Montenegrin President warns of snares in faulty EU accession outcomes

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Montenegro’s President has flagged dangers lurking in EU enlargement processes while recommitting his country to successful EU accession by 2028 in a comment piece for Euronews.

In the article Jakov Milatovic drew on his previous career as an economist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to sketch four scenarios for EU accession by candidate countries.

The first two see the candidate country either failing the accession process for lack of democratic or institutional progress, or alternately succeeding in building institutions and advancing democratic standards, yet still not being accepted by the EU. This latter scenario “often leads to regression and the reversal of democratic gains”, according to Milatovic.

In the third scenario, the candidate country shows insufficient democratic progress, but is admitted by the EU despite this “based solely on geopolitical considerations”.

“Over the long term, both the EU and the country suffer, as core values like the rule of law and effective governance are sidelined,” Milatovic warned, adding that “this scenario could also benefit adversaries, providing them with opportunities to exert influence within the EU.”

The sole ideal outcome, he argued, is where the candidate country “leverages the accession process to achieve genuine democratic progress and build robust institutions, while also depoliticising its public administration, enabling a free media environment, and focusing on sustainable economic development, and then is welcomed into the EU”.

Unsurprisingly Milatovic said this is what he envisions for Montenegro. Elsewhere in the article Milatovic said that the goal he has set for Montenegro to become the 28th EU member state by 2028, remains “ambitious yet achievable”.

Most, if not all, political parties in Montenegro are publicly committed to EU integration, he said, and “more than 80% of the population supports EU membership”.