Brussels – Montenegro is progressing on its path to EU membership, but behind the shiny label of a “frontrunner country”—aspiring to become the 28th EU member by 2028—the accession process is far from smooth.
“To convince member states, we must demonstrate tangible results and a steadfast commitment to EU values,” said Jovana Marović, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for European Affairs of Montenegro in 2022, and a current member of the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG), in an interview with The New Union Post.
All the challenges ahead
In light of Montenegro’s ambition to become ‘the 28th Member State by 2028’, Marović pointed to one of the main challenges ahead: “Some member states emphasise the necessity of internal reforms before admitting new members.” This issue cannot be overlooked, as the accession of new members requires unanimous approval from all existing ones.
The position of Milojko Spajić‘s government is that Montenegro—due to its small size and modest economy—is unlikely to destabilise the Union as a whole and would be relatively easy to integrate. “Although this perspective holds some truth, it remains our main approach as we await reforms that would establish the rule of law,” Marović cautioned.
The situation is further complicated by the government’s heterogeneity and the involvement of pro-Russian parties, such as New Serb Democracy (NSD) and the Democratic People’s Party (DNP). With Podgorica’s accession, the potential veto power held by a government “that does not fully embrace EU values” poses a significant challenge. The examples of Hungary and Slovakia show how “the EU struggles to discipline member states that deepen ties with undemocratic leaders outside the Union.”
Despite these challenges, former Deputy Prime Minister Marović remains “hopeful” that Montenegro can secure EU membership “by 2028 or 2029.” However, she warned that “we must demonstrate tangible results and a steadfast commitment to EU values,” especially given the “stringent ratification processes of the Accession Treaty” in some member states (such as referendums).
The path forward requires meeting the benchmarks to close the remaining 27 chapters that have yet to be provisionally closed. Rather than adopting laws and strategies “of questionable quality that have no practical effect,” Marović emphasised the urgent need to implement priority reforms “by the end of 2026.” This includes setting “realistic deadlines” for reforms and establishing an “efficient monitoring mechanism” to oversee progress post-accession.
Marović identified the priority reforms as including a comprehensive electoral reform, the creation of a robust system to evaluate the performance of judges and prosecutors, the rationalisation of public administration staffing levels, and the introduction of measures to prevent politically motivated appointments. Additionally, there is a pressing need for legislation on the confiscation of assets obtained through criminal activity and the effective enforcement of financial investigations.
A final concern relates to security, especially in light of the 2021 ‘debt-trap’ risk posed by the Chinese-funded Bar–Boljare motorway under the Belt and Road Initiative. Although the loan has since been successfully refinanced, valuable lessons regarding economic management, environmental impact, and transparency must be learned, as “similar problems may recur” in forthcoming projects. In particular, Marović has sounded the alarm over the deal with the United Arab Emirates, which is expected for parliamentary ratification “by the end of the month.”
The state of EU-Montenegro relations
Montenegro submitted its application for EU membership in 2008. Candidate status was granted in June 2010, and accession negotiations began in 2012. To date, all 33 screened negotiating chapters have been opened, and six have been provisionally closed: Chapter 7 (Intellectual Property Law), Chapter 10 (Digital Transformation and Media), Chapter 20 (Enterprise and Industrial Policy), Chapter 25 (Science and Research), Chapter 26 (Education and Culture), and Chapter 30 (External Relations).
Moreover, in June 2024, Podgorica received a positive Interim Benchmark Assessment Report (IBAR), indicating that it has met the interim benchmarks in Chapter 23 (Judiciary and Fundamental Rights) and Chapter 24 (Justice, Freedom and Security)—a prerequisite for closing chapters deemed ready for provisional closure. For these reasons, Montenegro is considered the most advanced country in the EU enlargement process, with the aim of closing all chapters by the end of 2026.
Provided the government in Podgorica maintains progress on reforms and fulfils the necessary requirements, the Council of the European Union anticipated in its 2024 conclusions on Enlargement that it “stands ready to initiate, in due time, the preparations for the drafting of the Accession Treaty.”
