The president of the European Council warned that it is necessary to take advantage of the “renewed momentum” to enlarge the European Union
The president of the European Council, António Costa, considered this Tuesday that Montenegro could join the European Union (EU) in 2028, as the 28th member of the community bloc, and insisted on the need to take advantage of the “renewed momentum” of enlargement.
“Montenegro was the [país] that has progressed further and, if they continue to do so, with the same intensity, they are on track to close negotiations in 2026, and I believe that Montenegro could be 28th. [Estado-membro] in 2028”, said António Costa, while speaking at the Forum for EU Enlargement, in Brussels.
The President of the European Council, former Prime Minister of Portugal, warned that it is necessary to take advantage of the “renewed momentum” to enlarge the European Union, even more “in the face of the growing influence of Russia and China”.
António Costa added that the necessary elements have also been combined to carry out the enlargement of the Union to Ukraine, Moldova and countries in the Western Balkans: “It is happening faster than it has been in the last 15 years”.
“It is critical to ensure that citizens understand and support the process, which will ultimately reinforce the legitimacy and cohesion of the EU as a whole”, he commented.
The President of the European Council argued that the “success of the European Union came from the courageous political determination of its predecessors” and that today EU policymakers “must demonstrate the same vision and ability to decide”.
The European Union once had 28 member states, but the United Kingdom ceased to be part of the European political-economic bloc on January 31, 2020, following a referendum held in 2016.
