Montenegro rejects 'second-class' EU membership as it eyes 2028 accession

Montenegro's EU minister has rejected any model of "second-class" membership in the European Union, saying the country wants full accession rather than a prolonged transition arrangement. Maida Gorčević made the comments at the Euronews Enlargement Summit in Brussels, where she said Montenegro still aims to join the bloc by 2028. She also said the government believes all negotiating chapters can be closed this year.

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Gorčević said Montenegro was open to additional safeguards for new members if they strengthen the EU and future membership rules. But she drew a clear line against a system that would leave a new member with fewer rights for an extended period. "We don't want second-grade membership inside the European Union, because that wouldn't be fair and that wouldn't be full membership as well," she said.

The remarks come as Brussels continues to debate how to manage future enlargement while protecting rule-of-law standards inside the bloc. Montenegro is widely seen as the frontrunner among candidate countries and is expected to become the EU's 28th member if the process stays on track. The minister's comments underline both the political symbolism of the 2028 target and the practical importance of the remaining accession steps.

Gorčević also linked Montenegro's prospects to wider developments in the Western Balkans. She said recent elections in Serbia could help the region's enlargement outlook, while also stressing that Montenegro remains committed to resolving its dispute with Croatia. In October, Zagreb circulated an eight-point paper to other EU countries setting out issues it wants addressed before Montenegro can join.

Montenegro applied to join the European Union in 2008, two years after declaring independence, and accession negotiations began in 2012. That long timeline has made the country a key test case for the EU's enlargement policy and for the credibility of membership promises to the Western Balkans. The latest comments suggest Podgorica wants to keep momentum while resisting any compromise that would dilute full membership rights.

What remains unclear is how quickly the outstanding chapters can be closed and whether the EU will agree to any new safeguards or transition periods for future members. It is also not certain how the dispute with Croatia will be resolved, or whether it could still affect the timetable. The next stage will depend on progress in both the technical negotiations and the political talks around accession conditions.

Montenegro's ambassador to the European Union has said the country believes it can become the bloc's 28th member state by the end of 2028. Petar Marković described Montenegro as the "frontrunner" among EU candidate countries and said the target was "very realistic". His comments come as Podgorica continues its long-running accession process with Brussels.

Marković said Montenegro is ready to meet the goal both by its own standards and by those of the 27 EU member states and the European Commission. He identified two main obstacles still standing in the way of accession. The first is amending the constitution, and the second is resolving disputes with neighbouring EU member state Croatia, mainly over issues linked to the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s.

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Montenegro applied to join the European Union in 2008, two years after declaring independence. Accession negotiations began in 2012, meaning the process has now been under way for more than 14 years. The country's latest comments underline how central EU membership remains to its political agenda, even as the timetable depends on meeting remaining legal and diplomatic conditions.

The remarks also highlight the wider significance of Montenegro's bid for the EU. As a small Western Balkan state, its progress is being watched closely by other candidate countries in the region. The accession process is often seen as a test of how far the EU is willing to expand and how strictly it will apply its membership criteria.

For Montenegro, the next phase will depend on whether constitutional changes can be completed and whether outstanding issues with Croatia can be settled. No timeline for those steps was given in the remarks. It is also unclear how quickly the European institutions will judge progress on the remaining chapters of the accession process.

What happens next will determine whether the 2028 target remains achievable.

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