Western Balkan countries have a joke about their long efforts to join the European Union: “We pretend to reform and they pretend to want us.”(西巴尔干国家有一个关于它们漫长入盟努力的笑话：“我们假装改革，他们假装想要我们。”) Yet Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 injected(注入) new life into the process, and Montenegro’s government thinks it has a chance soon. With just 630,000 residents, Montenegro would cost the EU relatively little in aid. Its agricultural exports are too small to worry Europe’s farmers, and it poses no risk of(不构成……风险) significant(显著的，重大的) labour migration.
西巴尔干国家对于它们加入欧盟的漫长努力有一个笑话：“我们假装改革，他们假装想要我们。”然而，2022年俄罗斯入侵乌克兰为这一进程注入了新的活力，黑山政府认为它很快就有机会。黑山仅有63万居民，加入欧盟所需的援助相对较少。其农产品出口规模太小，不足以让欧洲农民担忧，也不会带来大量劳动力迁移的风险。
At a summit in Montenegro in June, EU leaders fell over themselves(争先恐后，不遗余力) to praise their host’s progress. The country’s government aims to finish aligning(使一致，对接) with the bloc’s standards by the end of this year, and join in 2028. Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, called that schedule “within reach”. But Iceland’s vote on August 29th against restarting its accession negotiations has dampened(抑制，使沮丧) the mood. Some hoped a bid by a rich northern country would boost momentum. Now the aspirants will simply have to persuade Europeans that bringing in poorer south-eastern countries is in their interests.(现在，候选国将不得不说服欧洲人，接纳较贫穷的东南欧国家符合他们的利益。)
6月，在黑山举行的一次峰会上，欧盟领导人争相称赞东道主的进步。该国政府的目标是在今年年底前完成与欧盟标准的对接，并于2028年加入。欧盟委员会主席乌尔苏拉·冯德莱恩称这一时间表“触手可及”。但冰岛8月29日投票反对重启入盟谈判，使气氛变得低落。一些人曾希望一个富裕北方国家的申请能提振势头。现在，这些候选国将不得不说服欧洲人，接纳较贫穷的东南欧国家符合他们的利益。
Of the western Balkan countries, Montenegro is at the head of the pack(领先，名列前茅). Albania is next, while Kosovo and Bosnia & Herzegovina are making little progress. North Macedonia is blocked by its hostile neighbour Bulgaria. Serbia, the biggest of the six, got a red light(遭到拒绝，被叫停) from eight members in July, mainly over its autocratic(专制的，独裁的) governance. On August 27th Montenegro’s prime minister, Milojko Spajic, said that two neighbouring countries (clearly meaning Serbia and Albania) were trying to slow the country’s accession, presumably out of jealousy.(8月27日，黑山总理米洛伊科·斯帕伊奇表示，两个邻国（显然指塞尔维亚和阿尔巴尼亚）正试图减缓该国的入盟进程，大概是出于嫉妒。)
在西巴尔干国家中，黑山处于领先地位。阿尔巴尼亚紧随其后，而科索沃和波斯尼亚和黑塞哥维那进展甚微。北马其顿受到敌对的邻国保加利亚的阻挠。塞尔维亚是六国中最大的，7月因专制统治而遭到八个成员国的反对。8月27日，黑山总理米洛伊科·斯帕伊奇表示，两个邻国（显然指塞尔维亚和阿尔巴尼亚）正试图减缓该国的入盟进程，大概是出于嫉妒。