Montenegro: Edging towards Europe

LEADERS of the European Union have the euro crisis to discuss at their summit on June 28th-29th. Perhaps surprisingly, Montenegro will also be on the agenda (and not because it uses the euro despite not being in the euro zone, leading some to speculate that Greece may follow its example). Most countries favour opening membership talks with the six-year-old Balkan country of just over 600,000 people. But it may not happen. The Bulgarians say that to hold Montenegro back at this stage would be unfair, but Sweden is not alone in wanting more proof of a genuine fight against organised crime and corruption.

The country’s courts have just offered some help. On June 5th a former mayor of Budva was jailed for corruption. Sent down with him was Dragan Marovic, his former deputy. By coincidence Mr Marovic’s brother is a political foe of Milo Djukanovic, who has dominated Montenegrin politics for more than two decades and heads the ruling party.When Ivo Sanader, a former Croatian prime minister, was arrested in December 2010, impressed EU leaders were quick to accept Croatia as the club’s 28th member next year. But it also...