Social Democratic Party

Serbia has delayed until further notice the extradition of Ecevit Piroglu, a Kurdish politician and activist wanted by Turkey for terrorism, but has still kept him locked up after his one-year custody sentence expired on June 24.

Montenegrin Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic (L) and Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Porfirije (R) meeting in Montenegro.Photo: Government of Montenegro

The largest ruling party, the Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, and the Social Democratic Party, SDP, criticized the draft published on Tuesday as too favourable to the Church, the largest faith group in Montenegro.

Montenegrin government session in Podgorica. Photo: Government of Montenegro

During the government session on Friday, Social Democratic Party ministers complained that they had not been kept informed about the Ministry of Justice's negotiations with the Serbian Church, the largest faith group by far in the country.

Montenegro Pride participants with a giant rainbow flag in Podgorica. Photo: BIRN/Samir Kajosevic

LGBT Forum Progress's executive director, John Barac, said that Montenegro has failed to make legal changes to allow Montenegrins in same-sex partnerships to register their marriages in their home country.

Romanian Far-Rightists Storm Digital Environment

Following the rejection of the so-called "Sovereignty Bill" by Romania's Chamber of Deputies on May 10, the political climate has further deteriorated.

The bicameral Romanian parliament on Tuesday elected two new judges at the Constitutional Court - Bogdan Licu and Laura-Iuliana Scantei, both of whom are believed to be close to President Klaus Iohannis.

Licu, who was nominated by the Social Democratic Party, PSD, for the position, was supported 208 lawmakers in the Chamber of Deputies while 93 voted against.

The leader of the Black-on-White bloc, Abazovic, was elected Prime Minister by 45 votes in the 81-seat chamber, supported by his own coalition, the pro-Serbian Socialist People's Party and the former opposition Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, the Social Democratic Party, the Bosniak Party and two ethnic Albanian coalitions.

Prime Minister-designate Dritan Abazovic at a press conference in Podgorica. Photo: Government of Montenegro

"The government will have five priority areas of action. We will be focused on the fight against corruption, more sustainable investments, EU integration, sustainable development and environmental protection," Abazovic said.

Montenegrin Prime Minister-designate Dritan Abazovic at a press conference. Photo: Government of Montenegro

Abazovic said that the mandate of his government will be one year, and that its main task will be to prepare state institutions for next spring's early elections.

Montenegrin Prime Minister-Designate Dritan Abazovic in Podgorica. Photo: Government of Montenegro

Nikolic said that a new minority government must be formed by next week, and the negotiations were taking too long.