Podgorica, (MINA) – The path towards the European Union (EU) does not depend solely on the fulfilment of technical criteria, but also on the country’s reputation as a reliable and predictable partner, said civil rights activist Bojana Jokic, adding that Montenegro still has a vast amount of work ahead.

In an interview with the MINA News Agency, Jokic said that the goal of closing the remaining negotiation chapters by the end of the year is ambitious, and that the dynamics are highly complex.

According to her, a huge amount of work remains ahead for Montenegro, and the fundamental problem is that rule of law reforms cannot be “ordered” according to a calendar schedule.

“The case from December last year, when France withheld support for Chapters 11 and 13, clearly shows that the path to the EU does not depend solely on the fulfilment of technical criteria, but also on the state’s reputation as a reliable and predictable partner. And that reputation is fragile when institutions send contradictory signals,” Jokic said.

Asked whether the formation of a working party for drafting Montenegro’s EU Accession Treaty is a positive signal, she replied affirmatively, saying it is likely the most concrete institutional signal so far.

“This is a decisive signal that the negotiation process is close to the formal and legal stage of full membership, but caution is needed to avoid euphoria,” Jokic warned.

As she noted, the treaty must be ratified in all EU member states, a process that can take more than a year.

“Commissioner Marta Kos emphasised that this treaty will be the first to include new, stricter safeguard mechanisms to prevent backsliding in the area of the rule of law. So the signal is positive, but the new safeguard clause shows that the EU this time does not intend to turn a blind eye to structural problems,” Jokic added.

Asked whether the opposition and the government will heed EU Ambassador Johann Sattler’s appeal to work on restoring unity in order to complete the demanding tasks on the European path, Jokic said the appeal is not new.

“Sattler called for discipline, focus and national unity as a precondition for continued progress on the European path,” she said.

However, she added that history shows that unity in Montenegro is usually achieved only under pressure from external actors, rather than as a result of a mature democratic culture, which she described as disheartening for Montenegrin society.

“The agreement between the government and the opposition was signed at the premises of the EU Delegation, where Sattler organised the meeting, which in itself shows who holds the keys to Montenegro’s dialogue,” Jokic said.

She said that political actors are able to reach agreements when the EU is directly involved as a mediator, but that consensus easily breaks down between such moments, making it difficult to speak of genuine cohesion in a system where parties cooperate behind closed doors when it suits them and block each other when it does not.

“It is also worrying that civil society is expected to support reforms, but its criticism of the quality of those reforms is rarely taken into account,” she added.

Asked whether there is political will for electoral reform, specifically for the introduction of open lists and the cleaning of voter registers, Jokic said that it exists in rhetoric, but not in action.

Jokic said that open lists alone are not a sufficient remedy, arguing that tackling partitocracy, nepotism and clientelism requires work on a broader legal and institutional framework.

“Warnings from the civil sector that Montenegro is dangerously approaching a ‘point of no return’ regarding deadlines for electoral reform remain unanswered. Parties prefer closed lists because they retain control over personnel decisions. What is presented as a technical issue is in fact deeply political,” she said.

Asked whether the stalemate in electoral reform could negatively affect the European path, she answered affirmatively.

“Yes, it can, and it is already reflected in the overall assessment of democratic progress,” she said.

She noted that Chapter 23, which covers fundamental rights and democratic standards, is one of the most difficult to close precisely because it also includes electoral standards.

“Sattler underlined that Chapters 23 and 24 are the most difficult challenge that must remain constantly in focus, and that partial reforms do not provide the guarantees the EU requires,” she added.

According to her, when international partners see the same recommendations being repeated cycle after cycle without substantive implementation, trust is eroded in the long term.

“And trust is, as we saw in the French example in December last year, a currency without which even technically fulfilled chapters cannot be closed,” Jokic concluded.