Montenegrin President Jakov Milatović has told the European Parliament that his country is ready to become the European Union’s 28th member state by 2028, after passing the halfway mark in its accession negotiations.
Addressing MEPs in a formal sitting in Strasbourg on June 16, Milatović said the moment was historic for Montenegro and for the EU’s enlargement policy, and urged the bloc to show that reform and democratic progress have a place within the European project.
He said Montenegro was prepared to “bind its future to the common European future”, presenting membership as the fulfilment of a promise made to the Balkan state long ago.
The address came a day after Montenegro provisionally closed two more negotiating chapters at an accession conference in Luxembourg, covering the free movement of workers and consumer and health protection.
That brought to 16 the number of chapters closed out of 33, leaving Montenegro at the midpoint of a process it began in 2012. The Government in Podgorica has set a target of closing all chapters by the end of 2026.
Welcoming Milatović, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said enlargement was “an investment in a stronger, safer and more prosperous Europe”, describing the present period as Europe’s enlargement moment.
Milatović acknowledged that work remained, citing pending reforms on the rule of law, independent institutions and an efficient public administration. Those areas, covered by the negotiations’ most sensitive chapters, have long been regarded as the toughest hurdles for any candidate country.
No country has joined the EU since Croatia in 2013, and enlargement has drawn criticism from some member states and candidates over its slow pace. Milatović argued that Montenegro’s progress would help restore confidence in the policy.
The Council has already begun work on drafting the accession treaty, a step that would normally follow only once negotiations are close to complete.
Ireland is due to take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union on July 1, placing Dublin in a position to advance the negotiations over the following six months. MEPs were expected to vote on June 17 on a report assessing Montenegro’s accession progress.
