Macron and Merz travel to Montenegro as EU accelerates expansion

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are visiting Montenegro, emphasizing the need to accelerate the EU's enlargement process. Candidate countries, including Ukraine, demand that accession negotiations move faster as geopolitical risks grow. The EU seeks to secure its eastern border and Western Balkans countries before external actors destabilize the region.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are heading to Montenegro, a significant step in revitalizing the European Union's enlargement policy. The visit underscores the strategic importance of the Western Balkans countries' accession process at a time when candidate countries are awaiting a clearer and faster path to EU membership.

Pressure to accelerate the enlargement process

Candidate countries, including Ukraine, have repeatedly stressed that the current pace of accession is too slow given mounting security threats. Brussels acknowledges that mounting pressure on its eastern border and in the Balkans makes enlargement more than just a political choice — it is now a strategic necessity. Montenegro has so far made the most progress among Western Balkans countries in the EU enlargement process, but even its accession negotiations have stalled.

Geopolitical threats intensify pressure

Competition for influence is intensifying around candidate countries — Russian activity in the Balkans and the volatile situation in Ukraine make the EU enlargement question urgent. The European Union wants to bind candidate countries more firmly to its orbit to prevent them from drifting under the sway of other major powers. Macron and Merz's visit to Montenegro sends a clear political signal that Western Europe's leading powers are seriously committed to the enlargement process.

What comes next?

The EU's enlargement process currently encompasses several countries: beyond Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo in the Western Balkans region, as well as Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia from the Eastern Partnership. Analysts warn that without concrete steps and clearly defined time-bound objectives, enlargement ambitions will remain mere political rhetoric. Macron and Merz's visit may provide the necessary political momentum for the enlargement process to gain new traction.