Montenegro's President Milo Đukanović has said that the referendum in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FRYOM) on 30 September, while largely supportive of the name change, experienced low voter turnout. He stated that a change in EU policy towards the Balkans was needed.
"I hope the result of the referendum can be taken as an alarm signal, a last warning indicating that there is a need for a much deeper analysis of our relations with the policy of enlargement, and that there is a need for political measures to be taken that are strategically more important", he said in a speech to the European Parliament. In Đukanović's view, the referendum was not well enough prepared, and he said that the people should perhaps have been left a little time "to understand the importance of this stake for the future".
He said he thought that in recent years the international community had been busy with its own problems and had neglected the Balkans. He also considered that the pro-European enthusiasm perceived after the fall of the Berlin Wall "was at a bit of a standstill", which had resulted in the return of 1990s rhetoric which had since eased.
"We well understand the EU's need to handle the crises it goes through, but it is not necessary to respond to this challenge by slowing down enlargement or stopping it, as enlargement is part of the answer to all the challenges the EU faces", he said. In Đukanović's view, the Western Balkans are "partners" in the enlargement process and "not subjects for experiment". He argued for a "clear and common vision, and a partnership of equals".
Đukanović also spoke about the progress of his country, which has been independent since 2006 and a member of NATO since 2017. Montenegro is the country most advanced in its EU accession process, with 31 of 33 negotiations chapters open. "We hope that two last chapters can be opened soon", he said, adding that "Montenegro (was behaving) like a member state on foreign and security policy, aligning with European positions" on sanctions quickly and also participating in EU missions. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)