Montenegro edges closer to EU membership, targeting 2028 accession
Montenegro could become the European Union's 28th member state as early as 2028, a milestone that is expected to set a precedent for how future enlargement, including Ukraine's accession, will be financed.
Montenegro is the frontrunner among all EU candidate countries, pursuing its "28 by '28" goal to join the bloc during 2028, when Italy holds the EU presidency. The country has already closed 18 of the 33 required negotiating chapters, including the difficult chapter on financial control, with support from several EU states, including Latvia.
Significant hurdles remain, including environmental standards, judicial reform, economic competitiveness, and countering disinformation and foreign interference. The EU has named rule of law a top priority for Montenegro.
Costs and benefits
EU officials have described Montenegro's accession cost as less than one euro per EU citizen per year over the 2028-2034 budget period. Montenegro would contribute roughly 500 million euros to the EU budget over seven years while receiving considerably more in agricultural subsidies, regional payments, migration funding and business support, making it a net beneficiary. This arrangement could set a template for financing future enlargements, including Ukraine's eventual accession.
Western Balkan states point to Croatia, which joined the EU in 2013 and last year posted higher GDP growth and GDP per capita than Montenegro, as evidence of the economic gains membership can bring.
Russian and Serbian influence
One of the toughest challenges facing Montenegro is malign influence from Serbia and Russia, exerted partly through media ownership and the Orthodox Church. About a third of Montenegro's population identifies as Serb, and much of the local media is Serbian-owned. European Parliament lawmakers have urged Podgorica to set up an institution to counter disinformation ahead of elections expected by mid-2027.
