Kos: More than ever Montenegro needs national unity to reach its goal; Spajić: We are ready and entering the next year with great energy to close all chapters

The coming year will be decisive. Leadership that is focused and courageous will be required, leadership that lives European values on a daily basis. More than ever, Montenegro needs national unity in order to reach its goal – said Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos after the Intergovernmental Conference held in Brussels, at which Montenegro closed five negotiating chapters.

Kos added that they will provide support at every step until Montenegro becomes a member of the EU.

- Montenegro is a frontrunner and continues to prove it, with a total of 12 chapters closed. This is a major step forward. Montenegro has never been closer to the European Union, but the hardest part lies ahead. You said you want to close all chapters by the end of 2026, but to achieve that you must progress quickly. Reforms must be completed, the rule of law must be ensured, judges must be able to make decisions independently, and the fight against corruption must continue. This requires professional institutions that operate independently, without the influence of loyalty to political parties. Free media are the backbone of democracy. We also require alignment with the EU’s visa policy – Kos stated, among other things.

Montenegrin citizens deserve reforms as well, which is why the coming year will be decisive.

- This requires courageous political leadership. More than ever, national unity in Montenegro is needed to reach the finish line – Kos said.

She emphasized that 2025 was an excellent year for Montenegro and believes that 2026 can be even better.

Danish Minister for European Affairs Marie Bjerre pointed out that Montenegro continues to make commendable progress and has strengthened the foundations for the next phase of negotiations.

- The political commitment Montenegro has shown in recent years is evident, reforms are visible, progress is visible. Important work remains – the rule of law, free media, and the fight against corruption. Reforms will show how quickly Montenegro can become a member – Bjerre stated.

She added that Denmark will continue to support Montenegro.

- Montenegro has demonstrated commitment. You have shown that European integration is not just a destination, but a process of reforms that strengthen institutions and the economy – Bjerre assessed.

Prime Minister Milojko Spajić emphasized that Montenegro has closed more than 36 percent of negotiating chapters, more than any country in the past 16 years.

The work of all Montenegrin institutions has been recognized in European institutions and supported in the European Council – Spajić stated.

He added that they are grateful to France.

- They gave us a difficult task, but showed that we can overcome any problem together. Our friends are there to challenge us in order to confirm our commitment to true values – Spajić said.

Today, when, according to him, all forces are trying to pursue their agendas without precedent, we Europeans can have no greater ideal than a united Europe.

- A Europe of all citizens. That is why enlargement must remain the most important pillar of the EU. Today’s closure of these five chapters brings additional confidence to this process. By Montenegro’s accession, Europe gains, in a short period of time, a country that has moved from being the poorest republic of the former Yugoslavia to standing shoulder to shoulder with EU member states, a country that has been in NATO for eight years and contributes to security, is aligned with the EU’s foreign policy values, is economically stable, and where the rule of law and democracy are not just values we aspire to, but the foundations upon which our state is built – Spajić emphasized.

He added that Montenegro’s future membership will cost every EU citizen only two cents.

- Montenegro is ready and is entering the next year with great energy to close all chapters. If our goal is a strong and secure Europe, we Europeans must be united in our common home – the European Union. With faith that Montenegro’s membership will bring hope in the true value of this project, I congratulate everyone on this outstanding result – Spajić said.

Commenting on the work over the weekend, when France questioned the closure of two out of the five chapters, the Prime Minister said that there are technical issues that must be addressed, both with the European Commission and with each member state.

- Through teamwork on our side, we succeeded, and this work did not go unnoticed in the European Commission and among member states, and we received support to close all five chapters – said Spajić.

Bjerre said she expects the support of 26 member states when adopting conclusions on enlargement.

Kos said that the closure of chapters next year depends on Montenegro.

Spajić assessed that closing all chapters during the coming year is a realistic goal.

- If we can close five chapters, it shows our resilience. This day proves that it can be achieved. A great deal of work lies ahead in Montenegro. We have strong political support at home, and important work is being done by institutions, both the executive branch and parliament. More than one hundred laws are currently in procedure in the Parliament of Montenegro. A tsunami of change is taking place in Montenegro, and we are preparing for everything to be perfectly completed by the end of next year – Spajić stated.

Today, Chapter 3 – Right of Establishment and Freedom to Provide Services, Chapter 4 – Free Movement of Capital, Chapter 6 – Company Law, Chapter 11 – Agriculture and Rural Development, and Chapter 13 – Fisheries were closed.

The government delegation led by Spajić also includes Deputy Prime Ministers Ervin Ibrahimović and Nik Đeljošaj, as well as Ministers Maida Gorčević, Novica Vuković and Vladimir Joković.