IMPULSE Montenegro in Focus A Frontrunner Without a Functioning Rule of Law Montenegro on its EU path Montenegro is widely regarded as the most advanced EU candidate country in the Western Balkans. It applied for EU membership in 2008, received candidate status in 2010, and formally opened accession negotiations in 2012, marking a key milestone in its European trajectory. Between 2012 and 2020, Montenegro opened all 33 negotiating chapters, signalling strong formal alignment with the EU framework. However, progress in closing them has been slow and uneven. So far, only 14 chapters in 14 years(around 42%) have been provisionally closed, with limited acceleration in recent years despite renewed EU enlargement momentum. The Government’s ambition to close all remaining chapters by the end of 2026 appears increasingly unrealistic, even in this favourable geopolitical context and amid the European Commission(EC) renewed emphasis on enlargement, where Montenegro continues to be presented as a key test case for a credible accession process. Failure to meet this objective would primarily reflect a lack of genuine commitment on the part of the ruling majority, rather than constraints imposed by EU institutions or Member States. Namely, at the core of this gap between ambition and delivery are persistent structural challenges, particularly in political stability and the rule of law, including judicial independence, anti-corruption performance, and the fight against organised crime. Although Montenegro continues to receive strong encouragement from Brussels and formally reiterates its commitment to EU integration, concerns persist about the consistency and depth of political will within governing structures, which are characterised by multiple veto players. Reform implementation is often patchy, with a modest track record in both key rule-of-law areas and institutional strengthening, accompanied by the widespread misuse of public resources for party and particular interests. In parallel, the role of opposition actors and civil society, especially critical voices, remains constrained in meaningful participation in reform processes. As a result, EU integration is often perceived as partially formalistic and, at times, instrumentalised in domestic political competition rather than pursued as a substantive reform agenda. Montenegro as a Frontrunner Without a Functioning Rule of Law 1