Montenegro’s place is within the European Union  

Dear President Mandić, 
Dear Members of the Parliament of Montenegro,
Dear Prime Minister, 
Dear colleagues,
Dear Europeans,
 
It is an honour to be here in the home of Montenegro’s democracy.
 
Thank you for having me here. It is special to be in beautiful Montenegro with you at this transformative time for this great country and for Europe. 
 
I want to be clear: the future of Europe and of the Western Balkans nations must be one and the same. It has been too long, but I need to be unequivocal: Montenegro’s place is within the European Union. We will all be safer, stronger, fairer, and more prosperous. And this is as much about Europe as it is about Montenegro. 
 
This is Europe’s enlargement moment. With war in Ukraine and a volatile geopolitical landscape, the parameters and the energy of this debate have fundamentally shifted. And with this situation, we have an opportunity to change the face of Europe – and we must seize that momentum.
 
For too long, this crucial discussion was left frozen on the sidelines. Summits came and went, with very little change. But today, things are different. With nearly half of Montenegro’s accession chapters closed and two more expected to be closed before the end of the summer, the end is within sight. We have already started work on drafting the accession treaty, a decisive and powerful sign of progress. I could not imagine a better time than now for Montenegro to be hosting its very first EU–Western Balkans Summit.
 
I am wary of European politicians coming here to preach and patronise. I won’t do that, because for the European Parliament, accession is not about altruism. Enlargement is a two-way street that benefits all of us. It is Europe’s best geopolitical tool and a strategic investment for our Union, Montenegro, and the whole region. It is how we can deliver stability, prosperity and liberty for our communities across our continent. How we become more unified and bring real, tangible improvements to people’s lives. Because a Europe that stops growing is a Europe that has stopped believing in itself. 
 
As a Union that is working to be stronger, safer and more self-confident, as we defend our way and our values, Europe has much to gain from Montenegro’s membership. We want your voice at the decision-making table, your creativity enriching cultural spaces, your distinctive čojstvo inspiring as we move our Union forward together. 
 
I know that Montenegro has been working for a long time to make this happen. When you restored your statehood and took your future into your own hands, you chose to look to the European Union as a new home for your nation and never looked back. Successfully and consistently arguing for the importance of Europe and the value of membership to the people of Montenegro. And working hard to become an important and active participant in Europe’s wider frameworks. 
 
In just two short decades, you have adopted the euro, you have entered NATO, and you have joined the Single Euro Payments Area. You are now fully aligned with the EU’s common foreign and security policy, you take part in missions and operations. You are a valued member of programmes such as Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ that unlock opportunities and deepen connections across our borders. And together we are now taking further steps towards roaming-free access and visa liberalisation for Montenegro and the wider Western Balkans. Integrating markets, ultimately bringing down the barriers that remain, and paving the way, finally, for membership.
 
Now, we have to work together, as parliaments, to get the job done – closing those final chapters, completing remaining tasks, and preparing your country for the most transformative act of becoming a member of the European Union. 
 
I recognise that people in this country have fears, and it is understandable as we enter this final stretch before the finish line. I remember the worries many had as my country prepared for accession. That we would lose our national identity, that we were too small to matter, too distant to have influence. But I learnt, and my colleagues will agree, that in the European Union it is the strength of your arguments that matter, more than the size of your country or the volume of your voice. Europe is ultimately the place where a young girl from a Mediterranean island of 316 square kilometres, can grow up to lead a parliament of 720 Members from every corner of our Union. If that can happen to one person, it can happen to everybody. And I say that because I know what it means for young girls and boys of Montenegro who are watching this today. 
 
It is also true, of course, that the fear of change is real for some, and it takes courage to move beyond the status quo. My approach has always been to listen, to discuss, to convince – never to dismiss. To counter concerns with facts and lived experience. Parliaments have a key role here – to build bridges, to find social consensus and show that Europe is not homogeneous. That you can be a proud Montenegrin and a proud European at the same time. To show that patriotism is not invariably connected to a nationalism that looks inwards and backwards. 
 
That is the European spirit. That is what we mean when we say we do not seek to make everybody the same. We share values and we share outlook, but our diversity of culture, of history, of language and traditions, is our strength, not a weakness. That is ultimately the beauty and the uniqueness of Europe. That is why we prosper together. That is how we have levelled up communities across the whole continent. And that is our answer to a world that looks to so many as if it is on fire. Europe can be the beacon of stability and predictability in the globe, and Montenegro must be an integral part of that joint journey of ours. As you say in Montenegro: naša sloga daje krila. 
 
Now, Europe is a joint effort – and that means it is also up to us, the European Union, to step up. Delivering on the trust that we asked Montenegrins – you – to place in us. Showing people that this process of gradual integration is delivering results and bringing Montenegro closer towards membership. 
 
And I can say, on behalf of the European Parliament, that we are on your side every step of the way. And you can rely on us to keep up this momentum and keep standing up for Montenegro and the Western Balkans in Europe. 
 
We have approved six billion euros for the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans at record speed, with over 383 million euros allocated for Montenegro to boost economic growth, strengthen public services and support youth employment. And in October, our parliaments will meet once again to monitor progress, to deepen our ties and look to the challenges ahead. 
 
Europe is here already. I’ve seen it when I landed. We see it in the projects in your cities, in the opportunities it creates and the support it provides. But most of all, I see it in the people here. In the young people that believe in the hope that Europe represents. In the security that it offers. 
 
So I look forward to discussing all this with European leaders at tomorrow’s EU-Western Balkans Summit, and to welcoming President Milatović in the European Parliament later this month to hear his perspective on our shared future. 
 
I know how long and often difficult the road to membership is. And I know you have been on that road for a long time. But I can tell you – it’s worth it. I remember, over twenty years ago, those years of hard work, those tough negotiations, those long hours and late nights. But much more than any of that, I remember the incredible, overwhelming feeling of joy and hope in the future when we finally became an EU Member State. The idea that the future has opened up doors we could only dream of until that day. That is what I want for young people here too. 
 
So, dear President, dear Prime Minister, dear Parliamentarians, I hope that next time I have the honour of addressing you in this House, it will be to celebrate Montenegro as the newest member of the European Union. When that moment arrives, all of Europe will be stronger, fairer, safer, and more united thanks to the work that you are doing here today.
 
Long live Montenegro. Long live Europe.