Passing the Law on Culture is now the highest priority in the Ministry of Culture and Media, and it is surprising that the current law dates back to 2008. This is stated by the minister in an interview with Vijesti Tamara Vujović.
In an interview with "Vijesta", she announces the adaptation and renovation of current cultural facilities, as well as the project of a new cultural center in Podgorica, as well as the construction of the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Natural History and the House of Architecture.
Vujović also points out that it is important for journalism to be a desirable profession again, and he also believes that the media that received money from the Fund for Media Pluralism will direct those funds to increase the salaries of employees.
After you took over the department of culture, how do you assess the general state of culture in Montenegro, what are the biggest challenges that await you as a minister and what are your goals for the next period, as well as until the end of your mandate?
I accepted the position of Minister of Culture and Media with a sense of great honor and even greater responsibility.
Management of sectors that represent strategically and fundamentally important areas for the future of a community, require a lot of knowledge, skills and commitment.
All my plans and visions that I share with the team are related to laying a healthy foundation for the development of the sector we manage, and quickly and as painlessly as possible solving the outdated accumulated problems that burden this sector and hinder its development.
We have research that says that 35 percent of the population did not visit a single cultural event last season, nor did they read a single book," said Minister Tamara Vujović.
In culture and media, the simple economic logic of the income and expenditure side does not rule, it is ruled by the "higher mathematics" of what shaped us in the past as a community of people, what represents us to the world and what will remain as our collective subconscious and conscious, after us.
When do you expect the adoption of a set of media laws that should improve the position of both media and employees?
With dedicated work and good policies, we strive to establish normative conditions so that the fundamental rights of Montenegrin citizens are protected in the same way as the rights of EU citizens, especially in the part related to freedom of expression, free work of the media.
A lot has already been said about media laws. The remark of our international partners is justified, who say that from many ministers who were in charge of the media, a decade ago, they heard the same messages that the media laws had just not been adopted or would soon be, but they had not been adopted. The Law on AVM Services with minor changes is from 2012, the Law on RTCG from 2020.
This administration has made it a priority. And we will finish it in the second quarter of this year with the stable support that this Government, unlike the previous ones, has in the Parliament.
It is true that the draft laws are practically unchanged from December 2022 and that they have already been given the green light by the experts of the Council of Europe, but as a new administration we have set ourselves the task of doing a "fine tuning". Here, I am thinking first of all about the regulation of the field of online publications, then about self-regulatory mechanisms, and the way in which the members of the council are elected and the issue of the duration of their mandate.
How do you comment on the current law on culture?
As for laws and by-laws, it is surprising that the Law on Culture is from 2008, the Law on the Protection of Cultural Property with minor changes is from 2012, as well as a whole set of laws in the field of protection - museum, library, archive activities, cinematography.
It is inevitable to deal with the changes in these laws in the right way, it is the basic activity of every ministry, to notice vagueness, inadequacies, everything that experience has brought, and change the laws for the better.
Some working groups are already working on changes, and the umbrella Law on Culture, whose adoption is scheduled for the last quarter of this year, requires broad consultations and the dedicated work of a large number of people. This Law is the priority of all priorities.
We have started to amend a set of by-laws, which will improve and define better procedures by which decisions are made in certain areas. We will work intensively on improving working conditions and the status of artists, as well as on creating conditions for the work of professional associations, which are now registered as non-governmental organizations and do not have the possibility of support from the MKM.
Are the existing strategic documents a good foundation for improvement in the field of culture and media?
The National Cultural Development Program 2023-2027 and the Media Strategy (MS) 2023-2027, with action plans, were adopted as long-term documents in the last weeks of the 43rd Government.
These documents are not perfect, as no legal act is, and they are subject to criticism, but I am satisfied that we have them, because they represent a starting point for fulfilling activities and are a starting point for improvement. We don't have the luxury of canceling everything that came before us, returning processes to the beginning and we don't think that everything should start from us. Let's thank our predecessors for the effort they put in and try to go one step further, and better. So, especially when there are activities that need to be done, which are written in strategic documents, they should be followed, fulfilled and tried to be improved.
The preservation and promotion of cultural heritage is of great importance and is one of our most important priorities. And this is a matter of pride, the "image" of the state.
Cultural heritage, immovable and movable, material and immaterial, will be analyzed, viewed from the aspect of the state in which it is located, threats, the need for its revaluation and valorization, the need and tendency to restore, restore, conserve, research, preserve to the greatest extent possible benefit to all, in a word. We all know the enormous value of our heritage. The remedy for this is procedures, a strict and thoroughly conducted analysis, innovative laws on the protection of cultural assets, the Law on Culture, improvement in the work of competent administrations and cultural protection institutions, personnel and organizational improvement.
While we mention the creation of our story and its spread abroad, I note that cultural diplomacy and tourism play a significant role in promoting the culture and image of our country. Cultural contents must be presented more to the international audience, in terms of cultural tourism in Montenegro and abroad.
Also, the development of culture should be thought through strategically both at the national and municipal levels. In that, I expect synergy, no overlaps and waste of energy. It is especially important to know the cultural actors of the region and tie them into joint projects.
Let's not forget the policies of including all citizens in activities related to culture.
Montenegro needs new cultural institutions, we should not be afraid of public-private partnerships in culture, nor private, nor independent sector initiatives. Not everything has to be a public institution, financed by the budget. We see that there are increasingly successful synergies and partnerships between the public and private sectors in culture in the region, based on clearly defined rules. Creative hubs can be the flywheel of such a story.
What is the existing infrastructure like and do you plan to build new cultural facilities?
We are dedicated to the preservation of functionality, restoration and renovation of cultural objects and landmarks. This includes works on the buildings of the National Museum in Cetinje and the arrangement of their exhibition spaces in all units, according to the rules, improving the ecological efficiency of the building of the Ministry of Culture and Media and many cultural institutions, in terms of heating and building maintenance. New exhibition spaces and the reorganization of some settings, as well as the expansion of the capacity of certain units of the museum. All managers of institutions, especially museums and archives, highlighted the problem of depots and storage of numerous materials. Closely related to this is the issue of digitization of materials, which would greatly prevent this problem in the future, which I hope we will solve interdepartmentally and interoperably at the level of the entire state.
Among the main infrastructure projects that are planned is the project of a new cultural center, a new center of culture in Podgorica, in a green environment. This will include the construction of the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Natural History and the House of Architecture, among others, as a new form of communication of contemporary world art with Montenegro, as well as the presentation of our art to the world.
Let's not forget the important aspect, accessibility, inclusiveness. We are committed to providing accessibility and usability and therefore one of the upcoming projects is a new space for the library for the visually impaired, considering that the existing one does not meet the standard and needs of the users.
I would like to point out a few more segments - the insufficient presence and very quiet voice of literary, theater, film, art criticism, in the form of essays, columns, thematic shows, as a necessary contribution to the quality of the content offered.
Media content does not have culture in its focus, there is not much thematic content, nor high-quality reviews of events, there are not many journalists who deal with topics exclusively from culture.
Also, let me mention one positive trend, that renowned artists, inspired by their country and undoubtedly by the return of confidence in a better tomorrow, are returning to Montenegro.
What are the current personnel solutions when it comes to leading positions in institutions and institutions, and are you planning to possibly cancel certain appointments or dismiss some directors? If so, who?
The most successful reforms in culture have always come "from below", so I hope to be a minister who knows how to recognize the expectations and initiatives and needs of the Montenegrin cultural and media scene, professional associations and the civil sector. That's why I prioritized visits to cultural institutions and conversations with employees.
Impressions after visiting cultural institutions are different. Impressions after reading work plans and budget proposals of certain institutions, too. Some institutions that are not so visible and promoted positively surprised me with the quality of work and programs, while in others we recognized numerous challenges in work and functioning and significant room for improvement...
In accordance with the Law on Culture, directors, artistic directors and business directors of public institutions founded by the state are appointed and dismissed by the Government, at the proposal of the Ministry. The director can be dismissed before the end of his mandate if he fulfills one of the conditions stipulated by the Law, so not in accordance with my opinion or impression, but only in accordance with the regulations governing this area. If the conditions stipulated by the Law for the dismissal of any director of a cultural institution are met, I will certainly act in accordance with the regulations and propose to the Government his dismissal.
Your appointment was accompanied by the displeasure of representatives of the profession gathered around the "Culture is not prey" initiative. Have you visited one of their panel discussions that they organize on various cultural topics?
Yes, even before the beginning of my mandate, criticism, indignation, even protests began. We have to understand that ministerial posts are for politicians who win mandates in elections. That's how it is until we invent something better than democracy and democratic elections.
I would not like it to be a question that determines me and my mandate, I prefer to talk about plans and, I hope - achievements.
Also, a large part of the sector did not advertise, so of course it was not news.
However, when I stopped hearing my name, (and when you hear your name, then of course you are personally affected), I actually heard something completely different... When I managed to abstract personally from the attack, I realized that it was part of the sector that loudly expresses his long-standing dissatisfaction, his distress. And it's not a question, why are we so loud now.
I understand that part as the freedom and liberation of all citizens of Montenegro. Look at educators, schools, which used to be voting machines, with principals who had voter lists. Now they are free people, who are not afraid of the director, and are looking for the protection of their rights. Sometimes justified, sometimes unrealistic, it is part of the negotiation and process. In that part, freedom of speech and expression arrived in Montenegro. I am sure that it arrived on August 30, and I consider that the greatest achievement of that victory. Not the change of government, but the liberation of man from the yoke.
The forums that are organized are a very good way to exchange opinions and come to some new and useful conclusions. Representatives of the Ministry of Culture and Media attended their panels and discussed current topics in culture. We are here, open to all constructive proposals and suggestions in order to improve the sector entrusted to us together.
In what way do you plan to contribute to the creation of better conditions for the work of journalists and their greater safety?
The conditions in which journalists and media workers work are very important to us. Here I mean socio-economic conditions, but also their security.
The Fund for Media Pluralism has proven to be a very good legal tool with which the state finances the production of content of public interest, but also in this way contributes to the financial sustainability of the media. That Fund, through which the state finances media content of public interest, now amounts to 0,09 percent of the current budget, and changes in the law will increase it more than twice, to 0,2 percent, so the Fund will amount to over two million euros per year. We believe, and we also think that it is fair, that in the media that participate in the distribution of this cake, it will also lead to higher earnings for journalists, because this legal tool in these financially challenging times empowers the media to become better and more reliable employers for their employees, journalists. , journalists and media workers.
I think it is important that we all understand how important it is for journalism to be a desirable profession again.
The total amount of funds allocated through the Fund, distributed at the end of December, was never higher and amounted to 463 thousand euros, through which 57 media and self-regulatory bodies were financially supported.
As for the safety of journalists, the Media Strategy foresees a series of measures related to the police, the prosecution and the judiciary, the purpose of which is to increase the efficiency and responsibility of investigative and judicial authorities in the area of investigations into attacks on journalists. There is no doubt that this is a key task for all of us, on which the fulfillment of the most important conditions for EU accession depends. Also, MS anticipates stronger support for the Commission for Monitoring Investigations of Attacks on Journalists.
MKM will always strongly condemn any attack, intimidation and hate speech directed at journalists.
"For culture, however, 2,4 percent from the budget"
Again, less than one percent of the total funds are allocated to culture, despite the legal arrangement that at least 2,5 percent of the state budget is set aside for the work of that department, minus the expenditures of state funds and the capital budget (if real GDP growth is planned between 3 and 8 percent).
According to the budget law for the year 2024, the amount of 29,5 million is foreseen for the Ministry of Culture and Media, which means that compared to the year 2023, the funds have been increased by 3,6 million, or 14,18 percent.
2,77 million have been earmarked for state administration bodies that fall under the jurisdiction of the MKM - State Archives, while for the Administration for the Protection of Cultural Property the amount of about 1,2 million is planned, which is a total of 33,5 million, or 2,4 percent of the current budget. budget, so it is not below one percent, but quite close to what the Law on Culture provides.
Article 93 of the Law on Culture stipulates that funds for the work of the Ministry in the current budget are allocated at least at the level of 2,5 percent of the state budget, minus the expenditures of state funds and the capital budget.
The Law on the Budget for 2024 stipulates that in the event of the need to provide part of the funds, up to the amount of funds based on the defined percentage allocation from the state budget, will be provided to the Ministry of Culture and Media in accordance with the Law on Culture. There are no claims or calculations that it is about one percent of the budget or similar. We have to understand that that percentage protects us, and we have to start around that percentage.
As for allocations for culture, many institutions have their own income, e.g. In 2023, the National Museum had 700.000 of its own income, then the rental of its spaces... There are also municipal appropriations for culture, which varies by municipality around five percent of municipal budgets.
Let's not spread a bleak picture and inaccurate data when it comes to these allocations. It's never enough, we always need more, but we have to look at the context. This Government creates the basis for economic prosperity, increasing average wages and pensions, and builds its policies on that.
Bonus video:
