On Wednesday 20 September, MEPs on the Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted the draft report by Tonino Picula (S&D, Croatian) on Montenegro’s progress towards accession to the European Union (51 votes in favour, 3 against, 3 abstentions). In particular, they point to an overall loss of momentum, are concerned about foreign interference, and stress the “urgent need for political stability in the country”.
“This report, the last of this parliamentary term, highlights the major internal political turbulence in Montenegro and another year of stagnation on the country’s road to EU membership”, commented Mr Picula.
The MEPs therefore expect a pro-European government to be formed “as soon as possible”, to put an end to “the inability to reach a consensus on issues of national interest and the absence of dialogue between the parties”.
Progress should also be made on electoral and judicial reform, and in the fight against organised crime and corruption, says the report.
While MEPs recognise Podgorica’s efforts to align itself with EU foreign policy, they nevertheless express concern about “malicious foreign interference, destabilisation efforts, hybrid threats and disinformation campaigns by foreign actors in Montenegro, in particular from Russia, China and Serbia”.
To curb the country’s economic dependence on Beijing, MEPs also believe that Montenegro should “continue to use the economic and investment plan for the Western Balkans and the EU’s ‘Global Gateway’ initiative to find greener and more transparent alternatives for financing infrastructure projects”.
The country has also been asked to carry out a population and housing census by the end of 2023, which has been constantly postponed. (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)