Our civil society organisations and civic activists welcome the decision of the Parliament of Montenegro of 31 December 2025 to appoint Dragoljub Duško Vuković, the candidate nominated by non-governmental organisations active in the media field, as a member of the Council of the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services (AMU).
This appointment represents an important confirmation of the independence of the state media regulator and an example of the public interest prevailing over attempts at political control.

We recall that this appointment followed 18 months wasted on efforts by political parties of the ruling majority to avoid appointing an NGO-nominated candidate whom they could not control.

The Council of an independent state body such as AMU must never again be subject to party calculations, but rather accepted as an independent regulatory authority acting in the interests of citizens and the protection of media freedom.

The Law on Audiovisual Media Services stipulates that AMU is an independent state body that performs its duties impartially and professionally. Members of the AMU Council, as the governing body, are appointed by Parliament, inter alia upon nomination by NGOs working in the media field. NGOs duly nominated Vuković, who met all the legal requirements for appointment, including political independence and impartiality.

The first public call was announced by Parliament on 10 December 2024, with a six-month delay, and was annulled on 24 January 2025 due to an alleged “technical error,” after the NGO LGBT Forum Progres warned parliamentary leadership that the wording of the call could lead to an unlawful appointment and subsequent court challenges, prompting the withdrawal of the call.

The second call, issued on 30 January 2025, was amended to reflect the legal provision allowing only NGOs from the media sector to nominate the specific Council member for whom the call was issued. Despite this, in April it was unlawfully annulled by the Administrative Committee, citing allegedly unclear forms previously adopted by the same committee.

The third call was issued on 13 May 2025. On 10 July, the Administrative Committee confirmed that Dragoljub Duško Vuković’s candidacy was valid and supported by nine authorised NGOs, but on 24 July, contrary to the legal procedure, organised a so-called “consultative hearing”.

Subsequently, on 30 July, members of the Parliament of Montenegro failed to provide the required support for Vuković’s appointment by abstaining from the vote, thereby returning the appointment procedure to the beginning for the third time. In doing so, they ignored clear messages and warnings from institutions of the European Union.

In this context, MP of the ruling Europe Now Movement (PES), Jelena Nedović, openly suggested at one point that the AMU Council should include an NGO representative “to the liking of the authorities,” thereby calling into question the integrity of NGOs and undermining the legal framework that grants them the right to independently nominate a Council member.

In its October Progress Report on Montenegro, the European Commission noted that Parliament had still not appointed a member of the AMU Council, exceeding legally prescribed deadlines, while appointment procedures had been annulled on two occasions. According to the Commission, this situation prevented the full implementation of the existing legal framework and necessitated the urgent appointment of the remaining AMU Council members. Messages from Brussels consistently emphasised that the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services must function professionally and independently of party influence.

Additionally, the EU–Montenegro Joint Consultative Committee of Civil Society, at its 21st meeting held in Brussels on 16 December 2025, called on the Montenegrin Parliament to appoint—without delay and without inappropriate political influence or interference—the members of the AMU Council, in line with recently adopted media laws providing for an independent media regulator.

Following sustained pressure from NGOs and clear warnings from EU institutions, a new vote was scheduled in Parliament. The appointment of Duško Vuković was finally confirmed on 31 December 2025, with a delay of approximately 18 months compared to the statutory deadline, or one year after the first public call was announced. In the meantime, the AMU Council operated irregularly, with only three of the legally prescribed five members, significantly undermining its effectiveness and independence.

In circumstances where ruling political parties openly seek to control state institutions that must remain independent under Montenegro’s legal order, the appointment of Vuković carries particular weight. His expertise, integrity, and political impartiality are essential for the work of the AMU Council and the protection of the public interest, making this appointment a positive signal in light of the warnings issued by the European Commission.

We expect that forthcoming procedures for the appointment of members of the AMU Council and the Council of Radio and Television of Montenegro (RTCG) will serve as examples of respect for the rule of law and the independence of regulatory authorities and the public broadcaster on Montenegro’s path towards the European Union.

Human Rights Action (HRA)

Women’s Rights Center (WRC)

Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM)

Centre for Civic Freedoms (CEGAS)

Centre for Monitoring and Research (CeMI)

Centre for the Development of Non-Governmental Organisations (CRNVO)

ANIMA – Centre for Women’s and Peace Education

Roma Initiatives Centre (CRI)

Montenegrin Women’s Lobby (CŽL)

Montenegrin Committee of Lawyers for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms (CKM)

Montenegrin LGBTIQ Association Queer Montenegro

Montenegrin Philological Society

ERA – LGBTI Equal Rights Association for the Western Balkans and Turkey

Ipso Facto

Juventas

Municipal Multiple Sclerosis Association of Bijelo Polje

Open Centre “Bona Fide” – Pljevlja

Prima

Trade Union of Media of Montenegro

Shelter

Association of Youth with Disabilities of Montenegro (UMHCG)

Association “Štrpci – Against Forgetting

Paula Petričević, civic activist

Milena Bešić, civic activist

Milica Kankaraš Berber, artist and activist

Nikola Vukčević, film director and former member of the RTCG Council