“20 Years of Independence – How Close Is Montenegro Really to the European Union?”
The Network for European Policies – MASTER presents the documentary series “EU Dossier: Montenegro – Chapters Under the Spotlight”
Twenty years after the restoration of independence, Montenegro is entering a period in which the question of the real reach of its European path is more relevant than ever.
After two decades of political changes, reform promises and negotiations with the European Union, one essential question remains — a question that goes beyond administrative procedures and diplomatic messages: is Montenegro truly ready for membership in the European Union, and to what extent are European values present today in its institutions, system and the everyday life of its citizens?
Precisely out of the need to speak about European integration openly, with arguments and beyond political phrases, the Network for European Policies – MASTER is producing the documentary series “EU Dossier: Montenegro – Chapters Under the Spotlight”, with the support of the Goethe-Institut and DW Akademie, on behalf of the European Commission.
Through five episodes, the series brings a powerful and multilayered story about Montenegro’s European path, opening questions that directly shape the political, social and economic future of the country. The first episode focuses on the position of the Western Balkans in the European integration process and Montenegro’s place within the contemporary European and geopolitical architecture, while the following episodes, through key negotiation chapters, address the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary, the fight against corruption and organised crime, security, institutional trust, ecology, climate challenges, the country’s international positioning and alignment with the common foreign and security policy of the European Union. The series particularly examines the question of how substantive Montenegro’s reforms are, and how much they remain merely formal, as well as whether, after twenty years of independence, the country has the capacity to turn European standards into a real social and institutional system of values.
Through a serious research approach, relevant speakers, authentic stories and an analytical format, “EU Dossier: Montenegro – Chapters Under the Spotlight” is not only a documentary series about European integration, but also a story about a country caught between political promises and real reforms, between a declarative European orientation and the need for deep social change.
The series features, among others:
Doc. Dr Predrag Zenović, Chief Negotiator of Montenegro with the European Union
Doc. Dr Nikoleta Đukanović, political scientist
Prof. Dr Žarko Puhovski, political analyst
Bojan Božović, Minister of Justice of Montenegro
Jelena Grdinić, Director General of the Directorate for Criminal and Civil Legislation at the Ministry of Justice
Svetlana Đokić, journalist
Damjan Ćulafić, Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Region Development
Mr Vuk Iković, biologist and environmental activist
Prof. Dr Srđan Darmanović, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro and former member of the Venice Commission
The premiere of the first episode will take place on Thursday, 21 May, on Montenegro’s Independence Day, at 21:15 on RTCG1.
New episodes of the documentary series “EU Dossier: Montenegro – Chapters Under the Spotlight” will be broadcast every Thursday at 21:15 on RTCG, while after the television broadcast the content will also be available through the digital platforms and social media channels of the Network for European Policies – MASTER, with the aim of bringing the topic of European integration closer to a wider audience and encouraging open social dialogue on the future of Montenegro.
You can watch the series trailer at the following link: Trailer for the MASTER series “EU Dossier: Montenegro – Chapters Under the Spotlight”
The series is produced by the Network for European Policies – MASTER, with the support of the Goethe-Institut and DW Akademie, on behalf of the European Commission, with the aim of opening the most important questions concerning Montenegro’s European future through an evidence-based, analytical and socially responsible approach, and contributing to a stronger understanding of the European integration process among citizens.