EU Enlargement Stagnation: Montenegro as a Strategic Litmus Test (dgap.org)

• Montenegro is on track to finalize all 33 negotiation chapters by early 2027.
• Proposals for 'staged accession' are viewed as insufficient to solve the EU's agency problem.
• Strategic focus shifted toward ex-post safeguards to address rule-of-law concerns after entry.

"EU enlargement is trapped between geopolitical necessity and institutional paralysis. While Ukraine provides the urgency, Montenegro represents the practical test for the EU's ability to execute a credible accession policy. Skeptical member states, fearing institutional dilution and rule-of-law regression, are resisting fast-track integration. The proposed 'gradual' or 'staged' accession models are criticized as ineffective 'fig-leaf' solutions. Instead, the author argues for full membership managed through rigorous ex-post conditionality and stronger safeguard mechanisms, enabling the EU to consolidate its geopolitical standing without compromising its internal democratic governance."