Deputy Prime Minister Ivanovic emphasized that the most is rightly expected from the Government, and that it is the Government that is most often exposed to criticism, but also that achieves the most significant results in the European integration process.
Speaking about specific challenges, Ivanovic stressed that Chapters 23 and 24 remain the foundation of the entire process, recalling that the transitional benchmarks in these areas were met during 2024. He pointed out that these are chapters that are comprehensively re-assessed at the end of the negotiation process, and that continuous, daily progress is being recorded in them.
When it comes to other segments of the negotiations, Ivanovic pointed out that full harmonisation with the European Union's visa policy is expected soon, while Chapter 27, which relates to the environment, represents one of the most demanding challenges, given the extensive regulations and large number of directives that need to be adopted and implemented.
Additionally, he pointed out the importance of administrative capacities, which, as he stated, have been largely filled and put into maximum operation. He pointed out that the process of preparing legislation for each negotiation chapter, as well as its communication with the European Commission, requires time, and that the dynamics of obtaining opinions directly affects the speed of closing the chapters and the final assessment of the fulfillment of the criteria.
Ivanovic assessed that the above challenges are predominantly administrative and technical in nature, but he also pointed out the existence of political challenges, which he illustrated through continuous attempts to make meaningless the achieved results and reforms implemented by the Government and the Parliament. He particularly emphasized the presence of everyday criticism and disinformation, emphasizing that it is crucial to maintain constructive dialogue and reach compromise.
He emphasized that the Government of Montenegro is achieving measurable results – implementing reforms, closing negotiation chapters and continuously communicating with the European Commission. He also reminded that the current Government received the most positive progress report from the European Commission since
beginning of the negotiation process, emphasizing that the most pronounced criticism often comes from actors who were part of the executive branch during the period when the weakest results were recorded.
Finally, he emphasized that Montenegro maintains a high level of public support for membership in the European Union, assessing that strong citizen support further contributes to the stability of the reform process and reduces the space for negative influences, including disinformation and other challenges that were the focus of the forum itself.
The panel also included the President of the Supreme Court of Montenegro Valentina Pavličić, as well as former MP in the Parliament of Montenegro, former Minister of Ecology, Spatial Planning and Urbanism and Coordinator of the Ministry of European Affairs Ana Novaković-Đurović, and MP and former Chairman of the Committee on European Integration in the Parliament of Montenegro Ivan Vuković.
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