential election by a small number of votes. After this, Đukanović and his supporters began to strongly support Montenegrin independence.
President During the Kosovo War
After becoming president in 1998, Đukanović shared his idea of an independent Montenegro with foreign ambassadors.
On 24 March 1999, NATO started bombing Yugoslavia. During this time, Đukanović worked to limit the airstrikes in Montenegro. After the bombings stopped, he helped Montenegro switch its currency to the Deutsche Mark. This replaced the Yugoslav Dinar.
Đukanović later said that 1999 was a very important year for Montenegro. He said it was when Montenegro chose its own path, rejecting war with NATO and adopting a new currency.
Montenegro's Path to Independence
In June 2000, Đukanović apologized to Croatia for Montenegro's role in the siege of Dubrovnik. He expressed sorrow for the pain and damage caused.
After Slobodan Milošević was no longer in power, Đukanović faced a new challenge. He had to find new reasons for Montenegro to become independent. In 2002, Đukanović signed the Belgrade Agreement. This agreement allowed Montenegro to hold a vote on independence after three years.
To stay in power, Đukanović and Prime Minister Filip Vujanović swapped jobs. Đukanović resigned as president in November 2002 to become prime minister again. Vujanović became acting president and then the new president in May 2003.
The 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum resulted in Montenegro becoming independent from Serbia and Montenegro. After independence, Đukanović was appointed the first Minister of Defense. He also held other important roles related to Montenegro's growth and European integration.
Stepping Down and Returning to Politics
First Break (2006–2008)
On 3 October 2006, Đukanović announced he was stepping down as prime minister. This was even though his party had won the election. He said he was "tired of politics" and wanted to try being a businessman. He remained the leader of his party, the DPS.
Đukanović officially left the prime minister's office on 10 November 2006. He served as a member of Parliament for a while. He also started several private businesses during this time.
Fifth Term as Prime Minister (2008–2010)
On 20 February 2008, President Vujanović asked Đukanović to become prime minister again. He was elected prime minister on 29 February 2008. His party won the 2009 election.
During this time, Montenegro worked to join the EU and NATO. On 9 October 2008, Montenegro recognized Kosovo as an independent country. Montenegro applied to join the EU in December 2008. By December 2010, Montenegro became an official EU candidate. Montenegro also moved closer to joining NATO.
Second Break (2010–2012)
Đukanović resigned as prime minister again on 21 December 2010. He had said he would step down once Montenegro became an official EU candidate. His party chose Igor Lukšić to be the new prime minister. Lukšić was confirmed on 29 December 2010.
Đukanović still remained the leader of the DPS party. He also hinted that he might run for public office again in the future.
Sixth Term as Prime Minister (2012–2016)
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After the election on 14 October 2012, Đukanović was able to form a new government. He became prime minister again on 4 December 2012.
In 2016, after the 2016 Montenegrin parliamentary election, Đukanović stepped down as prime minister for a third time. However, he continued to be the leader of the DPS.
Becoming President Again (2018)
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In 2018, Đukanović was chosen as his party's candidate for the 2018 Montenegrin presidential election. This was his second time running for president. He won the election by a large number of votes.
In 2020, the Freedom House organization reported that Montenegro was no longer considered a full democracy. They described it as a "hybrid regime."
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2020 Election and Beyond
In the 2020 Montenegrin parliamentary election, for the first time in 30 years, the opposition parties won more votes than Đukanović's ruling party. Observers noted that the election was competitive but took place in a very divided atmosphere. They also mentioned that the ruling party may have benefited unfairly from using state resources.
On 1 September 2020, Đukanović said that the Serbian President and media were interfering in Montenegro's politics. He suggested they were trying to bring back an old idea of a "Greater Serbia."
Economic Changes
Montenegro's economy has focused on developing tourism and selling state-owned companies to private owners. For example, a shipyard in Tivat was bought by a Canadian billionaire and turned into a marina for wealthy visitors. The aluminum factory in Podgorica was sold to a Russian businessman. Many former military lands have been sold to investors.
This process of selling state companies has led to some people close to the government becoming very rich. For instance, Đukanović's brother, Aleksandar, who was unemployed, now controls a large bank in Montenegro. His sister, Ana, who was a judge, owns a big law firm.
These economic changes have also caused differences between regions. Unemployment is much higher in the northern part of the country than in the coastal areas. Also, about a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line.
Timeline
The chart below shows a timeline of the offices held by Đukanović and the Montenegro status. The left bar shows president and all prime ministers terms of Đukanović, and the right bar shows the country status of Montenegro at that time.
Awards and Recognition
Albanian National Flag Order received on 12 July 2016.
Collar of the National Order of Merit of Paraguay on 23 December 2018.
Grand Cross of the Order of San Marino received on 4 March 2022.
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See also
In Spanish: Milo Đukanović para niños
- List of youngest state leaders since 1900
