Most ministers and deputy prime ministers did not provide a copy of their university diplomas in response to a request for access to information of public importance. The average grade during their studies was public for only three ministers, while the others considered this information to be within the domain of protected personal data.
In May this year, the Center for Civic Education (CCE), appreciating the engagement of the Minister, Angel Jakšić Stojanović in addressing the phenomenon of fake and purchased diplomas, sent an initiative to the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation to introduce mandatory public disclosure of data on higher education institutions from which members of the Government and members of the Parliament have obtained academic degrees, including the period of study and the date of obtaining the diploma.
"Ignoring this initiative, which the CCE has also informed the public about, further strengthens doubts about the credibility of the diplomas of the highest holders of executive and legislative power. On the contrary, introducing the obligation to publicly publish data would send a clear message of responsibility and contribute to strengthening trust between the public and the authorities," he explains. Snezana Kaluđerović, senior legal advisor at CCE.
She points out that this obligation could be easily regulated by amendments to the rules of procedure of the Government and the Parliament, if it were officially initiated by the representatives of the authorities. Given that a stable majority is often emphasized, the adoption of such a decision would not be a problem. In the long term, Kaluđerović adds, this is one of the issues that should be regulated by the Law on Government and the Law on the Assembly, regulations that have been announced for too long, and whose drafting or recent adoption is no longer even mentioned.
"It is particularly unusual that diplomas and detailed data on the latest level of education of all ministers, deputy prime ministers and members of parliament are not publicly available, regardless of the level of education. It should also be recalled that for these positions in Montenegro there are no legal restrictions, i.e. no mandatory prescribed level of the national qualification framework, and even a person with a primary school education can be a minister or member of parliament," emphasizes the senior legal advisor at CCE.
Budimir Aleksic, Deputy Prime Minister for Education, Science and Relations with Religious Communities, submitted all "educational documents" except for his undergraduate degree from the Faculty of Philology in Belgrade, where he earned his master's and doctorate degrees.
The other Deputy Prime Ministers did not submit a copy of their diplomas on completed basic academic studies within the legal deadline.
As for the ministers, only three submitted a college diploma that did not omit information about their average grade during their studies.
Mirsad Azemović, Minister of Diaspora, is among the rare ministers and deputy prime ministers who have submitted diplomas that show all the required data. He studied from 2001/2 to 2009 at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade, with an average grade of 7,14, and graduated with a grade of 9.
Anđela Jakšić Stojanović, Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy in Nikšić, Department of English Language and Literature, with an average grade of 8,75 and a grade of 10 on the graduation exam.
Damjan Ćulafić, Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Development of the North, graduated from the Faculty of Law in Podgorica, with an average grade of "D" (7,36).
Bojan Božović, Minister of Justice, enrolled at the Faculty of Law in Podgorica in the academic year 2003/2004. He completed his undergraduate studies in 2007, but the information about his average grade was deleted, with the explanation of "privacy protection".
Fatmir Đeka, Minister of Human Rights, at the Faculty of Economics in Podgorica, validated the diploma he obtained at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Shkodra, which he obtained in the period from 1993 to 1997. The average grade is not stated on the diploma.
Filip Ivanovic, Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, according to available data, graduated and received his master's degree from the Department of Philosophy at the University of Bologna, and his doctorate from the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. Ivanovic did not submit his undergraduate degree upon request for SPI.
Among those for whom the information about the average grade during their studies remained unknown is Nick Djelosaj, Minister of Economic Development, who graduated from the Faculty of Teachers in Pristina.
Minister of Energy and Mining Admir Šahmanović, according to the Bosniak Party, he graduated from the Faculty of Business Studies in Podgorica, where he earned a master's degree in economics.
Maida Gorcevic, Minister of European Affairs, graduated from the Faculty of Law in Podgorica, but the copy of her diploma does not contain information about her average grade.
Tamara Vujović, Minister of Culture and Media, Dragan Krapović, Minister of Defense, and Damir Gutic, Minister of Social Welfare, Family Care and Demography, deleted the data on the average grade. Vujović, a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation, graduated from the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade, and Krapović studied at the Faculty of Law in Podgorica from 1997/98 to 2005. Gutić, after studying from 1999/2000 to 2008, graduated from the Faculty of Economics in Podgorica.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, as stated, does not have the minister's diploma in its documentation. Vladimir Jokovic, but only the workbook.
Filip Radulović, Minister of Maritime Affairs, graduated from the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California.
I have a degree Maraš Dukaj, Minister of Public Administration, there is no data on the average grade. Dukaj graduated from the Faculty of Social Sciences and Education, University of Tirana.
Snežana Kaluđerović points out that a diploma is a public document that proves to the employer that one has expertise for a specific job position, but, on the other hand, a CCE survey from May this year showed that complete data on education for 44 percent of members of the Government cannot be found on the Government website, while such information is missing for 24 percent of MPs on the Parliament website.
"As members of the Government are politically elected, there are no clearly defined norms for these positions that would require a certain level of education or professional profile. However, this does not exempt public officials from the obligation to be transparent in a democratic society regarding all data that allows the public to form an opinion about their competence. Any withholding of information opens up room for suspicion and further encourages the perception of non-transparency, nepotism or weak quality control of personnel," says Kaluđerović, noting that, if a minimum level of education is not formally prescribed for these positions, the reality of modern public management requires that the highest state functions be performed by highly educated people, with a wide range of skills and competencies, knowledge of foreign languages, and often experience in diplomacy or management.
Successes are not hidden.
The average grade is personal information, but not sensitive information, like medical information, ethnicity or political beliefs, says Snežana Kaluđerović, emphasizing that hiding the average grade in diplomas gives the impression that something is being deliberately concealed, because it is natural to assume that successes are not hidden.
"This raises a broader question: can ministerial positions be justified solely by political appointment, or does it imply the possession of certain knowledge and managerial skills that are crucial for understanding the department, solving problems, and making decisions? In practice, this is most clearly seen through the work results of individual ministers."
Kaluđerović emphasizes that in recent years there has been a lot of talk about the phenomenon of fake diplomas:
"We at CCE believe that the fight against this problem must be led by those at the top of institutions. Public officials who hide their degrees directly undermine efforts to build public trust, as well as the foundations of a professional and accountable public administration."
From Kamenice to Bar
Of those who did not respond to the SPI request, according to publicly available data, Finance Minister Novica Vuković In 2005, he enrolled at the Faculty of Service Business (FABUS) in Sremska Kamenica, directly into the second year of study. He graduated in 2007 with a degree in Management in the Financial Services Sector with an average grade of 6,86, while he defended his thesis on the topic of "Deposits" with a grade of 10.
Milun Zogović, Vice President for Infrastructure and Regional Development, graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Pristina, based in Kosovska Mitrovica.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister Ervin Ibrahimovic He has a diploma from the Faculty of Mining and Metallurgy in Kosovska Mitrovica.
Slaven Radunović, Minister of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property, graduated from the Faculty for Education of Graduate Lawyers and Graduate Economists for Management Personnel of the University of the Chamber of Commerce in Novi Sad.
Minister of Regional Investment Development and Cooperation with NGOs Ernad Suljević He received his higher education at the Faculty of Tourism in Bar, Mediterranean University.
Danilo Šaranović, Minister of Internal Affairs, graduated from the Faculty of Economics in Podgorica.
"VIjesti" obtained the data for this article with the help of MANS's "Ask Institutions" application.
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