The announcement made on Wednesday by Donald Tusk’s government that it was dismissing the management team of state media, seen as intermediaries of the former nationalist executive, sparked a violent response from PiS and its supporters, leading to the occupation of the TVP building for public television and demonstrations outside, with the Polish president saying the executive had violated the constitution.
Just over a week after taking office, the new Polish government announced through the Ministry of Culture that the president and members of the boards of directors of television, radio and public bodies “have been dismissed.” A decision taken after Parliament adopted a resolution on Tuesday “for the restoration of the rule of law, impartiality and integrity of the public media and the official news agency” – in the same parliamentary session Tusk announced that it will not allocate funds in the next state budget allocate money to DVT.
Also on Wednesday, President Andrzej Duda, elected by PiS, gave his opinion on the Polish legal system and attached a letter to Tusk in which, referring in particular to this case, he stated that “a parliamentary resolution cannot have the force of law. .” “Concerning the actions of the Ministry of Culture regarding the public media, I appeal to the Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, and his executive branch to respect the Polish legal order,” he wrote on the X Network.
Through the same social network, Tusk replied: “As I have already informed you, today’s actions aim – in accordance with your intention – to restore legal order and common decency in public life. You can count on our iron determination.”
Yesterday, Duda raised the issue again, accusing the new government of creating anarchy with the decision to reform public media.
On radio station ZET, the head of state stated that the changes in the state media are not legal and that the Minister of Culture, Bartlomiej Sienkiewicz, has “blatantly violated the Constitution and failed to comply with the law” by dismissing the boards of public television. fire. TVP), the Official News Agency (PAP) and the State Radio (RP). “I cannot agree with this. This is anarchy,” he further stated.
This Thursday was also marked by an episode in Parliament. The PiS parliamentary leader asked the Minister of Culture to clarify the government’s actions in state media, a request that was rejected by the majority.
Following the decision, PiS deputies left the plenary after an altercation with the speaker of parliament, Poland Daily 24 reported.
Television headquarters occupied
Since parliament passed the resolution, Polish nationalists have occupied public television facilities, saying they want to defend “media pluralism” and protest what they see as “an attack on freedom and the first step towards dictatorship” .
Among them was PiS president Jaroslaw Kaczynski, considered Poland’s de facto leader for the past eight years. “There is no democracy without media pluralism or strong, anti-government media, and in Poland that is the public media,” Kaczynski said on Wednesday evening. PiS further announced that its members would continue to occupy the television facilities on a rotating basis, and that they would block the entry of new members of the government and the new director of information.
Former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, also in the building, criticized a “forced intrusion” by the new leadership on public television. “What we are seeing is the first step towards a dictatorship,” he said. A demonstration was also formed at the door of TVP, consisting of PiS activists and supporters in defense of the public media.
Distorted and biased reporting
State media under the control of the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) for eight years have been accused of presenting biased information, broadcasting government propaganda and launching attacks on the opposition.
The PiS government has also been repeatedly accused by political opponents and non-governmental organizations of restricting media freedom while devoting significant funding to state bodies.
In the last parliamentary elections, held on October 15, PiS was accused of using state media to its advantage during the campaign – international observers pointed to “the distorted and openly partisan reporting on the part of the public broadcaster”, which was “a clear advantage.” to the party in power and undermines the democratic separation between state and party.”
We should not forget that PiS won the parliamentary elections, but without a majority, with Parliament rejecting a vote of confidence in the designated Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, and electing Donald Tusk to lead the government in his place, at the head of a post. – pro-European electoral coalition.
Source: DN
