Montenegro Before the EU: Will It Be the Next Member?

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Montenegro Before the EU: Will It Be the Next Member.

Montenegro could become the next EU member, according to the European Commission's assessment. The Western Balkan country is once again at the center of the European enlargement debate – precisely after more than 13 years have passed since the most recent EU enlargement.

The news concerns not only Montenegro, but also the broader question of whether several countries could now join the EU. Handelsblatt frames this with a pointed question: Is it now one after another in the coming years? The key distinction for you is important: Montenegro has come into focus as a possibility, but the path to membership remains open.

The Key Statement Is “Could”

Focus Panorama reports that, according to the European Commission's assessment, Montenegro is considered a possible next member state. This wording is more than a vague declaration of intent: The Commission therefore considers accession possible in principle.

According to the European Commission's assessment, the Western Balkan country of Montenegro could become the next member state of the European Union.

“Could” is the decisive word here. It describes a positive outlook, not an accession that has already been scheduled and not a guaranteed process. The two available reports are based on the European Commission's assessment and thus present Montenegro as a likely next candidate.

What is clear, above all, is the direction: The country is no longer being treated merely as a long-term interested party, but as a possible next accession candidate. However, the available key statements do not reveal how concrete the next steps will be or what timetable the Commission has in mind.

More Than 13 Years Without an Enlargement

The time gap is considerable. According to Handelsblatt, the most recent EU enlargement was more than 13 years ago. The issue therefore directly reaches back to a phase in which the Union's enlargement policy was largely dormant.

The most recent EU enlargement was more than 13 years ago.

Montenegro can therefore be clearly placed in time. According to Handelsblatt, its possible inclusion would not simply be the next round in a longer series of enlargements. It would follow a long interruption. This is precisely why the statement about Montenegro could also change the debate about the further development of the EU.

One After Another, or Just an Option?

Handelsblatt broadens the view: Alongside Montenegro, the question is whether several enlargements could occur one after another in the coming years. The source explicitly formulates this as a question and therefore does not confirm a fixed series of further accessions.

Is it now one after another in the coming years?

Two levels can therefore be distinguished: Montenegro is already the concrete favorite for the next step. With regard to other countries, this is initially a possible development in the coming years. The reports do not name a complete list of countries or provide a binding timetable for a series of accessions.

For you, this means: You can take the Commission's statement seriously without inferring a certain sequence of several EU enlargements from it. The scenario is plausible. Its shape remains open.

What Is Certain – and What Is Not

What is certain: The European Commission estimates that Montenegro could become the next member state. The Western Balkans thus once again play an active role in European enlargement policy. At the same time, Montenegro marks the possible beginning of a phase in which EU members will be discussed again after more than 13 years.

What remains open: No concrete accession date has been given. Nor do the available reports establish a confirmed order for other countries. The statement therefore remains clear, but explicitly open: Montenegro is a candidate – EU membership has not yet been completed.

The New Enlargement Question Is No Longer Purely Theoretical

Until now, political observers could discuss the pace of future enlargements without an immediately favored candidate. The Commission's assessment changes this starting point. With Montenegro, there is now a country at the center that, according to Focus Panorama, is in the running to become the next EU member.

The strongest counterpoint remains the uncertainty over timing: A positive assessment is not a guarantee, and the question of several rapid accessions remains open. For a reliable assessment, both are therefore important – the new opportunity for Montenegro and the lack of a binding roadmap.

Conclusion: Montenegro has emerged from the abstract debate about a possible revival of EU enlargement. The Commission sees the country as a possible next accession candidate, while more than 13 years have passed since the last enlargement. The exciting question is whether this will actually lead to a series of further EU memberships in the coming years.