Montenegro has made the most progress on its path toward the European Union compared to other countries in the region. After receiving a positive Report on the Fulfilment of Interim Benchmarks in the area of rule of law (IBAR) last year, Montenegro began closing negotiation chapters. So far, seven out of a total of 33 chapters have been closed. The Government of Montenegro has set an ambitious agenda to close all chapters by the end of 2026, aiming to become the EU’s next member state by 2028. While encouraging signals from Brussels suggest that this goal is achievable if reforms continue, the impression is that the process has slowed down. Only one chapter has been closed this year, despite the European Commission’s roadmap for Montenegro assessing that up to six chapters could be closed in 2025.
We spoke about the current state of play in key negotiation areas related to the rule of law, as well as the challenges on Montenegro’s EU path, with Nikoleta Đukanović, Professor at the University of Donja Gorica and civic activist.
