Šarec: Montenegro is getting closer to its goal of becoming the next EU member

Montenegro is never closer to its goal of becoming the next member of the European Union (EU), having closed 16 negotiation chapters and made more progress than any other candidate country, said the European Parliament (EP) rapporteur for Montenegro, Marjan Šarec.

He said at a press conference after the adoption of the EP Resolution on Montenegro that Montenegro is a leader in the integration process, and the main challenge is to maintain momentum and deliver results. 486 out of 622 MPs present voted in favor of the resolution. 101 MPs were against, while 75 abstained.

"There are challenges - judicial independence, media freedom, environmental protection, etc., but Montenegro is no longer being tested when it comes to the European elections, but rather in terms of its capacity to deliver results," said Šarec.

He added that if it continues on this path, Montenegro has every chance of being the next EU member.

"If Montenegro delivers its results, the EU must do so too," he said.

Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorčević emphasized that this year is historic for Montenegro.

"We managed to close two new chapters, these are not isolated results but a broader picture of our future. Montenegro is delivering results, we accelerated and in two and a half years we have closed 13 chapters," said Gorčević.

According to her, a merit-based approach is acceptable because it shows that results are valued.

"We are aware of the work ahead of us – judicial appointments, the fight against corruption and money laundering... we will not take shortcuts," said Gorčević.

"Someone doesn't like Montenegro's success"

Responding to questions about foreign influence in Montenegro, Šarec said that hybrid threats and attacks are nothing new.

He recalled that the EU-Western Balkans Summit was held in Tivat on June 5th.

"What happened in Tivat is a great success for both Montenegro and the EU, the messages that have been sent are positive, but there are parties that do not like this success and the fact that Montenegro is the leader. The EU is aware of these threats and attacks. When I was the Minister of Defense (in Slovenia) we had hundreds of attacks on our institutions. I am sure that the EU will do everything to help Montenegro, but also others," said Šarec.

Gorčević said that every country before joining was a victim of the same scenarios.

"It is important for us to stay on the right track, we have asked for help from the EU and member states when there is foreign interference," she said.

She reminded that a coordination body has been formed to combat foreign interference.

"For us, the main thing is to maintain the momentum of reforms and stand out on this path, with the support of the EU and other countries," said Gorčević, recalling that Montenegro will hold elections in June 2027, which is why political campaigns are expected to be colored by such experience.

When asked whether Montenegro was concerned about bilateral issues with Croatia, Gorčević responded that there were several open issues, pointing to good communication between the foreign ministries of the two countries, as well as good cooperation with Croatia in closing the chapters.

"We want to resolve all open issues before joining the EU. Communication is ongoing and I expect that in the coming months we will resolve most of these issues, hopefully all of them, but some of them will take time," said Gorčević.

"Vučić's supporters traveled to Tivat with the aim of destabilizing Montenegro"

Ahead of the vote, the report (Resolution) was supplemented with amendments from the Socialists and Democrats stating that the parliament notes with serious concern reports that supporters of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić traveled to Tivat on June 3, 2026, with the aim of destabilizing Montenegro and disrupting the EU-Western Balkans Summit, RTCG reports.

The EP notes that some of the individuals involved had previously been identified at pro-government mobilisations, participated in attempts to suppress student protests in Serbia and had a record of violent criminal acts or misdemeanours.

In addition, the amendment strongly condemns the actions of structures affiliated with the ruling party in Serbia that aim to destabilize Montenegro and undermine its progress towards accession to the European Union.

An additional amendment proposed by the liberal group Renewing Europe (RENEW) welcomed the establishment of an ad hoc working group within the Council to draft an accession treaty with Montenegro, as an important and timely step in advancing the final phase of Montenegro's accession process to the European Union and reaffirming the EU's commitment to enlargement policy.