On Thursday 16 March, the members of the European Parliament called upon the opposition to cease their boycott of the Montenegrin parliament.
In the report by Charles Tannock (ECR, UK), which they adopted by 471 votes in favour, 98 against with 41 abstentions, the MEPs express concern at the internal political divide and fact that a section of the opposition is boycotting parliamentary activities and therefore call on the opposition to accept the proposal of the Montenegrin Prime Minister to take part in the government in exchange for the end of the boycott. All political forces must re-establish constructive cooperation and dialogue within the parliament, the report adds.
Stating that it expects the new government to confirm its political engagement in favour of the reform process, the European Parliament urges Montenegro to speed up the pace of reform and secure concrete results, particularly in the fields of the rule of law, justice and the fight against corruption and organised crime. It is vital to improve the election process in order to establish full confidence in this process, Parliament adds, also calling for the total depoliticisation of public administration. Reforms should also be carried out in the field of the economy.
The Parliament also expresses concern about the presumed attempts by Russia to influence the evolution of the situation in Montenegro, explaining that this type of behaviour in the region is likely to further destabilise the Western Balkans. They go on to praise Montenegro for its active participation and consistently constructive role in maintaining good neighbourhood relations as well as in the framework of regional and international cooperation.
Lastly, the MEPs, who welcome Montenegro's continuous process of integration in the EU, urge the Council to speed up negotiations with Montenegro, calling for new chapters to be opened and concluded this year. Podgorica has already opened 26 negotiation chapters and provisionally concluded two. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise-Gessant)