Charge d'Affaires at the Polish Embassy for "Vijesti": If you deviate from the EU path, your stability will waver

We observe Russia's actions, the expansion of Serbia's influence, we witness dependence on China and the growing role of Turkey.

Political manipulations, campaigns, local elections, the issue of dual citizenship... have affected the image of the country.

You should focus on improving relations with Croatia, because it understands the ongoing negotiation process best.

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"It is realistic to enter the EU in 2028, but it will depend on many factors": Lakota Meeker, Photo: Embassy of Poland
"It is realistic to enter the EU in 2028, but it will depend on many factors": Lakota Meeker, Photo: Embassy of Poland
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.

Montenegro cannot deviate from the European path now, because this will be used by forces that want to take it away from the West and disrupt the integration process, including undermining its stability - assessed the charge d'affaires at the Polish Embassy in Podgorica, Lakota Miker's Malgozata.

In an interview with "Vijesti", she said that there are realistic chances for Montenegro to become a member of the European Union (EU) in 2028, because, she claims, many positive things happened in the previous year, such as the closing of three negotiation chapters and access to the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA).

He points out that there have also been negative things, such as the deterioration of relations with Croatia, adding that political manipulation, election campaigns, local elections in Podgorica, Kotor and Budva, as well as changes in the composition of the government and the issue of dual citizenship, have been burning topics in recent months, which have affected the image of Montenegro.

He says that Poland, which took over the presidency of the Council of the EU on January 1, will help Montenegro and try to support reforms in the Western Balkans (WB), mainly in the areas of the rule of law, the fight against corruption and media freedom.

"It will seek to mediate in difficult political issues, ease tensions, including those between Serbia and Kosovo, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It will also promote economic and infrastructure cooperation between the EU and the WB," said Lakota Meeker.

Poland took over the presidency of the Council of the EU on January 1st - what will be your priorities, will EU enlargement be among them?

This is the second Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU after 2011. Poland faces many challenges, but also opportunities. The priorities of the Polish Presidency in the next six months will focus on three areas: increasing support for Ukraine, maintaining the current policy towards Russia and Belarus, and strengthening the security and resilience of the EU and its partners. It is not without reason that the motto of the Polish Presidency is: “Security, Europe!”. The aim of the Polish Presidency is to ensure the security of Europe in many dimensions: military, internal, economic, energy, information, food and health.

Military security will be based on support for the EU defense industry, the development of military infrastructure, the construction of fortifications and the increase of defense potential in eastern Poland (Eastern Shield), and comprehensive support for Ukraine. Of course, close cooperation with the EC through adequate financing of the EU defense dimension, strengthening cooperation with NATO, including the USA, and combating irregular migration will also be important in the area of ​​security. In this case, cooperation with local communities is also important. In the area of ​​information security, Poland will strive to strengthen EU coordination in the fight against disinformation, propaganda and fake news. In the area of ​​energy security, we will strive to work on further independence from external energy sources and imports of energy from unreliable suppliers, we will focus on the security and cybersecurity of critical infrastructure and cooperation with local communities in the area of ​​energy projects. In order to ensure economic security, it will pay special attention to the competitiveness of the EU, including efforts to promote Polish entrepreneurship, reduce bureaucracy for entrepreneurs, restore a level playing field for EU industry in the face of protectionist practices, strengthen an effective cohesion policy and the role of regions. The future of competitive and crisis-resistant agriculture, support for farmers under the Common Agricultural Policy and combat the challenges arising from climate change will be the main objectives in the field of food security. We enter the New Year wishing each other good health and emphasizing that this is the most important thing, which is why health security will be of great importance in the next six months. Poland will strive to increase pharmaceutical independence in the EU, diversify supply chains and support the production of medicines in the EU. We are hearing more and more about the consequences of the pandemic, and the data on mental disorders in children and adolescents are alarming, so we will try to face these challenges as well.

Poland wants to maintain the momentum of EU enlargement, if only because it will allow it to expand the zone of stability in Europe. EU enlargement is an investment in the stability and security of Europe for all EU countries. How quickly this will happen will, of course, depend on the commitment of individual countries to meet their obligations under membership. In the coming months, Poland will try to support reforms in the Western Balkan countries. Mainly in the areas of the rule of law, the fight against corruption and freedom of the media. It will seek to mediate in difficult political issues, to ease tensions, including those between Serbia and Kosovo, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It will also promote economic and infrastructure cooperation between the EU and the WB.

What do you see as the main challenges during the presidency?

The time we took over the presidency is a special moment in history. The international situation is not simple. The war in Ukraine has been going on for three years, geopolitical tensions are growing, and we are also seeing an escalation of tensions in the Middle East. We are fighting hybrid threats that target the foundations of democracy. We must fight disinformation, extreme climate events and the need to implement the energy transformation in the face of growing global competition every day. The European Commission has launched a new phase of its activities. Our presidency is the first in a new institutional cycle that will have to round off the topics already started, but also start completely new ones. The presidency is a challenge for every country that takes it over. It is the role of a responsible partner, but also the need to be an effective organizer of discussions, a leader who will lead multilateral negotiations.

During the presidency, we will primarily be a representative of the Council of the EU, responsible for making joint decisions. Poland will use this time to present its vision of the future of Europe. It will seek to strengthen its already strong position as an EU member state and promote European values ​​such as democracy, the rule of law and mutual trust. By encouraging dialogue, it will engage in discussions on European Commission proposals that are important for Europe, striving to ensure the security of EU citizens at all costs, but also striving to protect its citizens and entrepreneurs while respecting democratic values.

How do you view the situation in the Western Balkans? Do you believe that all countries in the region should be part of the EU?

Poland is a supporter of the EU enlargement to new member states, including the Western Balkans. It believes that the stability of the region is crucial for its security, but also for its development. The membership of the Western Balkans countries in the EU is an important step in the whole process. Of course, provided that the aspirant countries want it and meet the conditions imposed on them. By this we mean, among other things: the possession of stable state institutions that guarantee democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights, protection of minorities, a well-functioning market economy, resistance to competition on the EU market and the ability to implement the obligations arising from EU membership, of which there are many. The accession process is not easy, and each of the EU members who has experienced it knows and understands how complex and time-consuming it is. It knows how much effort and commitment it brings. Therefore, as far as possible, Poland provides assistance, substantive and practical support and motivates the Western Balkan countries to intensify efforts to implement the conditions arising from the completion of individual negotiation chapters.

There are many advantages to EU membership. Enlargement brings many advantages to the new member states, as we have seen for ourselves over the past 20 years. Poland joined the EU in 2004. EU membership provides political stability, enables increased trade, brings new financial resources and contributes to increased investment...

In recent years, theoretically since Croatia's accession to the EU in 2013, the EU has hesitated to expand further. There was talk of an internal crisis in the EU, further deepened by the economic crisis, and of the EU's enlargement being put on hold. Only the Russian aggression against Ukraine forced it to change its approach, making it realise that unity provides the strength we all need. The recent EU-Western Balkans summit in December gave new impetus to the strategic partnership between the EU and the region. Of course, each of the six Western Balkan countries differs in terms of progress in implementing its commitments. Each of them has its own challenges and problems to solve. Statistics presented by the European Commissioner for Enlargement at the end of the year Marta Kos clearly showed that the EU has closed a total of 15 chapters with various candidate countries over the past decade, six of which concern Montenegro, and this is a good result. Without a doubt, Montenegro has been a leader in the region for a long time. Serbia is also conducting accession negotiations. The complexity of the problems faced by the remaining candidate countries, Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, which applied for EU membership at the end of 2022, will certainly require a longer period of time for their implementation.

Can Montenegro become the next EU member in 2028? What does that depend on?

We believe that Montenegro will succeed in achieving this goal. The chances are real, although the final decision will, of course, depend on many factors and the efforts of Montenegro itself. The trend that has been visible in the past year is positive. Montenegro has undergone a series of reforms, but new challenges lie ahead. The successful accession by the stated date is also supported by the fact that in 2024 Montenegro participated in three intergovernmental conferences, received a positive IBAR (Report on the Assessment of the Fulfillment of the Interim Criteria in Chapters 23 and 24), joined the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), closed three negotiation chapters... The plan is to close all 33 negotiation chapters by 2026. If such a scenario comes true, the slogan “Montenegro will be the 28th Member State in 2028” will gain strength. This will also be a positive signal for other countries in the region that are facing their European perspective. The high support of Montenegrin citizens (80 percent) who see their country in the EU and the consensus between representatives of the 44th government and representatives of all parties also have a positive impact on the entire process. In order to accelerate integration with the EU, the “Barometer 26” Platform was established to initiate a dialogue on the most important issues for the country. This has a very positive impact on the entire process. It is worth noting that in November 2024, the European Commission approved the Reform and Growth Instrument for the Western Balkans. Under this program, Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia will be allocated around 2024 billion euros between 2027 and 6. The aforementioned instrument is modeled after the Reconstruction Fund, which means that money will be allocated for reforms envisaged in national plans. The amount of funds will of course depend on the number of inhabitants and GDP. Thus, Montenegro will receive 6,38% of the funds from the plan, or 383,5 million euros, of which 110 million euros will be non-refundable, and the rest in the form of soft loans. This will give it the opportunity to act in the most important areas of socio-economic reforms.

The past year has been negatively affected by the deterioration of bilateral relations with Croatia, which is believed to be the reason why Montenegro did not close Chapter 31 on foreign policy in December (which Croatia did not support). In 2006, when Montenegro gained independence, one of the basic assumptions of its foreign policy was, in addition to membership in NATO and the EU, resolving and maintaining positive relations with its neighbors. Croatia is one of them, a member of the North Atlantic Alliance, and since 2013, the EU. Over the years, the fraternal relations between the two countries have been emphasized. In 2024, there was a standstill in relations, a completely unnecessary opening of “Pandora’s box”, a return to a difficult history that both sides should respect. The topic of the ship “Jadran” arose, the difficult topic of the Resolution on the genocide in the Jasenovac camp, which Montenegro voted for, and the retaliation Andrija Mandic, Aleksa Becic i Milan Knezevic declared persona non grata by Croatia...

I think that Croatia is the country that currently understands the current negotiation process of Montenegro best. It conducted its own negotiations with the EU from 2005 to 2011 and faced similar problems, some of which were, among other things, consequences of military operations in the 1990s. EU membership opened up new opportunities and changed Croatia. That is why I personally believe that Montenegro, especially now, should focus on improving relations with Croatia. I hope that in 2025 it will get back on track as best as possible.

Internal relations in Montenegro itself also require improvement. Political manipulations, election campaigns, local elections in Podgorica, Kotor, Budva, changes in the composition of the government, the issue of dual citizenship - these are the burning topics of recent months, which have not brought a good response, have affected the image of the country. The rule of law, the judicial system, the fight against corruption and organized crime require improvement. Montenegro entered 2025 with tears in its eyes after another tragedy in Cetinje... there are no words to express the sadness and disbelief that such terrible events have been repeated in the capital of Montenegro, in less than two and a half years, after a similar tragedy... The citizens of Montenegro cannot feel safe in their country, which they have expressed with recent protests. We note that these are not external threats, but threats that appear daily on the streets of Montenegrin cities, from mafia clashes to situations such as we have recently witnessed.

Can the pro-Russian parties in power in Montenegro, or some of their initiatives (for example, proposing a law on "agents of foreign influence"), jeopardize the country's path to the EU?

I think that the 44th Government of Montenegro has clearly stated what its current goals and priorities are. They are highlighted at international forums by the President, Prime Minister or Minister for European Integration. Maida Gorcevic, who is very actively advocating for Montenegro's membership in the EU, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ervin Ibrahimovic. Montenegro’s current main goal is to become a member of the EU in 2028. Montenegro’s future is linked to the EU. It cannot deviate from this path now, because any deviation will be used by forces that want to take it away from the West and disrupt the integration process, including undermining its stability. We are observing Russia’s actions, the expansion of Serbia’s influence in Montenegro, we are witnessing dependence on China and the growing role of Turkey in the region. Therefore, the fight against disinformation and newly emerging anti-European activities is currently of great importance. The more people talk and write about these threats and take active steps in society, the greater its awareness and ability to respond. In my opinion, recent publications and conferences organized by, among others, the Digital Forensic Center, the Center for Democratic Transition or the Atlantic Council of Montenegro deserve attention.

An opportunity that Montenegro must seize

Can Montenegro count on Poland's support on its path to the EU?

Of course, Poland will continue to support Montenegro on its path to the EU. Montenegro's accession to the EU will, of course, depend on the pace of reforms, political stability and the readiness of the EU itself to accept new members. But, yes, we are in favor of EU enlargement. Last year, Poland celebrated the 20th anniversary of its membership in the EU. Poland's path to freedom and European integration was a long process, encompassing revolutionary, political, social and economic events.

From the state of emergency that broke out on December 13, 1981, which symbolized repression and resistance, through free elections and peaceful democratic transformation, intensification of international cooperation, to membership in NATO and the European Union, our country has undergone a major transformation. Of course, it took a lot of effort and work, but the decision to become a member of both organizations, including the EU, was the right one. It was one of the most important decisions that allowed our country to recover from a difficult period and gave its citizens a chance for a better tomorrow. The Polish economy has been growing at a steady pace for more than twenty years and is the sixth largest economy in the EU. GDP per capita is above 70% of the EU average. EU membership has brought Poland tangible economic benefits, including EU funds, EU regulations, the development of foreign trade or general revenues from the EU budget. The freedom of movement of people, services and capital means that we do not feel worse than other EU countries. We have equal opportunities, we share similar values, we have common goals.

So, we know and understand what Montenegro is striving for. This is a huge opportunity for it that it must seize. Poland has been offering its support to Montenegro for many years. We are trying to share our experience in the political dimension, as well as through concrete assistance, which is offered, for example, through cooperation projects at the administrative and economic levels, which help Montenegro to implement its obligations towards the EU. We will also strive to share our substantive knowledge and practical approach with the representatives of Montenegro during the presidency, presenting Poland's achievements in the EU.

Are you satisfied with the economic cooperation between Montenegro and Poland? In what areas is there room for improvement of cooperation?

Polish-Montenegrin economic cooperation is considered dynamic, although I personally believe that there is still significant potential for its development. Trade between the countries is growing every year, which is a positive trend. From Poland to Montenegro, we export: furniture, mechanical devices and parts, electrical appliances, mineral fuels, cosmetics, food products such as Polish milk, spices, apples. From Montenegro to Poland, we import steel, iron, mechanical devices, paper, food products, including alcohol and wine.

The Embassy of Poland in Podgorica organizes a series of events promoting Poland in Montenegro every year in November, including the Polish Products Fair in Podgorica. This is a great opportunity to present everything Polish and establish good relations between entrepreneurs. In 2024, products from Polish brands such as: Inglot, Kamis, K2, Marylin, Mokosh, Tarczyński, Triumph, Tymbark, Delia, La Rive, Cleanic, Controly and others were presented. The furniture and interior design exhibition was presented by the esteemed Suhih Design. In recent years, we have been following the development of individual sectors, including: construction, tourism, information technology.

Polish companies are increasingly investing in Montenegro. They are starting to be noticed in the construction and hotel industries. Montenegro has become dear to Poles as another destination on the Adriatic Sea after Croatia. We are a linguistic community, so it is easier for us to communicate with Montenegrins than anywhere else. We appreciate them because they are open, friendly and helpful. During the pandemic, many Poles found their place on the Montenegrin coast. They liked the peace and beauty of Montenegro and never returned to Poland. Montenegro gave them new chances and opportunities, changed their approach to life. Some Poles opened their own businesses.

The interest in Montenegro is also evidenced by the fact that the Irish airline Ryanair offers a wide range of flights to Podgorica during the summer, including flights from Krakow, Gdansk, Wroclaw. Wizzair operates on the Katowice-Warsaw route. LOT Polish Airlines offers direct flights to Warsaw throughout the year. Last summer, about thirty flights were operated per week, which is a fact that speaks for itself. We can increasingly hear about cooperation in the field of renewable energy sources or projects related to the modernization of transport infrastructure. Of course, we cannot compare ourselves with the Chinese in this regard, but we have certain achievements in this field as well.

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