Dritan Abazović

Dritan Abazović
Dritan Abazović
Born	December 25, 1985 (age 40); Ulcinj, Montenegro
Occupation	Politician
Years active	2012–present
Known for	Prime Minister of Montenegro (2022–2023), Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro (2020–2022)

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Dritan Abazović, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 1 December 2025

Dritan Abazović (, ; born 25 December 1985) is a Montenegrin political figure who held the positions of Prime Minister of Montenegro and acting Minister of Foreign Affairs between 2022 and 2023. As an ethnic Albanian, he leads the United Reform Action party. From 2020 to 2022, he served as deputy prime minister in the government under Zdravko Krivokapić.

Abazović is notable for being the first individual of Albanian ethnicity and Muslim faith to occupy the office of Prime Minister in Montenegro.

Early life, education and early career

Born on 25 December 1985 in Ulcinj, Montenegro, Abazović belongs to the ethnic Albanian community. He completed his primary and secondary education in Ulcinj and graduated as the top student from the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Sarajevo, where he received the "Golden Badge" and "Golden Charter" honors. In 2008, he earned a master's degree in international relations from the University of Montenegro Faculty of Political Sciences, followed by a doctorate in 2019 from the University of Sarajevo with a thesis entitled "Global Politics—Ethical Aspects of Globalization".

Abazović's early professional experience includes teaching sociology of culture, communication, and history of religion at a high school in Ulcinj. Between 2005 and 2007, he worked as an assistant at the University of Sarajevo's Faculty of Political Science. In 2009, he completed courses on peace studies and professional development at the University of Oslo. He further expanded his expertise by participating in a U.S. State Department program in Washington, D.C., in 2011. From 2010 to 2012, he held executive director roles at both Teuta, a local broadcaster, and NGO Mogul, based in Ulcinj.

His first publication, Cosmopolitan Culture and Global Justice, was released in 2010. Abazović has also been invited to lecture at renowned universities such as Harvard University, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Columbia University, LUMSA University, Tulane University, and University of Belgrade.

Opposition (2012–2020)

In 2012, Abazović was among the founders of the social liberal party Positive Montenegro. During the 2012 Montenegrin parliamentary election, this party won seven seats out of eighty-one, making him the youngest member elected to parliament.

Following internal divisions within Positive Montenegro in 2014, Abazović departed from the party and served as an independent parliamentarian. The next year, he joined the newly established United Reform Action (URA), which he currently leads. He represented URA in parliament until 2020.

In June 2020, URA became a member of the European Green Party, marking it as the first opposition party from Montenegro to affiliate with a European political family.

On 11 July 2020, under Abazović's leadership, URA contested independently with the centre-left coalition named In Black and White. This list included independent candidates drawn from journalism, academia, and civil society sectors. It also featured representatives from the Bosniak minority party SPP alongside various local initiatives.

The 2020 elections resulted in Montenegro experiencing its first peaceful democratic transition of power. Abazović’s coalition secured four parliamentary seats, playing a crucial role in ending the three-decade dominance of the DPS under leader Milo Đukanović. Together with leaders from the For the Future of Montenegro and Peace is Our Nation coalitions, Abazović agreed to establish a technocratic government prioritizing European Union integration, anti-corruption efforts, and national reconciliation.

They extended invitations to Bosniak and Albanian minority parties to participate in forming a broad coalition government; however, these parties declined. After the election, Abazović’s insights were featured in an interview conducted by the LSE.

Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro (2020–2022)

On 4 December 2020, the Montenegrin parliament elected a new big tent government with 41 out of 81 votes. Independent politician Zdravko Krivokapić was appointed as Prime Minister, while Abazović took office as Deputy Prime Minister, responsible for coordinating the security sector and overseeing national security. This marked the end of thirty years of DPS dominance. The incoming administration pledged to dismantle the state structures established by the DPS and to intensify efforts against corruption and organized crime. In January 2022, Abazović became a member of the advisory board for the Institute for Freedom of Faith and Security in Europe.

On 5 January 2021, Abazović revealed that "Global Montenegro," partially owned by President Milo Đukanović, had an outstanding debt of €12.45 million to the state, emphasizing that no public officials would be exempt from accountability. The following day, Brano Mićunović, a casino and construction tycoon with alleged ties to organized crime, was detained in Budva. Abazović commended law enforcement agencies for their actions. Mićunović was released on 8 January to prepare his legal defense.

Tensions within the ruling coalition escalated after violent incidents during the 5 September 2021 enthronement ceremony of Metropolitan Joanikije Mićović in Cetinje. Media outlets and opposition politicians accused Deputy Prime Minister Abazović, Interior Minister Sergej Sekulović, and police chief Zoran Brđanin of opposing the event. Prime Minister Krivokapić initiated an internal inquiry but refrained from commenting on possible dismissals. Opposition leader Nebojša Medojević demanded the resignations of Sekulović and Brđanin, alleging they were conspiring to restore DPS influence through violent means. On 8 September, Abazović warned that if Sekulović were removed, he would retract his support for the government and seek its collapse. The cabinet withheld any official statements pending the investigation's outcome.

Following a closed meeting of the Security and Defense Committee on 1 November, Abazović reiterated his backing for security personnel, praising their role in maintaining peace under challenging circumstances. Minister Sekulović defended his conduct during the committee’s inaugural session on 27 September. These developments signaled the beginning of the decline for Krivokapić’s administration, culminating in its eventual ousting through a no-confidence vote several months later.

Premiership (2022–2023)

After Prime Minister Krivokapić was ousted via a no-confidence vote, President Đukanović entrusted Abazović with forming a new government on 3 March 2022. On 28 April, Montenegro’s parliament ratified a coalition government comprising pro-European and pro-Serb factions, appointing Abazović as prime minister. His administration prioritized reforms aligned with EU accession ambitions amid the backdrop of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, focusing on anti-corruption initiatives, sustainable investments, environmental protection policies, and improving youth welfare.

Nevertheless, on 20 August 2022, parliament passed a no-confidence motion against his cabinet, terminating his term as prime minister. Abazović continued serving as caretaker prime minister until a successor government was formed.

Personal life

Abazović identifies as a Muslim of Albanian ethnicity. He possesses proficiency in Albanian, Serbo-Croatian, and English languages. In 2017, he became a signatory of the Declaration on the Common Language which pertains to Montenegrins, Croats, Serbs, and Bosniaks.

Honorary degrees

2021 – Awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Luarasi University
2022 – Conferred an Honorary Doctorate from Swiss UMEF
2023 – Received an Honorary Doctorate at Mediterranean University of Albania
2023 – Granted an Honorary Doctorate by Universum College
2023 – Bestowed an Honorary Doctorate from Istanbul Medeniyet University

Additional distinctions

Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition presented by U.S. Representative Nicole Malliotakis (26 September 2022)
Named Honorary Citizen of New Orleans by Mayor LaToya Cantrell
Awarded the Key to the City of New Orleans
Designated Honorary Ambassador of Louisiana by Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser
Recipient of a special IFIMES accolade from Honorary President Stjepan Mesić

Books

Kosmopolitska kultura i globalna pravda (Cosmopolitan Culture and Global Justice) (2009)
A Critique of Global Ethics (2022)

Primary sources

Within the text, these references are indicated with a double dagger (‡):

External links