The EU is deeply concerned by the 1 November vote in the parliament of Montenegro, in effect amending the prerogatives of the President of the Republic through the adoption of legislation under the urgency procedure. All legislative acts should be in line with the constitution. All political stakeholders should refrain from any action that could further deepen the institutional crisis and undermine the country’s democratic institutions.

To end the current stalemate, the EU urges all actors to prioritize building the consensus on, and urgently appointing, members of the Constitutional Court at the next vote in Parliament on 22 November. The Court’s full functionality is crucial to ensure the legitimacy of democratic elections, among other important matters.

The accession of Montenegro to the European Union is the strategic choice of an overwhelming majority of Montenegrin citizens and the publicly stated goal of a vast majority of Montenegrin political stakeholders. Montenegro has been a frontrunner among the EU candidate countries.  Continued progress on EU accession requires all political actors to support the functionality of the country’s democratic institutions and strengthen the rule of law.