By A group of non-governmental organisations, including the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM), together with civic activists, has welcomed the decision of the Parliament of Montenegro of 31 December 2025 to appoint Dragoljub Duško Vuković, the candidate nominated by media-related NGOs, as a member of the Council of the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services (AAMS).
This appointment represents an important affirmation of the independence of the state media regulator and a clear 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 selecting an NGO-backed candidate they could not control.
The Council of an independent state body such as the AAMS must not be subject to party bargaining in the future, but should be recognised as an independent regulatory authority acting in the interest of citizens and the protection of media freedom.
The Law on Audiovisual Media Services stipulates that the AAMS is an independent state body that performs its duties impartially and professionally. Members of the AAMS Council, as the governing body of the Agency, are appointed by Parliament, including on the proposal of NGOs working in the field of media. NGOs duly nominated Vuković, who met all legal requirements for appointment, including political independence and impartiality.
The first public call was announced by Parliament on 10 December 2024, six months late, 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. The call was then withdrawn.
The second call, issued on 30 January 2025, was amended to focus on the legal provision allowing only media-related NGOs to nominate the specific Council member for whom the call was launched. Despite this, it was unlawfully annulled in April by the Administrative Committee, citing allegedly unclear application forms that the same Committee had previously approved.
The third call was launched 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. However, on 24 July, outside the legally prescribed procedure, it organised a so-called consultative hearing.
Subsequently, on 30 July, Members of Parliament failed to provide the necessary support for Vuković’s appointment, abstaining from the vote and thereby returning the appointment procedure to the starting point for the third time. In doing so, they ignored clear messages and warnings from European Union institutions.
In this context, MP Jelena Nedović from the ruling PES party at one point openly suggested that the AAMS Council should include an NGO representative “to the liking of the authorities”, calling into question the integrity of the NGO sector and undermining the legal framework that grants NGOs 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 AAMS Council, exceeding the 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 created the need for the urgent appointment of the remaining members of the AAMS Council. At the same time, messages from Brussels consistently stressed that the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services must operate professionally and remain independent of party influence.
Furthermore, 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 or undue political influence or interference—the members of the AAMS Council, in line with recently adopted media laws envisaging the creation of 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 legal deadline, or one year after the launch of the first public call. In the meantime, the AAMS Council had been operating irregularly, with only three of the legally prescribed five members, significantly reducing its effectiveness and independence.
In circumstances where ruling political parties openly seek to control state institutions that, under Montenegro’s legal order, must remain independent, Vuković’s appointment carries particular weight. His expertise, integrity and political impartiality are essential for the work of the AAMS Council and the protection of the public interest, making this appointment a positive signal in light of the European Commission’s warnings.
We expect that upcoming procedures for appointing members of the AAMS Council and the RTCG Council will serve as examples of respect for the rule of law and the independence of regulatory bodies and the public broadcaster on Montenegro’s path towards the European Union.
Signed by:
Human Rights Action (HRA)
Association Spektra
Centre for Women’s Rights (CŽP)
Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM)
Centre for Civic Freedoms (CEGAS)
Centre for Monitoring and Research (CeMI)
Centre for the Development of NGOs (CRNVO)
ANIMA – Centre for Women’s and Peace Education
Roma Initiatives Centre (CRI)
Montenegrin Women’s Lobby (CŽL)
Montenegrin Lawyers’ Committee for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms (CKM)
Montenegrin LGBTIQ Association Queer Montenegro
Montenegrin Philological Society
ERA – Alliance for LGBTI Equality in the Western Balkans and Turkey
Ipso Facto
Juventas
Municipal Association of People with Multiple Sclerosis Bijelo Polje
Open Centre “Bona Fide” – Pljevlja
Prima
Trade Union of Media of Montenegro
Safe Women’s House (SŽK)
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 RTVCG Council
