Brussels – There is a goal: after years of political and institutional instability and stagnation on the road to the European Union, the tide has changed for Montenegro to reach an objective it has been hoping for over 15 years. “Our history and our actions in the coming months and years will put on the table decisions whether Montenegro is ready to become the 28th member country by 2028, or whether we will be part of a broader process that will come later,” Montenegro’s newly appointed prime minister, Milojko Spajić, said, speaking to reporters at the end of the 15th meeting of the EU-Montenegro Accession Conference in Brussels last night (January 29).
Montenegro’s Prime Minister, Milojko Spajić (29 gennaio 2024)Responding to questions about the need for reforms in Podgorica and, at the same time, reforms internal to the Union, Spajić noted that “in theory, the EU is already ready for 28 members. There is no need to change the Treaties” implicitly referring to the UK’s farewell after Brexit in 2020. But for the most advanced partner country on the path to the EU among the 10 in the race, there is no blame-shifting with Brussels: “We are the ones who have to fulfill our promises and be a reliable partner. If we do that, I am optimistic.” With the new pro-European government taking office on October 31, 2023, there is also optimism in Brussels about the progress Podgorica can make in the short term, considering also the end of the long process of appointment of Constitutional Court judges that has made relations between political forces in the Balkan country tense between late 2022 and mid-2023. Belgian Foreign Minister and rotating chair of the EU Council, Hadja Lahbib, explained that “it is very ambitious, and we support it,” speaking of the 2028 target. He added, however, that EU enlargement “remains a process based on Copenhagen criteria and merit. I see that there is a strong will, and I am sure you will make more progress in the near future.”
Yesterday’s EU-Montenegro Accession Conference took stock of the country’s progress toward accession. Negotiations see all 33 chapters open and only three provisionally closed: chapter 25 on science and research, 26 on education and culture, and 30 on external surveys. As stated in the latest specific report on Montenegro in the 2023 Enlargement Package, progress on intermediate benchmarks set in chapters 23 and 24 on the rule of law (‘judiciary and fundamental rights’ and ‘justice, freedom and security’) “will be key to achieving further progress” in general negotiations. In other words, “no other chapters will be provisionally closed before reaching this milestone.” The Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, also noted that “the next steps are clear: Podgorica knows what needs to be done,” particularly in the area of the media with the “strengthening of the National Media Council,” independence of judges, and the fight against corruption and organized crime “not only with legislation but also with a track record on high-level cases,” Cabinet member von der Leyen stressed. Premier Spajić wanted to clarify that “we have a lot of work to do on pending legislation, but I am confident that this approach will yield results.”
The search for new stability in Montenegro
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From left: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Montenegro’s President Jakov Milatović in Podgorica (October 31, 2023)
2023 marked the end of an institutional and political crisis in Montenegro. Since February last year, there has been a series of successes for the new pro-European movement, Europe Now, founded and led by those who are now Montenegro’s prime minister and president – Spajić and Jakov Milatović, respectively – winners of the double round of elections in just over two months: the April 2 presidential runoff and the June 11 parliamentary elections. Prime Minister Spajić – elected on the day of the visit of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to Podgorica – and President Milatović were Finance and Economy and Economic Development Ministers, respectively, in the anti-Đukanović coalition (that headed the Balkan country for 32 years) led from December 4, 2020, to April 28, 2022, by Krivokapić. During their year-and-a-half in government, the two presented a program of economic reforms entitled ‘Europe Now’, which included measures such as cutting healthcare contributions and raising the minimum wage to 450 euros. The two technocrats announced their willingness to found a new liberal, anti-corruption, and pro-European center-right party after the fall of the Krivokapić government in February 2022. They established the party on June 26, saying they would work with other civic and center formations ahead of the 2023 elections.
From left: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Montenegro’s Prime Minister Milojko Spajić in Podgorica (October 31, 2023)
The appointment of Spajić and Milatović (the youngest ever elected to the country’s two institutional posts, both 36) ended a turbulent phase for Montenegro that began with the August 30, 2020, elections. On that occasion, the political balance changed after 30 uninterrupted years in power for Đukanović’s DPS (always ruling or presiding over the country since 1991). Leading the executive for a little over a year was a coalition formed by the pro-Serbs of ‘For the Future of Montenegro’ (of then PM Zdravko Krivokapić), the moderates of ‘Peace is Our Nation’ (led by Democratic Montenegro), and the ‘Black on White’ civic platform dominated by the Civic Movement United Reformist Action (URA) of Dritan Abazović. On February 4, 2022, ‘Black on White’ challenged the Krivokapić government, endorsing an opposition motion and giving rise to the Abazović minority executive.
However, Abazović’s government collapsed on August 19 (the shortest in the country’s history), with the motion of no-confidence from Đukanović’s new DPS allies due to the so-called ‘fundamental agreement’ with the Serbian Orthodox Church. The understanding to regulate mutual relations – with recognition of the presence and continuity of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro since 1219 – was supported by pro-Serbian parties, while all others rejected it because it was considered Belgrade’s interference in the country and an obstacle on the road to EU membership. During the institutional crisis that has emerged since the second half of the year and after he refused to appoint a new prime minister, on March 16, 2023, former President Đukanović disbanded Parliament and called early elections for June 11, not knowing that within a few weeks, he would lose first the presidential elections and then national elections.
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