Montenegro’s new Prime Minister has described his country as a “low-hanging fruit” for the European Union, as Brussels still has to fill the gap left by Brexit.
Since the UK left the bloc, the European Union has counted 27 members. There are, however, nine nations recognised as candidates for EU membership.
Milojko Spajić, a Europhile elected in the autumn of last year, believes his country is the perfect candidate to fill the 28th seat in Brussels.
Mr Spajić described his country as an “easy target” for the EU in an interview with Politico.
Professing his country’s pro-EU stance, he said: “We want to be part of Europe in all shapes and forms.
“It will be a strong message to the whole region that Montenegro is a low-hanging fruit … an easy target for the EU.”
36-year-old Mr Spajić was appointed in late October last year to lead a decisively pro-European government.
Montenegro, which joined NATO in 2017, applied to join the EU in December 2008 and began membership negotiations in June 2012.
On January 29, Mr Spajić was in Brussels to attend the 15th meeting of the EU-Montenegro Accession Conference and deepen the conversation surrounding his country’s future in the bloc.
Following the event, the Prime Minister said: “Our history and our actions in the coming months and years will put on the table decisions whether Montenegro is ready to become the 28th member country by 2028, or whether we will be part of a broader process that will come later.”
Referring to Brexit, the politician suggested the EU doesn’t need reforms to accommodate Montenegro, as “in theory, the EU is already ready for 28 members. There is no need to change the Treaties.”
The country is only 5,333 square miles and has a population of approximately 633,000 people.
Its size, Mr Spajić noted, should be seen as a perk rather than an issue by Brussels when considering Montenegro’s potential future in the EU. He told Politico: “It doesn’t pose a big burden to anybody to be part of the club.”
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Montenegro sided with the West and joined EU sanctions against Moscow – which caused the tiny country to be added by the Kremlin to its list of unfriendly states.
