Montenegro has long been described as the frontrunner in the European Union's enlargement process. The government insists the country can join the EU by 2028. But how realistic is that timeline?

In this episode of Talk Eastern Europe, Alexandra Karppisits down with political analyst Danilo Kalezić from the University of Montenegro to unpack the country's complex political reality. They discuss the growing gap between Brussels' optimism and developments on the ground, the influence of Serbia and Russia, tensions with Croatia, and whether Montenegro risks becoming another source ofinstability inside the EU itself.

Can Montenegro truly become the next EU member state, or is the enlargement narrative masking deeper democratic and geopolitical challenges?

Talk Eastern Europe is the podcast from New Eastern Europe magazine - your trusted source for in-depth analysis and expert perspectives on Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, and the post-Soviet space.

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