Montenegro’s President Jakov Milatovic has invited all political party leaders to an urgent meeting to address what he described as a deepening “political and institutional crisis,” his cabinet said on March 18.

Speaking at a news conference, Milatovic warned of a “standstill in the work of key institutions” and stressed the need for national unity to keep the country on its European path.

“Today, I have invited all political party leaders to a meeting to overcome the political and institutional crisis and ensure the unity needed to complete our European integration,” he said.

The crisis has intensified following the adoption of the laws on internal affairs and the National Security Agency, which have been criticised by the opposition and civil society.

Milatovic had previously returned both laws to parliament, citing concerns over potential misuse and lack of alignment with democratic standards.

Tensions have also led to the opposition boycotting parliamentary committees, while the failure to appoint two judges has paralysed the Constitutional Court of Montenegro.

Milatovic outlined seven steps to break the deadlock, including revising the contested laws, restoring parliamentary dialogue, appointing constitutional judges, launching comprehensive electoral reforms and the creation of a state council for EU integration.

He also called for intensified dialogue with Croatia, stressing that talks should be conducted with a clear state negotiating position and focused on resolving outstanding bilateral issues, with the aim of unblocking Chapter 31, rather than “meetings for the sake of meetings”.

He warned that the crisis risks slowing Montenegro’s EU accession, noting that only two negotiation chapters have been closed this year, instead of the six initially planned.