Montenegro deal unlocks constitution, edges closer to EU
The ruling coalition and the opposition in Montenegro have agreed on constitutional changes that clear the path to closing negotiation chapters with the EU.
- Montenegro's ruling coalition and opposition have reached a deal on constitutional changes that bring Podgorica closer to the European Union.
- The move, dubbed the unlocking of the constitution, opens the way to closing negotiation chapters with Brussels.
- Adoption requires a two-thirds majority, at least 54 votes in the 81-seat Parliament of Montenegro.
- Debate on the changes was already under way in early July, with expectations that the required majority would be secured.
Montenegro’s ruling parties and the opposition have agreed on constitutional changes meant to remove obstacles on the country’s road to the European Union, according to reports from Podgorica this week. The deal, described in political circles as the unlocking of the constitution, concerns constitutional provisions that have for years held up the closing of certain negotiation chapters with Brussels. Agreement between government and opposition is a rarity in Montenegrin political life, and it is precisely the absence of such consensus that has slowed the European path of one of the front-runners in the queue.
The core of the problem was that key constitutional provisions cannot be amended without broad, cross-party support. Adoption of the changes requires a two-thirds majority, at least 54 votes in the 81-seat Parliament of Montenegro, which no governing coalition can provide on its own. Debate on the changes began in early July, with party leaders expecting that the necessary qualified majority would be assembled.
Why does unlocking the constitution matter for Brussels?
The European Commission has for years told Podgorica that progress in the talks depends on the rule of law and the functioning of institutions, and part of those conditions touches the constitution itself. As long as certain provisions remain locked, specific chapters cannot be provisionally closed, and the pace of the process slows. Unlocking, as the participants call it, means aligning those provisions with European standards and removing a formal barrier to further steps.
Over the past period Montenegro has presented itself as the regional leader in accession talks, with the ambition of joining before the end of the decade. Without constitutional changes, that ambition would remain largely declaratory. The deal therefore carries symbolic weight, showing that the opposing sides are ready, at least on the European question, to set aside day-to-day political calculation.
Reactions and open questions
Government figures have presented the deal as proof of maturity and a willingness to put the national interest ahead of party gain. Opposition parties, for their part, insist that they secured guarantees the changes will not be used to strengthen the governing camp, but strictly to meet European obligations. Both sides, however, stress that the work has only just begun.
It remains to be seen whether the announced agreement will translate into votes once the proposal reaches lawmakers. A two-thirds majority demands discipline within both the coalition and the opposition caucuses, and the election cycle now facing Montenegro could test every one of the deals struck. The technical text of the amendments is apparently still being finalized, so the final outcome of the vote is not guaranteed.
For the citizens of Montenegro the question is simple: how much will this step really speed up the road to the Union? Is the government-opposition deal the start of a more durable consensus on the European future, or merely a pause in a long rivalry that the first electoral test will put to the proof?
