The Center for Civic Education (CCE) announced today that they have finally learned that a net amount of 925.965,60 euros was spent on the compensation of 37 academicians of the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts (CANU) in 2025, ending on December 20.
In a statement, CCE said that the efforts they made at the end of last year to improve the transparency of CANU resulted in the publication of certain previously unavailable data.
"In this way, we finally learned that 925.965,60 euros in net amount were spent on the remuneration of 37 academicians in 2025, ending on December 20. We would like to remind you that the budget of the highest state institution in the field of science and art has increased by as much as 135% in the last five years, although this was not accompanied by greater engagement of CANU academicians, nor by improving transparency in the work of this institution," the CCE statement, signed by Sara Čabarkapa, coordinator of the Active Citizenship program, states.
CCE added that their activities in a relatively short period of time have led to minor but useful improvements, which provide the wider and interested public with a clearer insight into the work of this institution.
"Namely, on 22 December 2025, CCE sent CANU requests for free access to information on all fees and honoraria paid on any basis, in the period from 1 January to 20 December 2025, for regular and associate members. In its response to CCE dated 9 January 2026, CANU stated that 'this is information that is publicly available on the CANU website'. However, upon reviewing the official CANU website, it is clear that this data was only published on January 5th, i.e. two weeks after the CCE's requests were sent. In addition, the published data refers exclusively to the period from 1 January to 20 December 2025 - identical to the period specified in our requests, and does not include the last 11 days of the year. Therefore, the CCE has already sent additional requests for free access to information, in order to complete these data for 2025," the CCE said.
The non-governmental organization (NGO) said that they by processing available data determined that CANU had spent 925.965,60 euros on fees and honoraria for academics by December 20, 2025.
"Of that amount, 864.333,60 euros, or 93,35%, were paid to male academics," the statement reads.
The CCE said that additional analysis shows that individual compensation and fees ranged from 14.629,20 to 42.803,20 euros.
"Although the average annual salary of academics was around 25.000 euros, this average is significantly increased by the salaries of the five highest-paid academics: Dragan Vukčević with 40.296 euros, Ljubiša Stanković with 40.544 euros, Žarko Mirković with 40.769,60 euros, Zoran Rašović with 40.958,40 euros, and the leader among them, Predrag Miranović with 42.803,20 euros. It should be emphasized that these compensations are only additional income, given that academics simultaneously earn income based on regular employment, pensions, the status of prominent artists, as well as through other part-time engagements," the statement reads.
CCE said that out of a total of three women in regular and associate membership, academician Anka Burić had the highest income, in the amount of 21.929 euros, which is almost half the income of the highest-paid academicians of CANU.
"It is also interesting that some of the most socially recognizable and active academics are, paradoxically, among those who have received the least money from CANU. CCE regrets that the parliamentary groups in the Parliament of Montenegro have not seriously considered our initiative to reduce the CANU budget by 1,5 million euros, and to redirect these funds to those who need them most - single parents and young scientists. In this context, we point out that CANU Financial Plan for 2026 "Only 100.000 euros were allocated for the Fund for Support of Scientific and Artistic Work or 1.950 euros for the Center for Young Scientists and Artists of the Academy of Sciences and Arts, while, at the same time, for example, 67.725,33 euros were allocated for the Presidency of the Academy of Sciences and Arts and 100.000 euros for the Fund for Improving the Spatial and Technical Conditions of the Academy's Work, although 9 million euros were invested in the new building of the Academy of Sciences and Arts, which will be completed in 2023," the CCE said.
The NGO said that in 2026, when Montenegro celebrates 20 years since its independence, CANU will have the largest budget since its founding - as much as 3,13 million euros.
"However, this financial plan does not seem to reflect a better understanding of the Academy's role in the emancipation of Montenegrin society. Finally, CCE also points out that membership in some of the most prestigious academies in the world, such as the German National Academy of Sciences, the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences and Arts, or the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (which brings together 38 Nobel Prize winners), is not paid, but is considered an honor and recognition. In contrast, CANU academics seem to have earned more during their time at the Academy than individual Nobel Prize winners, especially considering that the Nobel Prize in many fields is shared among multiple laureates," CCE said.
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