If Iceland restarts its European Union accession talks following a referendum this summer, Balkan membership bid frontrunner Montenegro stands to benefit from the revived enlargement momentum.The geopolitics of EU enlargement, timidly reactivated in the aftermath of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, are winding up again. The ongoing accession processes of Ukraine and Moldova, in force since 2022, as well as the longstanding bids of the Western Balkan countries, all responded to geostrategic needs. This time, however, the profile of the applicant is different. Iceland is readying for a referendum, due to be held at the end of the summer, on whether to resume EU membership negotiations with Brussels. Having launched accession talks in 2010 and dropped them a few years later, Reykjavik is now determined to turn its EU accession into a geostrategic priority. Iceland’s already well-advanced integration into some of the EU’s frameworks and policies could make its potential accession a relatively straightforward issue. And, ultimately, this could not only contribute to the debunking of years-long anti-enlargement mantras but also lead the way for other candidate countries. Montenegro, the frontrunner among the Western Balkan hopefuls, in particular should benefit from Iceland’s thrust – and should cooperate with Reykjavik on a joint accession timeline. --- Original source: https://balkaninsight.com/2026/03/17/icelandic-bid-for-eu-membership-would-boost-montenegros-chances/bi/
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