Montenegro Moves Closer To EU Membership As Bloc Weighs Lessons From Hungary (Worthy News In-Depth)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

TIVAT/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Montenegro moved closer to becoming the European Union’s next member Friday as EU leaders signaled the Balkan nation could join the bloc by 2028, while officials also reflected on lessons learned from Hungary’s years of democratic backsliding under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Meeting in the Adriatic coastal town of Tivat, European leaders and their Western Balkan counterparts discussed EU enlargement amid growing concerns over security threats from Russia, economic competition from China, migration pressures, and the war in Ukraine.

Those attending included German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President António Costa, alongside leaders from the Western Balkans.

Von der Leyen, the EU’s chief executive, said Montenegro’s accession was now “within reach,” while Montenegrin President Jakov Milatović expressed confidence that his country could achieve its goal of joining the bloc by 2028.

The summit marked the first gathering of EU leaders since Hungarian voters ended Orbán’s 16-year rule in April, replacing him with Prime Minister Péter Magyar.

HUNGARY’S EU RESET

During his years in office, Orbán frequently clashed with Brussels over democracy, rule-of-law issues, and his close ties to Russia.

The experience with Hungary has prompted EU policymakers to consider new mechanisms allowing future member states to be held accountable after accession through financial penalties or restrictions on access to parts of the bloc’s single market if democratic standards deteriorate.

The contrast with the previous Hungarian government was evident as Magyar’s administration prepared to submit sweeping anti-corruption legislation to parliament next week, measures officials say are needed to secure billions of euros in previously suspended European Union funding.

Transport and Investment Minister Dávid Vitézy said the reforms would strengthen Hungary’s Integrity Authority, increase transparency requirements for public officials, and help unlock up to 16.4 billion euros ($19.1 billion) in EU funds.

The legislation is expected to free resources for railway and transport infrastructure projects, renewable energy investments, higher education, housing construction, and support for small businesses.

UKRAINE’S ACCESSION PATH

The political shift in Budapest has also eased one of the main obstacles to Ukraine’s long-stalled EU membership ambitions.

This week Hungary and Ukraine reached an agreement on the rights of roughly 100,000 ethnic Hungarians living in Ukraine’s Transcarpathia region.

The dispute had complicated Kyiv’s accession path under Orbán’s government. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the deal and said Kyiv expected movement on the opening chapters of EU accession negotiations after completing the required preparations.

The breakthrough followed indications from the European Union that negotiations with Ukraine and neighboring Moldova could soon advance to the next stage, with the first cluster of accession chapters focusing on rule-of-law and democratic standards.

The agreement also underscored how Hungary’s change of government has altered the dynamics of EU enlargement after years of tensions between Brussels and Budapest.

MONTENEGRO LEADS EU ENLARGEMENT

Back at the conference, it became clear that Montenegro, which joined NATO in 2017, is widely regarded as the most advanced of the Western Balkan candidates seeking EU membership.

The tiny Adriatic nation of roughly 623,000 people adopted the euro as its de facto currency in 2002 despite not being a member of the eurozone, a move also taken by Kosovo. Reflecting its ambition to become the bloc’s 28th member by 2028, the slogan “28 by 28” has even been painted on one of Montenegro’s national airline aircraft.

Von der Leyen described enlargement into the Western Balkans as a “geostrategic imperative” as Europe seeks to strengthen stability on its southeastern flank amid Russia’s war in Ukraine and growing competition from China.

Costa said the EU was examining ways to streamline accession procedures while preserving requirements related to democracy, judicial independence, anti-corruption measures, and the rule of law.

Other EU aspirants include Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine, and Moldova. The gathering in Tivat underscored that EU enlargement is no longer solely an economic project, but increasingly seen as a strategic effort to bolster European security and political stability in a challenging geopolitical environment.

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