Merz and Macron advocate for gradual EU enlargement in Tivat

At the heart of the proposal is gradual integration, whereby candidate countries would gain access to the European single market under certain conditions even before full accession. At the same time, the dispatch of observers to EU institutions is planned if certain criteria are met. EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, stated that Montenegro could join the EU as the 28th member at the end of 2028. However, the country must still meet several requirements this year to stay on track.

Shortcomings and New Momentum

Merz acknowledged shortcomings on the EU's part. "If we haven't admitted any new members for 13 years now, it shows that the shortcomings also lie with the European Union. And we want to overcome them today." The CDU politician also expressed encouragement from the discussions: "encouraged by the discussions this morning." He expressed hope that the summit would lead to joint conclusions "that should then be implemented in Brussels."

Macron emphasized the geopolitical importance of the region for Europe. It concerns Europe's independence in matters of energy, security, and migration routes. Macron and Merz had traveled to the Adriatic coast with a joint concept to bring the candidate countries closer to the EU more quickly. Currently, according to the available information, the EU accession process involves more than 100 procedural steps and more than 30 negotiation chapters, the opening of each requiring a unanimous decision. The German-French proposal envisages that all relevant chapters should be opened when the EU Commission deems the time appropriate.

The High Representative of the United Nations for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt, welcomed the gradual approach. Previously, the principle of "100 percent or nothing" had applied, Schmidt told Deutschlandfunk. In the future, a gradual approach should be taken, and young start-ups, for example, could be given access to the single market. At the same time, communication from the EU "needs significant improvement" to win over people in the Western Balkans for a European perspective.

Montenegro on the Home Stretch

Among the six Western Balkan states aspiring to EU membership – Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Serbia – Montenegro is considered the most advanced, followed by Albania. EU Enlargement Commissioner Kos described the goal of Montenegro potentially joining the EU by the end of 2028 as achievable. Montenegro is seeking membership in 2028 and still needs to meet several prerequisites this year to stay on track.

Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic called the summit a turning point: "Our meeting brings new hope, fresh energy for all Western Balkan countries." For Montenegro, the summit also marks an anniversary: the event marks the 20th anniversary of the country's declaration of independence. Montenegro was the last former Yugoslav republic to separate from Belgrade, but it had already distanced itself politically and economically in the late 1990s, including by introducing the D-Mark as a means of payment.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama also expressed satisfaction. He had long advocated for gradual integration and had finally been heard: "I've been saying this for a long time, and finally I've been heard." At the same time, Rama dismissed the proposal as insufficient. Europe needs a new "Helmut Kohl moment." When asked when Albania would join the EU, Rama replied with a comparison: "When will Albania join the EU? There are three things in life you can't predict: God, sex, and the EU."

The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, spoke of new momentum in relations. "I've been to many EU-Western Balkans summits, but now there's real momentum." Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker also expressed positive views but insisted on full membership as the goal: "Satisfaction would be the wrong word, but I am pleased about it." Stocker emphasized that there should be no unequal treatment compared to Ukraine and criticized that the EU is only now extending its roaming area to the Western Balkans.

Roadmap Over Several Council Presidencies

Regarding the timeline, several leading EU politicians referred to the upcoming Council presidencies. Ireland's President Michael Martin, whose country holds the EU Council presidency in the second half of 2026, announced his intention to remove all obstacles so that the outstanding negotiation chapters could be closed. They hope "to be able to say that Montenegro meets the conditions and is ready (for membership)." Lithuania's President Gitanas Nauseda pledged to promote and accelerate Montenegro's accession process to the best of his ability during Lithuania's Council presidency in the first half of 2027. According to MEP Reinhold Lopatka, the drafting of the accession treaty for Montenegro has already begun.

At present, full EU membership in the coming years appears achievable only for Albania and Montenegro. The remaining four candidates – Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo – face additional obstacles. For instance, strong tensions between the states repeatedly arise in the region, particularly between Serbia and Kosovo, and between Serbia and Montenegro. Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, which Belgrade still does not recognize today.

Serbia Under Pressure and Open Conflicts

Brussels is concerned about the increasing turn of some candidate countries towards Russia, especially Serbia. The EU repeatedly calls on Belgrade to support the sanctions imposed against Moscow. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić traveled to the summit in Tivat, even though he had skipped the previous EU-Western Balkans summit in December. According to the Serbian government, Vučić traveled to Tivat despite warnings from his own intelligence service about a high security risk.

On the sidelines of the summit, a personnel change was also announced: for the new Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša, whose center-right government was sworn in on Thursday, the day before the summit, it was his first summit of this kind. Janša had previously served as Prime Minister three times and was a member of the European Council from 2004 to 2008, including a six-month EU Council presidency. Slovenia's second EU Council presidency in 2021 already fell within his term. 23 EU heads of state and government, as well as the six Western Balkan states, participated in the meeting in Tivat.

The head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation's offices in Serbia and Montenegro, Devcic, spoke of high expectations for the meeting in the run-up. It is the first time since Montenegro's independence 20 years ago that a summit of this magnitude is being held in Montenegro. If Montenegro joins the EU, Devcic believes this could have positive effects on the other Western Balkan countries.

Outlook After the Summit

The six Western Balkan states have had an EU accession perspective since 2003. The German-French proposal aims to simplify the "overly formalistic, bureaucratic procedure" and accelerate accession negotiations. The report is based on reports from the AFP news agency; it was broadcast on Deutschlandfunk on June 5, 2026.