Impact of Europeanization on national political parties - Case of Montenegro

Process of Europeanization in post-socialist countries is strongly linked to the process of democratization (Fink-Hafner, 2007). It represents prolonged democratic consolidation. Even that some scholars believe that Montenegro ended its democratic consolidation in 2006 after referendum on the state status, it is more likely that process of fulfilling political criteria set by EU represents continuation of the process of democratic consolidation. In Montenegro there is currently no euro skeptic party with the parliamentary status. Europeanization of political parties represents “…political pressure on candidate states to fulfill EU’s expectations” (Ibid). Case of Russian aggression in Ukraine showed deep gap in understanding process of EU integration by key political parties in Montenegro. In order to define impact of Europeanization on political parties in Montenegro I am using three criteria developed by Fink-Hafner (2007). Aside the impact of Europeanization on Montenegrin parties in this presentation I will try to explain similarities and differences between current situation in Montenegro and experience of Slovakia from 1998. We will try to explore odds for “Slovakian scenario”, possibility of EU intervention in domestic party system, in the case that EU leadership believes that process of integrating Montenegro in EU is endangered.