“For a European Montenegro”, the coalition led by the prime minister, Milo Djukanovic, won with more than half of the votes cast in the Balkan country’s early parliamentary elections on Sunday, preliminary results said.

Mr Djukanovic led the tiny former Yugoslav republic to independence through its peaceful referendum to end the joint state with Serbia in 2006. By reaching the 51 per cent mark, his coalition rises from 41 seats to 49 in the 81-seat parliament, with voters showing their preference for familiar leadership as recession hits the fragile economy.