Are they giving Mandic the Ministry of Transport?

New Serbian Democracy (NSD) Andrije Mandić could be the position of Minister of Transport, which has been vacant since the recent departure of the Democratic People's Party (DNP) Milan Knežević from the Government - "Vijesti" learns.

A source familiar with developments in the executive branch claims that nothing has been decided yet regarding the filling of the position held by the DNP. Maja Vukićević, but that the option being considered is to award that seat to Mandić's party.

When it comes to the position of Deputy Prime Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, the second one that the DNP had in it and which he held Milun Zogović, the interviewee says that it remains to be seen "whether that place will remain in that format."

Another source of "Vijesti", which is part of the executive branch Milojko Spajić (Europe Now Movement), claims that "it is certainly moving in the direction" of the NSD being given the position of Minister of Transport, as, as he said, "a pledge for the sacrifice" that, despite pressure from part of the public on them after the DNP left the Government, they remain in it.

However, this interlocutor states that, if it were decided to give the NSD the transport department, the option would be to first "cripple" that ministry with a regulation, by excluding an important part of it - the Transport Administration.

After Vukićević's resignation, announced on Monday, the Government appointed the coordinator of the Ministry of Transport on the same day. Filip Radulović (Europe Now Movement), head of the maritime affairs department. Until the summer of 2024, he headed the unified Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs, from which transport was then separated due to the reconstruction of the Government.

Although they have supported Spajić's cabinet since its formation in the fall of 2023, the NSD and DNP entered it through a reorganization. Knežević's party then received the two aforementioned positions, while the NSD received the position of Deputy Prime Minister for Education, Science and Relations with Religious Communities, which it holds. Budimir Aleksic, and the positions of Minister of Tourism and Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property, which cover Simonida Kordić i Slaven Radunović.

The DNP left the state government and the ruling coalition in Podgorica a few days ago, after the government last week refused to support their demands to resolve identity issues, namely - introducing the Serbian language as an official language, amending the Law on Montenegrin Citizenship (introducing dual citizenship with Serbia), and standardizing the tricolor as the "national flag". In addition, the DNP also demanded a dialogue on the, for them, controversial construction of a wastewater treatment plant in the Zeta settlement of Botun.

After the DNP's departure to the opposition, the majority at the state level remains stable, while a serious government crisis has arisen in Podgorica, which has called its survival into question.

In addition, the question of the survival of the coalition "For the Future of Montenegro", consisting of the NSD and the DNP, is also open. Knežević announced a few days ago that the party presidency has tasked him with initiating talks with Mandić about the future of their alliance as soon as possible.