EU media: Montenegro advances towards membership, Serbia controversial, most in the Western Balkans lags behind in reforms

A new momentum is possible on the Western Balkans' path to membership in the European Union (EU), Montenegro is making progress, while Serbia is controversial, and most in the region is lagging behind in reforms, EU media reported from a meeting of leaders of the region and the Union in Tivat.

The general assessment is that it is important that Paris and Berlin have proposed that partners from the region can gradually enter the single market first, and possibly other sectoral policies, but initially without decision-making rights.

The French newspaper Le Figaro points to the long road ahead and the difficulties that still lie ahead, underlining the controversial laws on the judiciary adopted by the Serbian parliament, the delayed reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) due to political grievances, and the political impasse in Kosovo that prevents any reform.

"A large part of the region as a whole is lagging behind, lagging behind in the process leading to EU membership," believes Figaro.

In all its coverage, the EU media emphasize that potential membership must be in line with the merits of the reforms implemented.

The French economic daily Lezeco notes that "Serbia, a difficult category of region with 6,5 million inhabitants, is the most problematic due to its weak integration into the EU's foreign and security policy, especially when it comes to Russia."

The German Deutsche Welle points out that Montenegro is leading the way on the path to membership, but also that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has stated that "the road is still long, but feasible."

The French newspaper Le Monde draws attention to the fact that the countries of the Western Balkans still face key tasks - combating corruption, organized crime and strengthening the independence of the judiciary.

Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron have told Podgorica that they will help Montenegro get to the EU's doorstep, reports say, although the Parisian economic daily Lezeko believes that Podgorica still has "a lot of crazy work" ahead of it to achieve this.

Lezeko also states that Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, a former employee of the American bank Goldman Sachs, is skilled at visiting financial centers with the aim of encouraging investors, and today he is trying to convince the leaders of the old continent to accept the opening of the Union's doors.

Spajić assures the EU leadership that the Union already had 28 members by the time Great Britain left, and that small Montenegro, "with only 600 inhabitants, would require only minimal financial interventions in the Union's budget," the French newspaper notes.

And, as he adds, a working group has already begun drafting an agreement on Montenegro's accession to the EU.

"Although the 27 want to incorporate many safeguard clauses into the accession treaties for the region, especially when it comes to the rule of law, in order to avoid the regression in democracy seen in Hungary under the rule of Viktor Orban," adds Lezeko.