In terms of governance, the director of the Filmfong has a “particularly comfortable” position in this public institution, by which the Court of Auditors means that he can make many decisions on his own, including financial decisions. The Court recommends the introduction of the principle of double signature, especially when large amounts of money are involved.
The Court, however, stresses in a press release that the extent of the director’s authority is in line with current Filmfong regulations. The latter are based on a new law that was introduced in 2014, which marked a paradigm shift for the institution.
The new law also replaced audiovisual investment certificates with a new system in which direct grants are distributed for film projects.
For years, there has been talk in the media and in political circles about possible irregularities at the Filmfong.
In November 2019, the Parliamentary Committee for the Control of Budget Execution asked the Court of Auditors to write a special report on the Filmfong. The report was presented to the Parliamentary Committee on Monday afternoon.
Both opposition and majority MPs voted in favour of revising the law on the National Support Fund for Audiovisual Production.
The chairwoman of the Filmfong board, Michèle Bram, and its director, Guy Daleiden, who has held the position since 1999, will be invited to the Committee for the Control of the Budgetary Execution, announced the chairwoman of the parliamentary committee, MP Diane Adehm from the Christian Social People’s Party (CSV).
In the winter of 2019, Prime Minister and Minister for Communications and Media Xavier Bettel stated that he would be open to revisions in the law.
If changes are to be made to the law, the Court of Auditors proposes that the new text should stipulate that the Filmfong can be audited by the Court on a regular basis, as is the case for many other public institutions.
