Montenegro's minister: EU elections will test enlargement prospects

Montenegro believes that next year's national elections in a number of European Union countries will show how seriously Brussels takes its promises on enlarging the bloc.

This was stated by Montenegro's Minister for European Affairs, Maida Gorčević, Euractiv reports.

The government of Montenegro, which is considered the frontrunner for EU accession, expresses skepticism about how close the country's entry into the European Union really is.

According to Gorčević, elections — in particular in France, Spain, Italy, and Poland — could become an obstacle.

"For the enlargement process, and not only for Montenegro, the elections in several member state capitals next year will be an enormous test… We can demonstrate what we are doing and what we are ready to do to join the EU, but in the end it is politics," the official said.

To join the EU, a candidate country's accession treaty must be ratified by all 27 member states. In France this process is especially complicated, since the constitution provides for holding a referendum or an approving vote by three-fifths of the deputies of the National Assembly and the Senate.

"I am confident that if we work with the French government, which supports us very much, and close all the negotiating chapters considered so far, we will get a very successful result. Let's wait until next year, and we will see what happens," Gorčević said.

To allay voters' concerns about enlargement, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and other EU countries advocate transition periods and strict legal conditions for new members.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos has proposed "new-generation safeguard mechanisms" that should guarantee that new members comply with the principles of democracy and the rule of law for 15 years after accession.

Gorčević noted that Montenegro is ready to agree to the strictest new measures in order to prevent backsliding from democratic principles. At the same time, the country expects that from the very outset it will enjoy the rights of an equal EU member, including the right to vote.

"We are not afraid of sanctions, but we strive for equality within the EU," the minister said.

Montenegro enjoys the support of Austria, Italy, Hungary, and other countries, which advocate that any new rule-of-law requirements also apply to the current 27 EU states.