Although they do not comment on individual statements, not even that of the President of the Civic Movement URA, Mr. Dritan Abazovic, that the CDM portal should be shut down, the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro unequivocally says that it is crucial that journalists have the opportunity to do their job free from any threat of violence, abuse or intimidation, to ensure that citizens have access to all information.
“The competent authorities should ensure the efficient handling of justice in all cases of physical and verbal violence against journalists,” the EU Delegation said in a statement for CDM.
They make it clear that media freedom and pluralism are key pillars of any democracy and that this is one of the main areas in which Montenegro needs to show development and growth in order to make progress on the path to the EU.
“In its latest report on Montenegro for 2020, published last week, the European Commission notes that overall progress has not been made in the area of freedom of expression. The EU will continue to monitor developments in this area in the context of accession negotiations,” said the Delegation in their statement to CdM.
Recall, the sworn Democrat and fighter for media freedom, a man who advocates the strengthening of European values, the aforementioned Mr. Dritan Abazovic, after the election, dissatisfied with the argumentative criticism of the CdM portal against him, said in a national-coverage TV show that CdM should be shut down. He even went a step further and publicly called on advertisers to not advertise on the CdM portal, and citizens to delete the portal’s app.
It should be noted that Mr. Abazović said back in 2013 that free media are the foundation and basis for the development of any modern society, stating that the environment in which Montenegrin journalists work is quite worrying.
His rhetoric changed with the coming to power seven years later.
By: Miraš Dušević
