Poland’s new pro-European government under Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Wednesday, the 20th of December, suspended a public news channel and dismissed the country’s media management in a bid to restore the “impartiality” of the public media, reports Reuters.
The move is part of Tusk’s reform efforts after his coalition took power last week from the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, which during its eight-year rule is said to have undermined judicial independence, worsened relations with the European Union and turned state-owned media into a propaganda tool.
Under a resolution adopted by the new Parliament on Wednesday,
management at state television (TVP), radio and the PAP news agency are to be dismissed.
According to Reuters, the resolution called on all public authorities to “take immediate steps to restore constitutional order regarding citizens’ access to reliable information and the functioning of public media”.
PiS on Wednesday strongly criticised the dismissals and some PiS politicians occupied TVP and other state media buildings, leading to police intervention to maintain order.
Although TVP Info, the national 24-hour news channel which criticised Tusk and tried to portray him as a dishonest politician under German and Russian influence, stopped broadcasting, the government has promised to set up new stations with a more balanced approach.
Supporters of TVP Info argue that its closure would damage the diversity of perspectives.
PiS leader Mateusz Morawiecki called dismissals illegal and already on Tuesday evening PiS politicians came to TVP to “defend democracy”, while the opposition accused them of defending their propaganda freedom, not media freedom.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called on the government to adopt a comprehensive bill on the independence of public media to reduce political influence in oversight, funding, and management appointments. Pavol Szalai stressed that public service media should not be tied to any political party and called for wide-ranging reforms that go beyond staff changes.
Also read: Donald Tusk sworn in as Prime Minister of Poland
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