Thanks to the voters of Montenegro, the queue to join the European Union is set to lengthen again, by one more nation state.

A key factor in persuading a majority of Montenegrins to opt for independence from Serbia was the argument that their tiny mountainous state would be able to jump the queue and join faster than their old partner. That may yet prove over-optimistic. Nobody in Brussels wants to irritate Serbia more than necessary, just at the moment when negotiations are under way to find a solution for neighbouring Kosovo.