One in two, what the bookies would say... These are always interesting outcomes - with a twist: the one who won the most votes in the first round has the least reason to be satisfied.
And an unusual historical symmetry: Djukanovic entered the biggest scene by winning the presidential elections despite losing the first round (1998), and according to everything, he leaves with an electoral defeat, despite winning the first round (2023).
And what happened in those quarter of a century, and add the years since 1989 and the youngest European prime minister (and Milošević favorite young man) until 1997 and the famous split in the DPS, which will be resolved precisely in the presidential elections of 1998.
Getting out from under Milošević's paw, saving Montenegro during the NATO intervention, the 2006 Referendum and joining NATO in 2017 are undoubtedly the highlights of Đukanović's (and not only his, of course) political activity and those points that not only citizens inclined to him can mention as merits .
This balance actually seems impressive. These are events that would fill a serious (and long-lasting) political career with meaning.
Well, then imagine how much stupidity and foolishness he had to do, yes, in his political twilight he looks like he does today. How much greed and arrogance was there. With all those abominations from the time of serving Milošević - which he covered with the "forgiveness" earned by political parricide.
Here, first of all, the evil gravity of some other processes is at work - from the widespread criminalization of the authorities, through corruption raised to the level of social manners, to disgusting nepotism, which is covered by the cynicism of that mantra about "equal chances". Even though those "equal chances" were an unattainable dream for most citizens.
And all this with a monstrous elite that is a mix of those who "managed" and "national commissars" in charge of producing traitors and enemies. This very concept of society opened the door to excessive clericalization and conservatism.
On the other hand, the illusion of progress and the pretense of Europeanness were clearly not enough for everyone. The impression is that in all key moments, his political interests (and the business interests of his "elite") were more important to Đukanović than any so-called high ideals. And so it is. That is why, in those periods when the forces of history did not strongly push him to the right side (a strong instinct for political survival), he always unfailingly chose - the wrong one.
It is no longer even a shadow of the former, more or less legendary, political self-confidence. And there, the other day before the election, he announced that he was "superior" compared to all the other candidates. It seems that there is also a decreasing number of citizens who trust him.
Quite executed, he does not know where he is hitting, he demonstrates exactly what, in essence, has always been the basis of his political activity. Namely, Đukanović always gave priority to calculation in relation to value attitude.
The night after the first round of elections was illustrative, you see the demagogue ready for anything. He sees the "reservoirs" of voters (the word is wickedly close to "reservoirs" from the Wild West, isn't it?), and he forgets one detail. With his "flirt" with Mandić at the end of the pre-election campaign, the DPS candidate strongly demotivated the so-called voters. minority peoples who usually support him. But after demonstrating a slimy strategy - Let's go together, let's screw them all - voters from the "reserve", that is, the "reservoir", obviously, and quite understandably, stopped sharing Đukanović's enthusiasm and optimism.
It should always be remembered that the difference between "king" and "end" is only one sign.
And there is no need to hurry with evaluations, today everything is easily declared a historical achievement. Dates, personalities, scams...
But this is the symbolic end of an era. And a micro-epoch: if it wasn't clear to anyone before, yesterday we saw that "30. August" went up in smoke...
Bonus video:
