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Montenegro’s accession would be a low-risk, high-impact way for the EU to prove its credibility and capacity to deliver enlargement. There is no growth without discomfort, no credibility without keeping one’s promises and no leadership without competence. To navigate the present geopolitical storms and prepare for future shocks, the EU must come of age, mend its reputation and dust off its mantle. Yet strategic wins can make the challenge less formidable. One such opportunity is Montenegro’s accession before the end of the current politico- institutional cycle. By investing the needed political and technical capital to see the country join the Union by 2029, the EU would demonstrate that it can step outside its comfort zone, honour its commitments and act with purpose.

Montenegro is a test case for the EU’s ability to engage with the enlargement process in a different way within the framework of the current methodology and to demonstrate actual commitment to the policy. Allowing Podgorica to join already, during the current politico-institutional cycle, could serve to restore the credibility of the membership perspective offered to the Balkans, further motivate reform in Ukraine and Moldova and prove that the EU is capable of responding effectively to the tectonic geopolitical shifts triggered by Russia’s war in Ukraine. If Montenegro were to join the EU in the next few years, it would set a precedent for any potential entries thereafter, as well as for the future of enlargement policy. The EU should therefore make sure that Montenegro’s accession is a real success story for the EU, for the new member and for the enlargement dossier as a whole.

This paper seeks to inspire, promote and link the debates on how to widen and deepen European integration in the coming years. Starting from the assumption that enlargement and internal EU reform are normative imperatives, it explores potential avenues to advance both processes (strategic options), identifies the most suitable (combinations of) strategic options, and presents 12 concrete recommendations on how to implement enlargement and internal EU reform in practice in the years ahead.