Montenegro’s EU Push: Imminent Opportunities and Challenges

Under its new government, Montenegro has unblocked its accession process. Although the small country faces many obstacles, it now represents the best opportunity for the EU to regain momentum for enlargement in the Western Balkans. The period until mid-2024 will be pivotal for reform progress in Podgorica and adequate response from Brussels. Their moves will also be closely watched by Russia, which is prepared to exploit new vulnerabilities in this NATO member strategically located between Serbia and the Adriatic Coast.

Montenegro started EU membership talks in 2012. While it has opened all 33 negotiating chapters, it has closed only three of them. In recent years, its accession process has stagnated due to a lack of political will. The fact that a parliamentary majority – and sometimes a constitutional majority of MPs – is required to pass key laws and confirm essential appointments in the justice system has been a serious problem.

Read the full article on the DGAP website.

This DGAP Memo outlines the main findings of a fact-finding mission to Podgorica that was jointly conducted by experts from four European think tanks – DGAP (German Council on Foreign Relations), Jacques Delors Institute, Clingendael, and Carnegie Europe – from February 18 to 20, 2024. It was co-organized by DGAP and Ana Nenezić from the local think tank Analitiko.