Friedrich Merz and Emmanuel Macron launch EU-West Balkans acceleration plan at Montenegro summit

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron travelled to Tivat, Montenegro for an EU‑West Balkans summit on 5 June 2026. They presented a joint position paper proposing a new initiative to speed the EU enlargement process for the six Balkan candidates – Albania, Bosnia‑Herzegovina, Kosovo (still awaiting candidate status), Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia – and also extending the scheme to Moldova.

The paper calls for “step‑wise” integration, rewarding countries that meet reform benchmarks with privileged access to the EU internal market or observer status in EU institutions. It urges a focus on substantive reforms rather than procedural steps and suggests that early incentives could reduce frustration that might otherwise push Balkan states toward rival powers.

Montenegro is seen as the most advanced, with all 33 negotiation chapters opened and 14 closed; the European Commission estimates it could complete talks by the end of 2026 if reforms continue. Albania could finish by 2027, while other candidates still face longer timelines. Bilateral meetings were scheduled between Merz and the leaders of Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia‑Herzegovina and Serbia, as well as a joint discussion with EU Council President António Costa, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President Macron on Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić.

Separately, Austrian central‑bank governor Robert Kocher highlighted the economic potential of the Western Balkans, noting substantial EU investment needs and the fact that both Montenegro and Kosovo already use the euro unilaterally, arguing for pragmatic solutions to monetary integration.