EditMerz backs Montenegro for EU entry by 2030, rejects linking accession to Serbia
The German Chancellor's intervention builds on a broader Franco-German initiative unveiled in June to inject fresh momentum into EU enlargement
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz has reinforced the EU’s merit-based enlargement policy by backing Montenegro’s accession by 2030, signalling that the country’s membership should not depend on the progress of other candidates, including Serbia.
Speaking on Wednesday, Merz said Montenegro should not be held back by the pace of enlargement elsewhere, arguing that the country has largely fulfilled the conditions for EU membership and deserves to move forward on its own merits.
“Montenegro is ready to join. It has largely met all the requirements,” Merz said, according to Serbia’s broadcaster N1.
His remarks come amid calls from some EU governments to synchronise Montenegro’s accession with Serbia’s, despite Belgrade lagging behind in meeting the bloc’s membership criteria.
“Montenegro meets these conditions, and the European Union must keep its word,” Merz said, adding that the country has made the greatest progress of all current candidates. “That is why we should not keep it waiting.”
The EU has not admitted a new member for 13 years, despite repeatedly stating that enlargement remains open to European countries that meet the Copenhagen criteria.
The European Commission considers Montenegro the frontrunner among candidate countries, while Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has repeatedly described enlargement as a realistic prospect in light of Podgorica’s reform efforts.
Montenegro has consistently maintained that joining the bloc by 2028 remains an achievable objective. It is the only candidate country to have opened all negotiating chapters, with more than half already provisionally closed. Serbia, by contrast, continues to trail behind in its accession process.
Franco-German push to revive enlargement
Merz’s intervention builds on a broader Franco-German initiative unveiled in June to inject fresh momentum into EU enlargement. At the Western Balkans summit in Tivat, Merz argued that the EU must demonstrate both the capacity and the political will to enlarge, describing the absence of any new member state for more than a decade as evidence of shortcomings within the Union itself.
Von der Leyen likewise called for a faster and more credible accession process, while French President Emmanuel Macron promoted the idea of “gradual integration”, allowing candidate countries to participate progressively in selected EU policies and institutions before full membership.
The proposal would give reforming candidates tangible benefits during negotiations while allowing Brussels to reverse deeper integration if governments backslide on the EU’s core democratic principles.
The renewed push comes as Russia’s war against Ukraine has fundamentally reshaped the Union’s enlargement agenda, with Brussels increasingly viewing accession as a geopolitical tool to strengthen Europe’s eastern and south-eastern neighbourhood.
Montenegro parties commit to constitutional and electoral reforms for faster EU integration
Domestic divisions remain
Despite broad public support for EU membership, Montenegro’s political landscape remains divided between sovereignist and pro-Serbian forces.
The sovereignist camp emphasises a distinct Montenegrin national identity and statehood, while pro-Serbian parties regard Montenegrins as part of a wider Serbian nation and advocate closer political, cultural and religious ties with Belgrade.
According to Montenegro’s 2023 census, around 41% of citizens identify as Montenegrin and roughly 33% as Serbian, a demographic balance that continues to shape elections and coalition politics.
Pro-Serbian parties remain among the country’s most influential political actors and are widely viewed as Belgrade’s main channel of political influence inside Montenegro. Although all major parties officially support EU membership, concerns persist that pro-Serbian forces could slow or obstruct Podgorica’s European path should political signals from Belgrade change.
Montenegro applied for EU membership in 2008 and remains the most advanced of the Western Balkan candidates. It is the only candidate country to have opened all negotiating chapters and has provisionally closed more than half of them.
While Podgorica has set 2028 as its target accession date, many EU officials consider that timeline ambitious given the complexity of the remaining reforms and the requirement for unanimous approval by all 27 member states at every stage of the accession process.
How Montenegro secured key constitutional agreement for EU advancement
Sources: Deutche Welle, N1, AntenaM
Caption: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrives for a special session of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group meeting at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, 29 July 2026. EPA/CLEMENS BILAN
Updated: July 29, 2026 - 16:15
