Croatia sets eight conditions for Montenegro’s EU bid, Plenković says it is not the same as North Macedonia’s blockade
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković called Croatia’s approach constructive and stressed the eight points are expectations, not a blockade like the delays that affected North Macedonia.
Croatia has presented eight conditions that Montenegro must meet on its path to European Union membership, a process Prime Minister Andrej Plenković described as constructive and distinct from long-term blockades faced by other candidates.
Plenković contrasts conditions with past delays
Speaking about Croatia’s stance, Plenković said the measures are intended as concrete steps Montenegro should fulfil rather than a political obstruction. Montenegro is aiming to join the EU in 2028, he noted.
Plenković also invoked the experience of North Macedonia to underline the difference in approaches. "You have the example with North Macedonia, which, when we had the summit in Zagreb in 2000, was ahead of Croatia in the institutional aspect. They still have not started negotiations. There are two countries that from 2005 to 2026 took away 21 years of institutional rapprochement of North Macedonia to the European Union. Croatia did not take that approach. And despite the difficult legacy, we approached Montenegro very constructively. And in that constructive process we singled out those points that we believe Montenegro must fulfil," Plenković said.
He emphasised that Zagreb chose to highlight specific items it expects Montenegro to address as part of ongoing accession work, rather than deploying a blanket blockage.
Observers say Croatia’s list formalises its expectations ahead of further negotiations and frames bilateral demands as conditions to be met within the accession framework.
Photo: Vlada na Crna Gora)
