Centre for Civic Education (CCE) assesses that the latest ruling of the Basic Court in Podgorica, once again annulling the appointment of Boris Raonić as Director General of Radio and Television of Montenegro (RTCG), lays bare an unprecedented practice in Montenegro – the continued performance of a public function for years despite a double-digit number of court rulings declaring the appointment unlawful.
CCE emphasises that this is neither a legal oversight nor an isolated mistake. Rather, it represents a pattern of conduct that directly undermines trust in institutions, weakens the legitimacy of the public broadcaster, and sends a message that legal norms can be disregarded with sufficiently strong political backing. All previous rulings of the competent courts have unequivocally indicated that the appointment of Boris Raonić was not in accordance with the law.
We recall that during 2025, the President of the RTCG Council, Veselin Drljević, and Council members Naod Zorić, Amina Murić and Filip Lazović were sentenced in a first-instance ruling to seven months of suspended imprisonment for abuse of office in connection with one of the appointments of Boris Raonić. That ruling, together with numerous court decisions challenging the legality of RTCG’s management, underscores the seriousness of the systemic problems in the governance of this institution.
The European Commission has continuously insisted on transparent, merit-based and depoliticised procedures within RTCG. It is evident that an institution whose Director General has been legally challenged more than ten times by competent courts does not meet those standards. RTCG, as the most visible public institution, must reflect the implementation of the rule of law, rather than symbolise its relativisation or the undermining of the judicial system.
CCE warns that the continued unlawfulness in the management of RTCG also compromises other processes within the institution, including the recent allocation of apartments to employees. When leadership operates outside the law, the decisions it signs cannot carry full legal and institutional legitimacy.
This situation also has broader implications for Montenegro’s European path. RTCG is not the public broadcaster of another country, but of Montenegro, which has announced the closure of all EU negotiation chapters by the end of 2026. The contrast between declarative commitments and the legal reality in the country’s most visible public institution seriously undermines state credibility and further exposes the problem of selective application of the law.
CCE believes that it is urgently necessary to establish lawful and professional management of RTCG and to thoroughly review all decisions – including staffing changes, tender procedures, financial transactions, contracts and processes implemented during the court-disputed mandates of Boris Raonić. Court rulings must have real consequences, and public institutions must return to legality and accountability.
Nikola Obradović, Programme Associate