Thousands of people across Poland protested today freedom of the press, voicing opposition to a bill that critics say could lead to the closure of an American-owned television network that criticizes the government.
The bill, which will be put to a vote in parliament on Wednesday, tightens rules on foreign media ownership in Poland and threatens to worsen Warsaw’s relations with Washington, as well as boost EU pre-democracy concerns. country. Brussels is already in conflict with Poland on issues related to the independence of the judiciary.
In Warsaw, one of about 80 cities where protesters rallied, protesters held up banners reading “Free Media, Free People, Free Poland.”
«If that happens (s.s. if TVN24 loses its broadcasting license), it will be the end – there will be no democracy, no freedom of speech“, Said the 66-year-old designer Ivona Leliva-Kopostinska.
TVN24 broadcast images of protesters climbing on the roof of the Ministry of Culture in Warsaw holding banners reading “Free Media” and “Poland free from fascism”.
The amendment that the Polish government is trying to pass in the legislation governing the broadcasting media strengthens the existing ban and reduces the percentage of ownership that non-European companies can have in the Polish media.
«Would you like the Polish media (…) to be bought without rules by anyone around the world, without barriers?Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki asked reporters today.
Although Morawiecki’s Law and Justice Party (PiS) claims that bill aims to prevent countries such as Russia and China from gaining control of Polish radio and television, critics say, with the aim of silencing TVN24, the country’s most popular news channel, whose license expires on September 24.
Foreign influence
TVN24’s parent company, TVN, is owned by American Discovery Inc. through a company registered in the Netherlands in order to circumvent Polish law prohibiting any non-European company from holding more than 49% of the shares in Polish media.
TVN has described the bill as an attempt to restrict press freedom.
For its part, PiS has long complained that foreign media are distorting public debate in Poland in a way that harms Polish interests.
But the bill threatens to upset the United States, a key ally of Poland, with senior US officials saying that if TVN24’s license is not renewed, future US investment will be jeopardized.
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