“The messages sent to Montenegro from the summit of the European Union and the countries of the Western Balkans in Tivat are a strong encouragement and additional confirmation that today our country has a real opportunity to become the next member of the European Union,” said one of the leaders of the European Union, Damir Šehović.
According to him, it is obvious that the enlargement policy is once again taking an important place on the European agenda, as well as that Montenegro has a historic opportunity to successfully complete the accession process.
“Those messages are a special satisfaction for the European Union, whose constituents are the founders of the European idea in Montenegro, and as such they represented and promoted it even in periods when it was neither simple nor popular, as well as in periods when Europe itself was not ready for continued expansion. The European path for us was never a political slogan, but a value determination and vision of the development of a modern, civil and European Montenegro,” said Šehović.
However, as he points out, it is important to emphasize that the current position of Montenegro should not be attributed to any individual, government, or political generation.
“It is the result of many years of work, reforms and efforts of numerous people, institutions and political actors who built the European path of our country, often making decisions that did not bring political points, but did bring Montenegro closer to the European Union,” he adds.
This is why, says Šehović, European progress must not become a subject of party appropriation. Membership in the European Union will be a joint success of Montenegro, and not the merit of just one political generation.
However, he adds, it is equally important to be aware that the European path is not an irreversible process.
“That is why it is necessary for all political actors to show additional responsibility and avoid irresponsible moves that can slow down European progress or call into question the European dynamics that we can have,” he emphasizes.
As he adds, it is precisely from such an understanding of the state’s responsibility towards the European future that the platform offered by the opposition for overcoming the political and institutional crisis was created.
“Her goal was not to open new divisions, but to put the issues that can slow down or threaten Montenegro’s European path on the table and try to secure the widest possible social and political consensus around them. We believe that the European goal cannot be the responsibility of only one political address. On the contrary, the closer we are to membership, the more important it is to reach the widest possible agreement of all social and political actors on key reforms, strengthening institutions and protecting democratic standards,” explained Šehović.
Therefore, he points out, the encouraging messages from Tivat should not be a reason for complacency, but an additional incentive to lead the final part of the European journey responsibly, wisely and with full respect for the fact that it is the most important national interest.
“The European Union will, as before, support every move that leads to full membership of Montenegro in the European Union, regardless of who is in power. Because the European future of our country must be above all party interests,” he said.
Today, when encouraging messages are coming from Europe and confirmation that membership is an achievable goal, Šehović says that we all have the right to be optimistic.
“But we also have an obligation to show political maturity and responsibility in order to jointly take advantage of the great historical opportunity that Montenegro received mostly through a combination of geopolitical circumstances,” he concluded.
