Poland’s culture minister Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz announced on Wednesday the decision to liquidate the state television, radio and news agency following the change in government, Euractiv reported.
In the current situation, such action will ensure the continued operation of these companies, carry out the necessary restructuring and prevent layoffs of employees in the above-mentioned companies.
A coalition led by Donald Tusk took power in Poland this month and launched sweeping changes to the state media, which critics said had turned into propaganda tools during the Law and Justice (PiS) party’s eight years in power.
The move on Wednesday followed President Andrzej Duda, a PiS ally, deciding to veto the new government’s spending proposals to fund state media.
Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz published the following statement on social media platform X:
“Due to the decision of the President of the Republic of Poland to suspend financing of public media, I decided to put into liquidation the companies Telewizja Polska SA, Polskie Radio SA and Polska Agencja Prasowa SA.”
He noted that the state of liquidation can be lifted at any time by the owner of the company, which is the state.
PIS MP Joanna Lichocka declared in a post on X that “Tusk’s government is destroying the Polish media.”
This is an act which damages the state.
Earlier in December, the new government shut down state-run TVP Info news channel and sacked the heads of state media. Media analysts and free speech activists say that under PiS, TVP acted not as a neutral news provider, as stated in its charter, but as a voice for the government.
However, PiS claims that the new government’s changes are damaging media pluralism by eliminating the conservative voice. The party also notes that the way the changes were implemented without the bill going through parliament is unlawful.
Duda signalled on Saturday that he was vetoing a bill which included 3 billion zlotys ($771 million) in funding for state media, in light of the new government’s actions against public broadcasters.
The PiS party-dominated organisation appointed a new television chief on Tuesday, despite the current administration appointing someone else to the post.
