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Disagreements over funding are proving to be a headache for newly-elected Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
ADVERTISEMENTPoland’s political battle over state media is continuing as the new pro-European Union government put them in a state of liquidation, after the president blocked funding.
Newly elected Prime Minister Donald Tusk is seeking to free the media from the political control of Law and Justice (PiS), which held power for eight years until 13 December.
President Andrzej Duda, an ally of the previous conservative rulers, vetoed the new government’s bill which would have provided 3 billion zlotys (about €693 million) for the public media service.
Instead, Duda proposed a new bill that strips that funding out.
Liquidation gives the state TV, radio and news agency and their employees more protection from the political dispute – securing their jobs despite the lack of funding and allowing for restructuring.
The new government said the lengthy liquidation process can be revoked as needed.
Poland’s state-owned media have become the first battleground between the coalition government of Tusk, a former top EU figure, and PiS – long accused of taking Poland towards authoritarianism.
Its members and allies retain a presence at state TV, radio and news agency headquarters.
Duda remains in office for another year and a half, and his veto is an early sign of the difficulties Tusk is likely to face.
Some observers say PiS wants to maintain control of state media and push its message ahead of local administration and European Parliament elections next year in hopes of regaining some power.
Tusk said his cabinet would submit a new bill which takes Duda’s views into consideration and shifts the funding in question from state media to children’s health care.
He also said untangling the former ruling party’s grip on state media would take time.
“We are sure that our actions are in line with the law,” Tusk insisted in front of a news conference.
Tusk won power on promises to restore national unity and democratic norms, including through the reform of public media. His government holds 248 seats in the 460-member lower house or Sejm.
Public media in Poland is funded by taxpayers and is required by the constitution to be free of political bias.
However, critics have accused Law and Justice of using the media as a propaganda mouthpiece which has divided the nation by spreading disinformation, xenophobic and homophobic content, while seeking to discredit Tusk and other pro-EU politician
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