Differences of opinion on the agreement have caused tension inside the governing coalition, between the prime minister and President Milo Djukanovic, and in society more generally. Djukanovic's Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), outside but previously supportive of the government, had earlier warned that signing the agreement without proper consultation could initiate an immediate vote of no confidence.
Montenegro’s EU accession prospects, initially boosted under the minority government, will be weakened by the focus on the agreement.
The church agreement and the prime minister's apparent keenness to join the Open Balkan initiative may improve relations with Serbia.
A disappointing tourist season and steadily rising inflation are compounding the political and economic instability.
