Europe Now!

The movement was founded on 26 June 2022 by Milojko Spajić and Jakov Milatović, the former independent Finance and Economy Ministers respectively, within the short-lived technocratic cabinet formed after the 2020 parliamentary election regime change.{{cite web |url=https://www.pobjeda.me/clanak/spajic-i-milatovic-osnivaju-pokret-evropa-sad |title=Spajić i Milatović u ponedjeljak predstavljaju Pokret "Evropa sad!" |trans-title=On Monday, Spajić and Milatović will present the Movement "Europe now!" |date=25 June 2022 |access-date=31 July 2022}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/spajic-milatovic-evropa-sad-crna-gora/31916993.html|title=Bivši ministri osnovali novu političku stranku u Crnoj Gori|date=2022-06-27|website=Radio Slobodna Evropa|language=sr|access-date=2022-08-05}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.rtcg.me/vijesti/politika/371412/zelja-pokreta-evropa-sad-je-da-nastupi-na-izborima-u-svim-opstinama.html|title=Želja pokreta "Evropa sad" je da nastupi na izborima u svim opštinama|website=RTCG - Radio Televizija Crne Gore - Nacionalni javni servis|language=bs|access-date=2022-08-05}} Previously, announcing joint political engagement and the formation of a new political movement back in February 2022, shortly after the technocratic cabinet of Zdravko Krivokapić lost the confidence by the new parliamentary majority.[https://www.vijesti.me/amp/588843/spajic-i-milatovic-najavili-osnivanje-pokreta Spajić i Milatović najavili osnivanje pokreta], Vijesti, 5 February 2022 In addition to Spajic and Milatovic, prominent founding members of the movement include former Defense Minister, Olivera Injac and university professor Filip Ivanović.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vijesti.me/vijesti/politika/618838/olivera-injac-i-filip-ivanovic-u-pokretu-evropa-sad|title=Olivera Injac i Filip Ivanović u pokretu Evropa sad|website=vijesti.me|language=sh|access-date=2022-08-31}} The name of the movement is identical with the economic reforms program that included popular set of measures, which increased minimal wage from €222 to €450 by cutting healthcare contributions, launched in January 2022 by the ministers during their tenure.{{cite web |title=EVROPA SAD! |url=https://www.gov.me/mif/evropa-sad |access-date=14 November 2022 |website=Government of Montenegro}}[https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/amp/crna-gora-izbori-pokret-evropa-sad/32100030.html Tajna izbornog uspjeha Pokreta Evropa sad u Crnoj Gori], Radio Free Europe, 25 October 2023 The newly-founded party also announced future cooperation with other centrist and civic-oriented political subjects, such as the Democrats-led and the URA-led coalitions, as well with the minority interests parties, opposing the activity and positions of the DPS, DF and SNP, accusing them of corruption and fueling ethnic divisions, calling them "parties and policies of the past".[https://www.dan.co.me/vijesti/politika/spajic-imamo-najvecu-sansu-da-pobijedimo-5159356 Sa DPS i DF nećemo sarađivati, Demokrate i URA partneri nakon izbora], Dan, 2 February 2023[https://www.dan.co.me/vijesti/politika/spajic-drago-nam-je-sto-je-strah-od-evrope-sad-ponovo-ujedinio-dps-df-i-snp-5141265 Drago nam je što je strah od Evrope Sad ponovo ujedinio DPS, DF i SNP], Dan, 15 October 2022[https://www.dan.co.me/vijesti/politika/spajic-cini-mi-se-da-df-odraduje-posao-za-dps-5159952 Spajić: Čini mi se da DF odrađuje posao za DPS], Dan, 6 February 2023 Lawyers Andrej Milović and Vasilije Čarapić joined the movement in September 2022 and became presidency members.{{Cite web |last=Lacman |first=Nemanja |date=2022-09-09 |title=Andrej Milović i Vasilije Čarapić pristupili Pokretu Evropa sad |url=https://adria.tv/vijesti/politika/andrej-milovic-i-vasilije-carapic-pristupili-pokretu-evropa-sad/ |access-date=2023-04-25 |website=Adria TV |language=sr-RS}}

The movement debuted at the October 2022 local elections, seeing good results, especially in the elections in the capital city of Podgorica, which resulted in the fall from power of the populist DPS of President Milo Đukanović, which had ruled the city since the 1990s, with Europe Now! list ballot carrier Jakov Milatović, leading new coalition majority in the Capital City Assembly.[https://balkans.aljazeera.net/news/balkan/2022/10/23/crna-gora-danas-lokalni-izbori-u-14-opstina-i-podgorici Pokret ‘Evropa sad’: DPS izgubio izbore, imat ćemo vlast u Podgorici], Al Jazeera, 23 October 2023[https://www.dan.co.me/vijesti/izbori/evropa-sad-slavi-jakov-milatovic-je-novi-gradonacelnik-5142487 Evropa sad slavi: "Milatović je novi gradonačelnik], Dan, 23 October 2022[https://cetinjskilist.com/dps-izgubio-podgoricu-evropa-sad-najveci-dobitnik/ DPS izgubio Podgoricu, „Evropa sad“ najveći dobitnik], RTV Cetinje, 24 October 2022 However, the formal announcement of the results is pending since the October 2022 election, until March 2023, caused by the vacancy within the Constitutional Court of Montenegro (due to the parliamentary crisis in the country), after the minor, both Montenegrin and Serbian nationalist organizations, such as "21st of May Initiative" and the Serb List, which many accuse of acting as a spoiler party of the DPS, submitted complaints to inactive court about "irregularities during local election campaign", leaving the outgoing convocation as well DPS-led administration elected in May 2018 staying in power in acting term during 2023.[https://press.co.me/desnicarski-pokreti-i-pojedinci-povezani-sa-dps-om-blokiraju-tranziciju-vlasti-u-podgorici/ Desničarski pokreti i pojedinci, povezani sa DPS-om, blokiraju tranziciju vlasti u Podgorici], press.co.me, 24 November 2022[https://www.dan.co.me/vijesti/izbori/nakon-deblokade-ustavnog-suda-konacni-rezultati-u-podgorici-moguci-do-kraja-nedjelje-5164039 Nakon deblokade Ustavnog suda, konačni rezultati u Podgorici mogući do kraja nedjelje], Dan, 28 February 2023 The ES also obtain the mayoral post in Danilovgrad and Žabljak, becoming part of the new ruling coalitions in seven out of 11 municipalities in which they participated in the elections. All opinion polls published in the aftermath of the local elections, as of March 2023 showed an increase in the popular support of the movement.[https://www.vijesti.me/amp/635955/evropa-sad-za-petama-dps-u CEDEM: Evropa sad za petama DPS-u], Vijesti, 22 December 2023[https://twitter.com/EuropeElects/status/1632155285539135491?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet Montenegro: the centrist pro-European "Evropa Sad!" reaches a record high of 17.4% in the latest CeDem poll], Europe Elects, March 2023

In January 2023, movement co-founder Milojko Spajić announced his candidacy for the March 2023 presidential elections,[https://www.vijesti.me/vijesti/politika/641034/spajic-predsjednicki-kandidat-pokreta-evropa-sad Spajić predsjednički kandidat Pokreta Evropa sad], Vijesti, 29 January 2023 Eventually, he was disqualified due to suspicions he has Serbian citizenship, since Montenegrin law does not allow people with dual citizenship to run for the presidency. Spajić’s disqualification by the central election body, composed mostly by the DPS and DF delegates, was quick and did not wait for the completion of a probe launched by the Ministry of Interior. This gave food to speculation that decision was influenced by the DPS as Spajić was seen as a serious threat to incumbent president Milo Đukanović. Commission members representing the DF also voted to disqualify Spajić.[https://mina.news/vijesti-iz-crne-gore/politika/spajic-ozvanicena-saradnja-lidera-jedinstvenog-dps-a/ Spajić: Ozvaničena saradnja lidera jedinstvenog DPS-a], MINA, 18 February 2023[https://www.vijesti.me/vijesti/politika/643997/muk-politicka-odluka-dik-a-proceduru-osporio-i-predsjednik-institucije Politička odluka DIK-a, proceduru osporio i predsjednik institucije], 18 February 2023 Shortly after that, movement decided to nominate its other co-founder Jakov Milatović.[https://rtcg.me/vijesti/politika/402062/jakov-milatovic-predao-predsjednicku-kandidaturu.html Jakov Milatović predao predsjedničku kandidaturu] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226144331/https://www.rtcg.me/vijesti/politika/402062/jakov-milatovic-predao-predsjednicku-kandidaturu.html |date=2023-02-26 }}, RTCG, 26 February 2023 In the first round, Milatović outperformed the polls, gaining 29% of the votes[https://rtcg.me/predsjednickiizbori/408680/po-preliminarnim-rezultatima-djukanovic-i-milatovic-u-drugom-krugu.html Po preliminarnim rezultatima Đukanović i Milatović u drugom krugu], RTCG, 19 March 2023[https://www.vijesti.me/vijesti/politika/648472/preliminarni-rezultati-djukanovic-i-milatovic-idu-u-drugi-krug Đukanović i Milatović idu u drugi krug], Vijesti, 19 March 2023 and eventually defeating long-ruling incumbent Milo Đukanović in the second round runoff on 2 April, winning roughly 60% of the votes.[https://rtcg.me/predsjednickiizbori/413500/jakov-milatovic-ubjedljivo-pobijedio-dobio-601-odsto-glasova-djukanovic-399-.html Jakov Milatović ubjedljivo pobijedio: Dobio 60,1 odsto glasova, Đukanović 39,9 %], RTCG, 2 April 2023

Spajić led the movement going into the 2023 parliamentary elections, at which it became the largest party, winning 24 seats in the Parliament.{{Cite news |last=Vasovic |first=Aleksandar |last2=Filipovic |first2=Branko |last3=Vasovic |first3=Aleksandar |date=2023-06-11 |title=Montenegro's pro-EU Europe Now Movement claims victory in snap vote |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/montenegro-holds-parliamentary-vote-secure-reforms-eu-path-2023-06-11/ |access-date=2023-06-12}}{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=2023-06-12 |title=Pokret 'Evropa sad' osvojio 24 - najviše mandata na izborima u Crnoj Gori |language=sh |work=Radio Slobodna Evropa |url=https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/izbori-crna-gora-mandati-evropa-sad/32456158.html |access-date=2023-08-02}}

In February 2024 Jakov Milatović left the party.{{Cite web |title=Montenegrin president Milatovic leaves ruling party Europe Now |url=https://seenews.com/news/montenegrin-president-milatovic-leaves-ruling-party-europe-now-849561 |access-date=2024-05-04 |website=SeeNews |language=en}}

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{{Montenegrin political parties}}

Category:2022 establishments in Montenegro

Category:Political parties established in 2022

Category:Political parties in Montenegro

Category:Pro-European political parties in Montenegro