For Montenegro’s accession to the European Union, European leadership and political unity are essential
First session of the Regional Plenum in Podgorica
If Montenegro wants to remain a credible candidate for membership in the European Union, it is essential for political forces that genuinely share European values to cooperate and jointly lead the reform process. This was the key message at the first session of the Regional Plenum, “Cracks in Democracy: Nationalism and Clericalism in the Western Balkans,” jointly organized by the Academy for Democratic Development (ADD), the Centre for Civic Education (CGO) in Podgorica, the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Sarajevo (FPN), and the German Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES).
Vesna Pusić, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Croatia, stated at the evening session “NON-paper for Montenegro” that the European Commission’s (EC) Report on Montenegro reflects more optimism on the part of the European Union about admitting Montenegro than within the ruling coalition regarding the country’s accession to the Union. She pointed out that three groups of issues were highlighted as problematic, although they did not receive much public attention: customs services and customs policy; environmental protection, food, agriculture and fisheries; and social policy and employment.
She noted that many within EU institutions believe that Montenegro’s accession would demonstrate that enlargement is not dead, while at the same time considering Montenegro small enough not to cause significant issues in terms of the EU budget and similar matters.
Speaking about the “non-paper” of which she is one of the authors, Pusić said that the idea was to show why Montenegro is relevant and that it is far more significant than its size suggests, due to its geopolitical position.
As she noted, one of the obstacles on Montenegro’s path is that the ruling majority consists of one part that supports Montenegro’s accession to the European Union, and another part whose commitment to accession is highly questionable. “Formally, this part keeps repeating that it supports EU membership, but it consistently takes steps that hinder Montenegro’s progress. Almost every time Montenegro advances, something happens that obstructs that step toward membership,” Pusić said.
She emphasized that one of the solutions elaborated in the non-paper is mentorship, similar to the accession of the three Baltic states, which established partnerships with Denmark, Sweden, and Finland. “From administrators to the highest levels of public administration, they worked with them on preparing laws and preparing people, so they could enter the EU as ready as possible,” Pusić said, adding that six countries should enter into partnership arrangements with six states from the region.
Pusić believes that Montenegro’s entry into the EU would be an almost essential signal to the region that accession is still possible.
She stressed that after closing all chapters, the signing and ratification process precedes membership. “That is a major task that follows. This is why the non-paper states that the political parties that genuinely want Montenegro to join the EU must align. Elections are in 2027, and you will not complete the entire process by then, even if you finish the negotiations. It is necessary to prepare for those elections because Montenegro needs European leadership,” she said.
František Šistek, Research Fellow at the Institute of History of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Associate Professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Charles University in Prague, believes that Montenegro is a leader in the accession process. “People who have worked hard for Montenegro to advance on its European path are now optimistic, but this cannot be seen as a definitive victory, because there are still recommendations and the road ahead remains long,” Šistek explained.
He emphasized that an important question is whether Montenegro will be seen in a positive light, since all member states must agree that a country is ready to join the European Union. “It is important that a member does not enter the EU unprepared, vulnerable internally, or susceptible to foreign influence,” Šistek said.
Speaking about the idea of probationary membership, he noted that it is difficult to implement in practice. “We have the example of Hungary, which entered the EU as an exemplary liberal state without major issues, but after several years began to behave differently. Therefore, this is not an adequate solution,” Šistek stated.
He also said that he does not see effective political will in Montenegro to put an end to the negative influence of Vučić’s Serbia. “Part of the current government supports Vučić’s regime. So why would they be the ones to limit that influence?” Šistek asked, adding that a significant portion of the media landscape in Montenegro is also under direct influence from Belgrade.
Šistek assessed that the decline in trust in European integration is not drastic and that the entire political scene supports EU membership, except for minor parties that are openly opposed. However, he warned that increased influence from Belgrade or the church could lead to further erosion of that support.
Former Prime Minister of Montenegro Igor Lukšić does not see the government’s heterogeneity as problematic. “I do not think that this necessarily has to be a bad thing, especially since the opposition consists of parties that support the accession process and are ready to back any initiative that takes us a step closer to the European Union,” Lukšić explained.
He noted that there is a sense of fatigue with a negotiation process that has lasted for a very long time, which should actually be an additional reason to make bolder moves and use the current geopolitical moment. “After all, the work does not end once you enter the EU. For many areas, there will certainly be a transitional period. As long as the tasks are clearly defined and the process is properly supervised, I believe it is achievable,” Lukšić said.
He also warned that it would be unwise for those currently leading the process to relax just because EU officials say that Montenegro could become a member in 2028, even though it is true that conditions today are much easier and faster than in earlier phases. “It is harmful if a chapter is closed and then the obligations arising from it are not fulfilled. The European Union should also issue reminders in order to keep the process on track,” he added.
Lukšić stated that it is acceptable to have all pro-European parties in the government, even if only rhetorically so. “I am glad to see representatives of the current government who are now interested in progress within NATO, even though we remember that this was not the case prior to membership. I am also glad that people in the government who once welcomed Šešelj from The Hague are now telling a very different story,” Lukšić said.
Lukšić emphasized that he does not see anything “alarming” in the idea of a probationary membership model, noting that people tend to forget that the EU integration process is also a process of social emancipation. “I believe that this process would move faster if we were part of a broader community, where at least questions of foreign and security policy would not be subject to hesitation,” he concluded.
The presentations of the panelists were followed by a lively discussion involving diplomats, representatives of the academic community, and civil society actors from Montenegro and the wider region.
This evening’s session, which brought together more than 70 participants, was moderated by the CGO’s Director for Strategy and Communications, Zvezdana Kovač.
