Montenegro receives French support as EU accession reaches final phase

French media have highlighted Montenegro as the leading candidate for European Union membership, praising the reform drive undertaken by Prime Minister Milojko Spajić and describing the country as a "laboratory of EU enlargement". In early June, French President Emmanuel Macron made a historic visit to Cetinje, the first by a French head of state, and reiterated France’s backing for Montenegro’s final accession negotiations, aiming for entry by 2028.

During the visit, Montenegrin and French officials signed a series of memoranda covering health, finance, infrastructure, energy, defence and digital security. Notable agreements include a €313 million project to build a new university clinical centre in Podgorica and a cooperation framework for the A2‑2 Adriatic‑Ionian highway. Both sides stressed the importance of continued judicial, anti‑corruption and institutional reforms to secure Montenegro’s EU membership.

The French endorsement, coupled with the newly signed partnerships, underscores Montenegro’s accelerating path toward EU accession and its role as a model for the Western Balkans.