Ursula von der Leyen and Milojko Spajić, Photo: Risto Božović
01.10.2026. 18:38h
The European Commission (EC) believes in Montenegro as the 28th member by 2028, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen this evening.
“We will support you. You can count on us, which is why I have come to Montenegro three times this year,” said the President of the European Commission, who is visiting Montenegro.
At a press conference at Villa Gorica, she said that Montenegro has made progress in reforms and that is why it has so many closed chapters, and that EU membership is within reach, which, she said, will send a strong message to the Western Balkans.
This, she added, paved the way for the final section.
“We are now working to close all remaining chapters by the end of the year. Those last kilometers of the marathon are always the hardest, so they will require continued political stability and broad support from all parties, strong relations with EU member states, and resilience against attempts to polarize society,” the EC President said.
According to her, when it comes to the Growth Plan, Montenegro leads the region with over 90 percent of commitments realized.
“You are preparing and we are preparing, because it is a two-way process. Next week we will present policy reviews, to see what we need to do to be ready to accept new members,” she stressed.
photo: Risto Božović
As she added, accession is based on merit, but it should not be slow.
“That’s why we will soon present roadmaps for the most advanced candidates, including Montenegro, to see what everyone needs to do and by when,” announced von der Leyen.
The President of the European Commission told Prime Minister Milojko Spajić that if Montenegro continues to achieve results as it has so far, together they will succeed in fulfilling the aspirations of Montenegrin citizens.
Spajić said that this is the last leg on the road to the EU and that the government will not relax.
“These few miles are a challenge, but we are ready for the challenge. We have sent most of the chapters to the EC, we are ready for the assessments, we are ready for the criticism,” he added.
He said that by the end of 2026, Montenegro will close all chapters.
“I believe that 2028 is the year when we become the 28th member,” said Spajić.
photo: Risto Božović
When asked whether the current political crisis would jeopardize Montenegro’s plan to close all negotiation chapters by the end of the year, Von der Leyen responded that broad support from all political parties is needed and that they should maintain focus on the path to the EU.
“Montenegro is a leader in the accession process and we believe that you can achieve this by the end of the year and that we can enter into negotiations on the Accession Treaty. To get there, we need continued political stability,” said Von der Leyen.
She stated that she knows that all citizens are pro-European oriented “and we need to stay focused, keep our eyes on the ball, because there is a lot to be gained.”
Spajić also had a message for political actors in Montenegro.
“We see that we have almost reached the end of the road and why would we do anything now to delay it. I believe that all parties are focused on EU membership. I am optimistic and convinced that there is no reason not to push through to the end and enter the EU,” the Prime Minister said.
When asked about the roadmap for the most advanced candidates and the right of veto, Von der Leyen said that they are working on it right now and that she therefore cannot go into details.
She said that there will be protective mechanisms, but it is necessary to wait for all members to agree.
“It is very important to know that we have safeguards in place in previous accessions. There will be some in the new agreements, no doubt. Because it is also important for the members themselves, that all the successes we have achieved together remain and are maintained. However, we have to wait for the package to be completed and for everyone to agree to it,” she said.
Speaking about the disputes with Croatia, the EC President said that she is aware of the bilateral disputes between Montenegro and Croatia, but that she expects the countries to resolve them.
Download the app and follow the news
FOLLOW US ON
News