[ad_1]
Opponents say that legislation on foreign ownership attempts to silence TV stations that criticize the government.
Members of the Polish House of Commons voted for an amendment to the country’s broadcasting law to tighten regulations on foreign media ownership. Raise concerns about freedom of the press.
The media law passed on Wednesday will prevent companies outside the European Economic Area from holding controlling stakes in Polish media companies.
This will force the American Discovery Group to sell its majority stake in TVN, one of the largest private TV networks in Poland, and its news channel TVN24 is often highly critical of the government.
The ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party stated that the law is needed to prevent hostile foreign powers from controlling powerful broadcasters and to comply with the rules of other European countries.
But critics say that after national energy giant PKN Orlen acquired regional newspaper group Polska Press, this opened the way for a state-owned holding company to control TVN.
TVN urged the Senate and the President to veto the law, calling the vote an “unprecedented attack on freedom of speech and media independence.”
The Senate is almost evenly divided, and the opposition accounts for only a small majority.Nationwide President Andrzej Duda Is a member of the ruling PiS party.
The voting took place during a stormy parliamentary session, when members of Congress approved an opposition motion to suspend the proceedings to postpone voting on the media law, which was interrupted for a while.
Finally, the meeting resumed and the Media Law was passed with 228 votes in favor and 216 votes against it in the 460-seat lower house of parliament.
The United States is “in deep trouble”
Thousands of people held rallies across Poland on Tuesday to protest the draft law.
US Secretary of State Anthony Brinken said that the United States is “deeply disturbed” by the draft legislation and warned that it “threats media freedom and may undermine Poland’s strong investment environment.”
Early in the parliamentary meeting, the government lost four key votes, and a day later, a junior partner withdrew from the ruling coalition led by PiS.
In one of the ballots, members of Congress suspended the meeting by 229 votes to 227 votes to postpone the vote on the media law.
However, PiS member and Speaker Elzbieta Witek ordered another vote. The government won by a score of 230 to 225. Despite angry rants from the opposition, it still resumed the proceedings.
Is Poland going to end 200 years of freedom of speech?
The “Putinization” of the Polish media is not only in conflict with EU member states, but also in conflict with NATO #Poland #Media Freedom @thegoodlobbyprofs https://t.co/vrE5tQl3Xe
-Alberto Alemanno (@alemannoEU) August 11, 2021
“Liar! Liar!” The lawmakers chanted, accusing the government of buying support to win votes.
Donald Tusk, the head of the Opposition Citizens Platform and former EU President, said on Twitter: “The majority of the parliament is clinging to the mud of corruption and extortion, and it is collapsing before our eyes.”
“It may last for a while, but it can no longer govern.”
Losing votes does not mean that the government will collapse, Because to achieve this requires a formal vote of no confidence-and PiS may continue to be a minority government.
But commentators say that in the long run, a minority government will be difficult to maintain because it will have to rely on the far-right Confederate Party, which is highly critical of the government.
The next election is scheduled for 2023.
The United Right-wing Alliance led by PiS has ruled Poland since 2015.
It has been accused by the European Union of rolling back democracy and freedom, but it is still welcomed by many Poles, mainly because of its social welfare reforms.
[ad_2]
Source link