In Montenegro, after the adoption of the Interim Benchmark Report for Chapters 23 and 34 (IBAR), there has been no substantial progress and consensus on the European path, while obstructions are numerous, assessed former Minister of European Affairs, Jovana Marović.
In an interview with the MINA agency, she said that she still hopes that 2028 or 2029 are possible years for Montenegro to join the European Union (EU), but that now there must be stronger lobbying towards member states and that major cuts must be made when it comes to reforms and demonstrating the value framework.
When asked whether Montenegro has progressed enough since the adoption of the IBAR to date to become a member of the Union by 2028, Marović warned that the documents determining the activities for closing Chapters 23 and 24 have not yet been adopted.
"Obtaining IBAR is a turning point in the negotiation process because it is a prerequisite for closing other chapters. Hence the success we have achieved, regardless of the number of operational conclusions in it, which indicate that we must continue to work on the same benchmarks in order to feel progress," Marović stated.
She said that she cannot say that the country has made progress in any of the areas treated by IBAR, or previously by interim measures, because it received that document.
"What's even more devastating is that this hasn't happened even almost a year after it was received. We actually still don't even have documents that determine the activities for closing Chapters 23 and 24," said Marović.
As she said, Montenegro has a year and a half left to transform the judiciary, which sees no guilt in the "Envelope" affair and where the trial of the former president of the Supreme Court is being made into a farce, into an independent branch of government.
Likewise, as she warned, Montenegro needs to close 27 chapters in a year and a half.
"Although everyone is declaratively advocating and taking credit for the formal progress we have made in the negotiation process, there is essentially neither progress nor consensus on the European path, and obstructions are numerous," Marović assessed.
Commenting on allegations that the concrete results of the right-wing government are not enough, Marović said that there will be no breakup of the coalition of the Europe Now Movement (PES) with the parties of the former Democratic Front (DF).
"Because PES and this government care the least about values and principles, and the most about using their position of power to further secure benefits for themselves and their loved ones. This coalition is the only remaining model that allows PES to remain in power, or more precisely, to have such a large share in government," said Marović.
According to her, early elections would mark the political downfall of PES, which, she believes, is unequivocally demonstrated by the percentage of votes won in all local elections held so far.
"It often seems as if PES was created to usher right-wingers into power in a big way and then disappear, and if this trend and position is not a good indicator for them that things need to change, then unfortunately we are getting closer to this scenario," said Marović.
As she said, precisely because of the results of the coalition For the Future of Montenegro (ZBCG), they are imposing their policies on the Prime Minister and the PES, and this is reducing the country's chances of joining the EU.
Marović added that this has been the case since the appointment of the Government, adding that day by day we see the normalization of fascist and chauvinistic statements and policies, which has enormous consequences for the situation in society, with or without the EU.
"Also, it would be nice if we stopped talking about intensifying reforms, but instead informed the public on a daily basis about our next step towards the EU," said Marović.
According to her, it is important that the executive branch does not include parties and coalitions that do not cherish the values that are at the foundation of the EU, and then to work on a consensus to fulfill the conditions necessary for entry into the Union, just as almost all parties in parliament voted for the IBAR laws.
Asked whether the government has a clear enough strategy for resolving open issues with Croatia, Marović answered negatively, adding that it is still good that there is progress in some segments.
"The government does not have a clear strategy, but it is good that the negotiations are moving forward and that there is progress in some segments, although other, more complicated issues are more numerous, and because of our mistakes, Croatia has a better negotiating position," said Marović.
Marović said that during a meeting with EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Kaja Kalas, she and other representatives of the civil sector emphasized the need to remove open issues with Croatia from the context of negotiations and that they must not be an obstacle.
"It is in both Croatia's and our interests to resolve our open issues in the best possible way, and perhaps this dialogue would be fairer if we conducted it on an equal footing as EU member states. It would be nice if we were in the passenger seat, not the back seat, but for that to happen, we must regain Croatia's trust," said Marović.
Commenting on the fact that the German government's coalition agreement stipulates that there will be no enlargement of the Union until the EU reform is completed, which would potentially mean that there will be no enlargement for the next five years, Marović said that it is not good that such messages are coming from one of the EU members.
"In order for enlargement to occur, both the European Commission and all EU member states must agree, and it is not good that such messages are coming from one of them, and it is additionally worrying that the part about the necessity of reforming the Union before enlargement is included in the coalition agreement, that is, the document that will be the backbone of the functioning of the new German government in the coming period," said Marović.
According to her, persistently repeating that one excludes the other is not particularly smart, even in the context of a stronger Europe whose defense and security policy will have to respond to increasingly numerous challenges.
As she added, it is irresponsible to leave in the lurch countries that could be potential prey in the new geopolitical distribution, and which have long since decided to be part of the EU.
"It has also been overlooked that the fact that there is one vacant seat in the EU does not require any institutional tweaks or treaty changes, and the new potential closing of the EU's doors is demotivating for reforms in candidate countries," said Marović.
According to her, it seems that the Montenegrin authorities' tactic of "we are small and we are not a problem", although partially correct, is actually the only one they have, since results are lacking, while they are further complicating the situation with unilateral moves and the (un-European and uncivil) character of the authorities.
"A political decision can push us into the EU even with a lack of results, but that is more problematic in the context of giving a veto to a country that may oppose common policies, especially when it comes to foreign policy," Marović assessed.
She pointed to the problems of "disobedience" from Hungary and Slovakia that the EU is facing and the inability to discipline states that violate human rights and establish deeper ties and alliances with undemocratic leaders of countries that are not members of the Union.
"I still hope that 2028 or 2029 are possible years of accession, but now we must lobby even harder towards member states and make major cuts both when it comes to reforms and when it comes to demonstrating the value framework," Marović said.
According to her, everything after 2029 significantly complicates Montenegro's position.
"Finally, we must also take into account the extremely demanding ratification instruments of the Accession Treaty in some member states, so that is an additional step that we must jump over," Marović stated.
Asked whether, given the course of neighboring Albania's negotiations with the EU, the option of joining in pairs is realistic, Marović said that it is a possible option, but that it does not suit Montenegro.
"This requires a certain institutional reform of the EU, complicates the definition of its budget, and also shifts the year of accession," Marović explained.
According to her, it is not ruled out that some kind of competition between Montenegro and Albania for that one vacant spot is now being deliberately encouraged, and if the announcements that Albania could open all clusters and receive IBAR by the end of the year are correct, then the two countries will be formally equal in the process.
"On the one hand, this is not entirely fair to Montenegro, because we have not always had such a quick response from the European Commission in providing comments and guidelines, but it is obvious that Albania was overlooked when it came to the opening criteria," Marović said.
On the other hand, as she pointed out, such a development is a clear indicator of Montenegro's limited capacities.
"Our ability to turn a finished product into a reality (as happened with Chapter 31 where we met the conditions, and it could also happen with Chapter 5, which relates to public procurement, due to the Agreement with the UAE, which complicates our entry into the EU itself since certain of its provisions conflict with the SAA) and the lack of overall results," Marović stated.
She said that in the EU, if there is really only one scenario until the end of this Commission's mandate, it doesn't matter which country it is.
"We must seize the 28th place in the EU and enter on our own, and let the method of our integration (key reforms plus a monitoring mechanism) serve as an example for the rapid integration of other Western Balkan countries," said Marović.
Commenting on the agreements between the Government of Montenegro and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Marović said that the EU should resolve the dilemma and help Montenegro, in addition to trampling on domestic legislation, not have to annul the EU path or the Agreement with the UAE itself once it enters the EU, which also entails legal consequences.
"This Agreement is a real test of seriousness for both sides and the answer to the question of whether or not we are partners," Marović assessed.
She emphasized that the claim that EU countries also have agreements with the UAE is a substitution of theses, because, as she stated, it is not the country that is in dispute, but the conditions, lack of transparency, circumvention of procedures and laws.
Marović said that she had stopped expecting anything from both Montenegrin parties and the EU and its policy of double standards, but that "this issue is so simple that she would have to make a statement."
"It is quite sad that the EU has always been our only salvation and protection from our arrogant, corrupt, irresponsible and insatiable parties in power, so for once it might not disappoint us both in terms of the Agreement and in terms of membership," concluded Marović.
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