Montenegro: EFJ calls for action over unlawful RTCG Director appointment
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its Montenegrin affiliate, the Trade Union of Media in Montenegro (SMCG), express concerns about the way the Director-General of the Public Service RTCG has been elected on 31 August 2024. The organisations call on all relevant institutions, primarily the Labor Inspectorate, to take action as soon as possible to clarify the situation in which Boris Raonić has become the Director-General of the Public Service for the third time.
The Montenegrin parliamentarians ignored the appeals sent to them before the adoption of the amendments to the Law on RTCG, which were related to the unnecessary lowering of the criteria that candidates for the position of Director-General of RTCG must meet. If the appeals had been heeded, the Public Service would not be in such an unfavorable situation. Montenegro’s Prime Minister, Milojko Spajić released a statement in which he is attempting to shift the responsibility for the amendments to the law onto the European Commission.
RTCG and Boris Raonić personally lost two cases before Montenegrin courts related to his appointment in 2021 because he was in a conflict of interest: he did not meet the criteria for the appointment. RTCG, specifically the Council and Raonić, also lost two cases before the Basic Court in Podgorica related to his reappointment in 2023, where it was again concluded that his appointment was illegal.
This year, Raonić resigned as Director General following the adoption of a law favorable to him, only to be appointed Acting Director within 15 minutes at the same meeting of the RTCG Council, which is unprecedented in practice.
The election on 31 August was marked by numerous controversies, primarily due to its lack of transparency, raising suspicions that it was politically or interest-driven, in violation of legal norms.
The Council, with six out of nine members present, elected Boris Raonić with five votes in favor and one invalid vote, even though there are suspicions that he did not meet one of the two conditions to even participate in the competition:
- He does not meet the requirement of five years of professional experience under the Montenegrin Labour Law,
- He has already been appointed Director-General twice, which contradicts the Law on Public Service Media.
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the Trade Union of Media in Montenegro (SMCG) support the claims of the eight candidates, who refused to participate further in what appears to be a pre-arranged election. According to SMCG, if Montenegro wishes to remain on the path of European and NATO integration, such legal failures and similar scandals should not characterize the Public Service Media.
“Such a lack of transparency in the appointment of the Director General of RTCG must be investigated as it represents a serious breach of European standards established by the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA). Transparency criterias must be met to ensure that Public Service Media fulfill their roles as defenders of public interest and pluralism”, said EFJ President Maja Sever.
