Von der Leyen tells Spajić 'We believe in Montenegro '28 by 28' as EU aims for 28th member by 2028; 15 of 33 chapters remain open

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, reaffirmed her commitment to Montenegro's EU membership during a press conference with Prime Minister Milojko Spajić. She stated, “We believe in Montenegro ‘28 by 28’ and we will support you all the way.” Montenegro aims to finalize its accession negotiations by 2026 and sign the accession treaty in 2027, with the goal of becoming the 28th EU member by 2028.¹²³⁴⁵

Currently, 15 of the 33 negotiation chapters remain open, but significant progress has been made this year, including the provisional closure of several chapters related to financial control and competition policy. Von der Leyen noted, “Work on the accession treaty is now moving forward”, emphasizing the importance of political stability and broad support for reforms.

The Prime Minister echoed this sentiment, stating, “These few miles are a challenge, but we are ready for the challenge.” He highlighted that Montenegro has submitted most of the remaining chapters for assessment and is prepared for the necessary evaluations. Von der Leyen praised Montenegro's progress, particularly in the rule of law, and mentioned that the country leads the region with over 90 percent of commitments implemented under the Growth Plan.

Next week, the European Commission will unveil its pre-enlargement policy reviews, which will outline the roadmap for Montenegro's accession. Von der Leyen concluded, “Accession is based on merit, but it should not be slow.”