European Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos has called on Montenegro’s political class to set aside partisan divisions and rally around an inclusive dialogue as the country enters the decisive stretch of its EU accession process. Speaking after a meeting with Parliament Speaker Andrija Mandić in Podgorica on 20 May, Kos stressed that Montenegro stands at a “key crossroads” where the remaining reforms in rule of law and fundamental rights must be completed through broad consensus rather than narrow majorities. She was joined by European Parliament rapporteur Marjan Šarec and EU Ambassador Johan Sattler for a tour of the exhibition “Europe, We Are Returning” at the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts, a symbolic backdrop for a visit framed as both encouragement and gentle pressure.
Kos’s message carried particular weight given Montenegro’s current momentum. The country has provisionally closed 14 of its 33 negotiating chapters, including six last year and two already in 2026, and the EU established an ad hoc working group on 22 April to begin drafting the Accession Treaty, a step European Council President António Costa called the first time since 2013 that Brussels had “started the clock” for a new member. Yet Kos made clear that technical progress alone is insufficient. “The European future of Montenegro must transcend party divisions,” she said, expressing hope for “broad support from political actors through inclusive dialogue.” The emphasis on unity reflects lingering concerns in Brussels about the durability of reforms in a country where political coalitions are fragile and identity-based tensions between pro European and pro Serbian factions continue to simmer. Mandić, for his part, struck a conciliatory tone, describing his policy as “unifying” and noting with pride that his party is now the oldest leader within the Council of Europe and EU frameworks. “Our job is to make Montenegro a community of rich and happy people,” he said.
The visit comes as Montenegro’s government pursues an ambitious calendar to close all remaining 19 chapters by year end and seal membership by 2028. Minister for European Integration Maida Gorčević has acknowledged that the final phase hinges on demonstrating a stable track record in rule of law, judicial independence, and the fight against corruption and organized crime, areas where EU scrutiny is most intense. European Parliament rapporteur Šarec has repeatedly warned that “malign foreign interference” remains a critical concern, urging Podgorica to adopt countermeasures in cooperation with the EU and NATO. For Kos, the equation is straightforward, Montenegro may be the first country to join the EU under the bloc’s new, stricter accession conditions, but only if its political elites can sustain the cross party cooperation that has so far carried the process forward. Whether that cooperation survives the pressures of an election cycle and identity politics will determine whether the “Europe, We Are Returning” exhibition becomes a statement of fact or merely aspiration.
