The process of European Union (EU) enlargement cannot be just a matter of institutions and political decisions, but must have the support of citizens, both in candidate countries and in EU member states.
This was assessed at a meeting organized today in Podgorica by the Center for Civic Education (CCE), the Center for Monitoring and Research (CeMI) and the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM) from Austria.
As announced by the CCE, the message at the gathering was that it is important to openly discuss the expectations, fears and prejudices that accompany enlargement, but also to offer clearer and more convincing answers to the question of what the enlarged EU brings to its citizens.
CCE's Director of Strategy and Communications, Zvezdana Kovač, said that Montenegro's European path has significance that goes beyond its borders, because its progress sends a strong message about the credibility of the enlargement policy and the reality of the European perspective for the entire Western Balkans.
"Montenegro's path to the EU is not just a Montenegrin story. It is, in many ways, also a test of the credibility and transformative power of the enlargement process itself," said Kovač.
She stated that citizens of member states have specific concerns, from the economic costs and possible impact on jobs and public services, to issues of migration, security and the EU's ability to function effectively with a larger number of members.
"That is why one of the key challenges is not just whether enlargement will happen, but how to build more trust and understanding among citizens, both within the EU and in countries aspiring to membership," said Kovač.
CeMI Project Coordinator Luka Pavićević said that as Montenegro approaches EU membership, it is important for citizens to not only monitor the technical progress of the negotiations, but also to clearly understand what membership means for their daily lives and what opportunities it brings.
According to him, it is equally important to understand how citizens of member states view further enlargement, especially in countries where support for the process is lower.
"The goal should not only be to convince skeptics, but above all to understand their expectations, concerns and the reasons that shape their attitudes," said Pavicevic.
He emphasized that enlargement is not just a matter of reforms, negotiation chapters and benchmarks, but a process of bringing societies closer together, building trust and stronger connections between the citizens of candidate countries and the EU.
IDM Director Sebastian Schafer said that the debate on enlargement should not be reduced to an economic calculation about which countries contribute more to the European budget and which benefit more from it, as this ignores the broader benefits and importance of enlargement for the EU.
He pointed out the gap between support for enlargement in candidate countries and some of the Union's member states.
According to the data he presented, support for the European perspective among the citizens of Montenegro is 80 percent, while enlargement is supported by 45 percent of citizens of Austria and 49 percent of Germans.
Schafer assessed that the enlargement process has become extremely technical and bureaucratic over time, making it difficult to present it to citizens as a common European political project.
"Enlargement today, unlike the great wave of 2004, is increasingly viewed through the prism of economic costs, competition and security risks, while its broader political and transformative value has remained in the background," said Schafer.
He warned that in such an environment, fears and nostalgia for an idealized past can become fertile ground for political manipulation and nationalist narratives, as well as presenting enlargement as a threat, instead of an opportunity to strengthen European stability and security.
IDM researcher Sofija Bajter presented the project's approach, which connects organizations from 11 EU member states, where skepticism towards further enlargement is more pronounced, with partners from Montenegro, Albania and Moldova.
She pointed out the importance of looking at the process from both perspectives – that of citizens of candidate countries and EU member states – as a basis for a better public debate on future enlargement.
Bajter said that the data indicate that citizens expect from the enlargement policy a clearer value foundation, more democratic legitimacy, better quality information, more opportunities for direct exchange and participation, as well as more efficient decision-making.
According to her, recommendations include creating more space for direct contacts between citizens of member states and candidates, greater opening of European institutions to representatives of candidate states, and more direct dialogue between citizens and decision-makers.
"Future enlargement policy should be more strongly based on the rule of law and fundamental rights, with effective mechanisms that will ensure respect for European standards even after accession," said Bajter.
The event brought together around 40 representatives of institutions, the diplomatic community, the media, the academic community and civil society from Montenegro and the EU member states involved in the project.
During the discussion, the way of communicating the enlargement process in candidate and EU member states, especially those in which Euroscepticism is expressed, was discussed, and the example of Iceland was also analyzed.
The event was organized within the project "Citizens for EU Enlargement: Building Social Readiness for an Enlarged European Union" (CitizEn), led by IDM from Austria.
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