Montenegro’s progress is a message for the entire region that, with genuine reforms, candidate countries can get close to the membership in the EU. We hope that the example of Montenegro will inspire reform efforts in other countries of the Western Balkans, says in the interview for „Eurokaz“ the Ambassador of Hungary in Montenegro Jozsef Negyesi. In the light of Hungarian Presidency in the Council of the EU, he says that Budapest highly appreciates the fact that Montenegro entirely reformed its legislative framework in the last ten years.
Enlargement of the EU to the Western Balkans will probably be high on the agenda of your country’s Presidency. In that context, how do you see the situation in Montenegro, particularly after the positive IBAR?
The topic of accession of Western Balkan countries to the EU is indeed high on the list of priorities of the Hungarian Presidency. I personally consider the enlargement policy to be the most successful policy of the European Union that largely contributes to security and economic development of the EU. Our Presidency will work on ensuring progress in the EU enlargement process in line with the new methodology, on the basis of the Commission reports, with the merit-based approach, and taking into account the capacity of the Union to absorb new members.
Hungarian Presidency will put efforts into achieving genuine progress with the candidate and potential candidate countries. Credible enlargement policy is a geostrategic investment into peace, stability, security, and prosperity in Europe. We want to put a particular emphasis on the regular political dialogue with those countries, supporting them in meeting the Copenhagen criteria.
EU has a fundamental interest in stability of the Western Balkans and our Presidency will therefore support deepening of concrete cooperation projects with the Western Balkan countries, particularly aimed at improving regional cooperation and stability. Hungarian Presidency will put efforts into organizing the EU-Western Balkans summit in the region during its term of office, and plans to organized intergovernmental conferences with the candidate countries that are ready for that. The goal is to ensure that EU remains the number one economic and political partner for the region, which will prevent further breakthrough of the third countries and their increasing influence. It is in the vital interest of the EU to have a stable and reliable region as a partner in its direct neighbourhood and to ensure it will become a part of the EU in foreseeable future.
Budapest highly appreciates the fact that Montenegro has fully reformed its legislative framework in the last ten years, adopting more than 150 laws and related enactments. In addition to this, fight against corruption and organized crime, as well as protection of human rights, keep improving.
In the case of Montenegro, all negotiation chapters have been opened since the summer of 2020, and so far only three have been closed. According to the new enlargement methodology, no further chapters could be closed before Montenegro meets the interim benchmarks for the rule of law chapters (23 and 24). However, the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) of 26 June 2024 confirmed that interim benchmarks were met and set the closing benchmarks for chapters 23 and 24. This opened the possibility for closing of other negotiation chapters during the Hungarian Presidency. On Montenegrin side, the goal is to close about seven negotiation chapters during our presidency, which will be wholeheartedly supported by our state in the following six months.
To succeed in the accession process, Montenegro must maintain national consensus on key issues, understanding that the progress in this field is in the national interest and that it should not be jeopardized by any political instability. It is only with full political alignment that Montenegrin leadership will be able to meet the accession criteria successfully and get the political support of EU member states for European integration of the country.
Montenegro’s progress is a message to the entire region that, with appropriate reforms, candidate countries can get closer to the membership in the EU. Let us hope that the example of Montenegro will inspire reform efforts in other Western Balkans countries.
What do you think about Montenegro’s progress on the European path, and what do you think we should focus on during the Hungarian Presidency?
Montenegro reached the important stage in the IGC on 26 June, but its accession process has not entered the final stage. It has only overcome the political preconditions that constituted formal obstacles for completion and simultaneous or consecutive closing of thematic chapters. This definitely is a visible progress in Montenegro’s accession to the EU, but EU integration requires hard and complex institutional, legal and political changes and alignment in many fields. So now many of these legal and political alignments have to be done in numerous technical chapters within the preparations for Montenegro’s membership in the EU.
Hungary intends to provide all types of political and expert assistance and advice that a country presiding the Council of the EU can offer on the platform of already stable and consistent Hungary’s support to Montenegro’s accession to the EU. However, it is only Montenegro that can and should meet the goals and requirements in the negotiation chapters. As soon as they are met and European Commission recognizes that fact, Hungary will act and submit the results to all EU Member States, to ensure closing of the finalized negotiation chapters without any delay. Hungary expects, on the basis of a realistic but ambitious plan and in a close cooperation with Montenegro, that this can be achieved in a large number of negotiation chapters in the second half of this year.
We would consider important and tangible result of the Hungarian Presidency if Montenegro could make a genuine progress to membership in the EU by closing other negotiation chapters. Each closed chapter will signalize important progress and shorten the still rather long list of the difficult tasks that Montenegro is to accomplish before joining the EU.
From your point of view, what will be the future European path of the region, particularly of Montenegro, in light of all the current developments in the EU and expectations that EU has from the countries of the region?
To finalize its preparations for joining the European Union, Montenegro has to meet the conditions set in the negotiation chapters. They constitute the formal and technical preconditions for membership in the EU. Meeting them effectively and implementing them can be naturally achieved in a longer period of time before and after accession of Montenegro to the EU. The time framework and concrete conditions will be defined in the final state of Agreement on Accession of Montenegro to the EU. These details and circumstances remain in the scope of the Agreement that closes the entire process between Montenegro and the EU.
Political and institutional requirements for Montenegro’s accession to the EU will be defined within the EU based on the results of the ongoing debates and considerations among the Member States and EU institutions. Understanding and perception of goals, rationality and effects of EU enlargement have transformed significantly in the last two years. Thus, the political opinions and willingness to accept EU enlargement deeply changed. EU is a political union of 27 states where national positions of Member States can change significantly due to changes in their governments after democratic elections. Let us hope that the possibility of change in the political composition of the European governments will not impact the current consensus that is in line with the coherent position about the strategic importance and necessity of EU enlargement that Hungary has for many years.
Montenegro’s success that we want to see would not only be a recognition of its efforts and transformation, but could also act as a motivation and a role model for all other candidate or potential candidate countries in the Western Balkans. Membership of Montenegro in the EU will prove that EU enlargement is our reality, and it would put an end to the scepticism and delays that are so characteristic for some EU members for a long time. The example of Montenegro should serve as an inspiration, while the practice established in the process of its accession can provide a directly applicable and useful experience for other countries in the region.
Do you expect the EU to continue strongly supporting reforms in the field of the rule of law in Montenegro?
Rule of law is the key principle of the European Union, while compliance with it is the key principle for every country that wishes to integrate into the EU, including Montenegro. Rule of law is necessary for democracy. Sustainable democratic values constitute one of the basic requirements for EU membership, and the rule of law is the corner stone of democratic values. Montenegro must show its dedication to implementing legislative and judicial reforms aimed at strengthening the rule of law. This includes ensuring independent judiciary, efficient legal framework, and impartial implementation of the law. EU will carefully monitor progress in these areas as a part of the accession process. Maintaining the rule of law is of essential importance for fighting corruption and organized crime that constitute serious challenges in Montenegro and many other countries that aspire to join the EU.
Respecting human rights is another fundamental aspect of the rule of law. Montenegro must ensure protection of human rights for all its citizens, including minorities, but also harmonize its legislation with the EU standards in this respect. This includes issues like freedom of expression, independence of the media and rights of minorities.
Strong legal framework and respect for the rule of law are of essential importance for attracting foreign investment and promoting economic stability. Investors want to have predictability and legal certainty, which can be ensured only in the environment with consistent rule of law.
Maintaining the rule of law increases public trust in the state institutions and promotes good governance. It promotes transparency, responsibility and governance based on rules that are of essential importance for efficient functioning of democracy and for building of trust between state and citizens.
In that context, it is not surprising that the progress in solving the issue of the rule of law is the key factor in Montenegro’s accession negotiations with the EU. EU will closely monitor Montenegro’s alignment with the standards of the rule of law and provide assistance and guidelines to support reforms in this field.
To sum up, dealing with the rule of law is not important only for Montenegro’s integration in the EU, but is also a priority for the overall democratic development, economy, and social cohesion of the country. Given the above, it is clear that European Union will continue treating the issues in the field of rule of law in Montenegro after the positive IBAR as a high priority, particularly in terms of further reforms of the justice system, freedom of the media, anti-corruption policy or efficiency in the fight against organized crime.
What is your opinion about the bilateral relations between Hungary and Montenegro?
In the relations of Hungary and Montenegro there are fortunately no open issues. The strong presence of Hungarian capital in Montenegro and the fact that we have been consistently supporting Euro-Atlantic and European aspiration of Montenegro constitute the key pillars of our bilateral relations. The specific fields of cooperation have been the economy, European integration, protection of minority and human rights, security policy and cooperation in culture and education. Hungarian investments in Montenegro include the CKB bank that is owned by OTP, ONE that is owned by 4iG and Hunguest Hotels Montenegro owned by Hunguest Hotels.
In the field of bilateral expert assistance, since 1 July 2016, Istvan Lakatos, PhD is the expert for human rights in the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, while since February 2019 Csaba Toro, PhD has been working as an adviser for integration in the former Office for European Integration, i.e. the current Ministry of European Affairs, providing support to Montenegro’s accession to the EU.
By Marko VEŠOVIĆ, RTCG