'Cookie of the Balkans' Montenegro can revitalise the EU enlargement process for the rest of candidates, as PM doubles down on 2028 entry.
Montenegro’s prime minister has told Euronews that his country joining the European Union successfully can revitalise the process for the rest of Balkan countries waiting to join the bloc after hosting a high-level political summit this week with EU leaders.
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“The momentum is definitely different from previous times, we definitely see that everybody is hopping on a boat called the unification of Europe,” Milojko Spajić said in an interview on the sidelines of the EU-Western Balkans summit held in Tivat on Friday.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen echoed that sentiment, telling reporters that the country's membership is now “within reach”. Council chief António Costa told Euronews that it is possible for Montenegro to join the union by 2028.
All EU member states must approve the accession of a new country unanimously. European officials told Euronews that Montenegro has proven an ideal candidate, already in NATO, with a pro-European agenda and relatively small size, which makes the process easier compared to larger candidates that would demand more financial resources.
"This goal is realistic and achievable. It is strongly supported by all our European partners,” Milatovic said.
Montenegro has been an official candidate country since 2010 and began actively negotiating its accession in 2012. While it is not part of the eurozone, it unilaterally adopted the euro as its currency.
Montenegrin president Jakov Milatović said the summit had given him “even greater confidence” that his country will fulfil its aim of joining the EU.
Obstacles remain ahead of 2028
Accession talks have now been ongoing for around 14 years, though several key obstacles remain, which Montenegro is now trying to address.
The European Union has created so-called "clusters", a series of reforms, from taxation to environmental policy, that Montenegro needs to align with to secure EU membership.
Podgorica has so far concluded negotiations on 14 of the 35 clusters.
“Montenegro has a lot to offer to the European Union,” Spajić told Euronews. “I often say: Montenegro is like a little sample, like a little cookie of the Western Balkans. If you can take the cookie, and if you like it, you take more.”
Spajić also told Euronews that he welcomed the lifting of a veto imposed on Ukraine by new Hungarian Prime MInister Peter Magyar, saying that it has seeing "progress in accession" to any country helps the overall momentum for the rest of candidates.
For more than two years, Ukraine and Moldova, which are informally coupled as candidates, have been trying to unlock the first accession cluster, which covers the rule of law, human rights and the judiciary, but were blocked under Viktor Orbán's veto policy on Kyiv. With Orbán, EU officials hope the process will accelerate next.
“We want to see Ukraine as well, like progress on the path towards prosperity and peace. Montenegro is here to help, if anything,” he said.
Von der Leyen on Friday described EU expansion into the Western Balkans as “a geostrategic imperative," with Brussels growing concerned about hybrid threats and external interference in the region mostly led by Russia.
“We are a NATO country and we are investing significantly now in our defence capabilities. We are working very closely with all of our partners in tackling all the possible threats and potential threats,” Spajić said.
“We have to keep Europe again focused on its security,” he added. “We see that we have energy crisis as well. We have many other issues that we have to tackle as a continent. A united Europe is the answer to all of these concerns.”