Public Policy Institute, with its team of prominent experts and the director, Vladimir Popovic, is an independent non-governmental think tank organization with its headquarters in Podgorica, which conducts its activities in Montenegro and Western Balkans region by promoting the value of the European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, open cooperation and commitment to the principles of the rules of law and the protection of human and minority rights.
Since its foundation in March, the Institute, particularly Mr Popović (even before that) has been the target of public discredit and untruthful accusations by political and financial interest groups linked with several NGOs in Montenegro, led by daily Vijesti from Podgorica.
In the latest event, upon the order of editor of Vijesti, Mihailo Jovović and CEO, Željko Ivanović, Mr Popović was publicly satanized and marked as brutal attacker of their journalists, although this so-called incident was reported two hours after it happened, and Mr Popović denied it on the same day. Daily Vijesti, in line with their well-established principle, publicly accused, convicted and brought verdicts, without waiting for official statements of prosecutors and presentation of substantial evidence of the event which was recorded by surveillance cameras. The lawyer of Mr Popović, in his public statements, confirmed that this alleged attack to journalists was a fabricated untruth.
In order to conceal this provocation before international community, editor Jovović and CEO Ivanović, at short notice, sent political pamphlet to the American Embassy and embassies of the European Union Member States in Montenegro. According to their statements, there was a “new attack to journalists of Vijesi…. the same as GDR at the time of Stasi, or in the Soviet Union at the time of KGB". Jovović and Ivanović in their formal address to international institutions, marked Mr Popović as the "street gangster", "spin doctor of the prime minister" and "chief of the Montenegrin media censorship" and ominously stated that this event will have fatal "consequences" and "as a fire will be spread from Montenegro towards neighbouring countries, particularly towards Serbia".
Besides the fact that they are untrue, these fabricated accusations are very alarming as they originate from Vijesti, media organization which enjoys financial, political and public support by the European Union and United States. There are strong reasons for belief that the domination of Vijest and associated NGOs in this country is absolute. They have been “solo players” on the donor stage for ages, and they obtain huge donations for any project, as long as it covers the component of “democratic opponents of the Government ".
Such type of domination is becoming seriously jeopardized by the appearance of the Public Policy Institute and international team of experts which involves founders and veterans regionally most distinguished NGOs regarding the fight for human rights, IPA project managers, professors, journalists, etc.
I was one of the pioneers in the creation of civil society in Serbia and Montenegro, as well as one of the founders of the association of lawyers for democracy - YUCOM, and in continuous cooperation with Helsinki Committee in Serbia and Montenegro, Human Rights Fund, Lawyers for Democracy, ICTY and others. As the president of Public Policy Institute Executive Board, with this experience, I dare say that I am well aware of the manipulations and illegitimate methods used by NGOs in cooperation with donors, embassies and international organizations. In addition to this, majority of experts of the Institute are international academic experts who taught and attended courses as guest lecturers in the United States (Fulbright School, Columbia University, UCLA San Francisco, Pittsburgh University,) and in Europe (Bologna University, Örebro University, Sarajevo, Bucharest, Rome, Bonn and Berlin).
The situation naturally worsened when the Institute designed and obtained the funds from international organizations for the projects that are of paramount importance for the accession of Montenegro to the EU and NATO. These are mainly the projects dedicated to gender sensitization in security sector and the implementation of UN SC R 1325, as well as further efforts to make citizens familiar with the issue of Euro-Atlantic integration, through projects which involve media, youth, research, etc.
As expected, what made the business group Vijesti – NGO sector worried, besides the fact that the competition has to be defeated by knowledge and expertise, is the conference for media in November whose partner will be the Institute, and which, contrary to the ingrained opinion, is not aimed at the satanization of one and glorification of other side, but opening of the topic of media securitization, as well as public, open and impartial discussion of more than 200 journalists, professors and media experts from all Balkan and EU countries, on ethical values in today’s journalism in this region.
There is no need to emphasize that majority of similar NGOs were invited to participate at the conference and to provide their contribution in the improvement of media stage, but their political interests overruled.
The management, director and members of the Public Policy Institute will be at your disposal for all details, elaborations and evidence related to the abovementioned argumentation. Thank you for your attention.
Prof. Stevan Lilic, PhD
President of Public Policy Institute Executive Board
