Poland (Washington Insider Magazine) -Freedom of the press protests erupted across over 80 cities on Aug. 10 as Poland’s parliament is set to vote on a proposed amendment which would further restrict freedom of media in a country already criticized for its recent democratic downslide. The proposed amendment to the existing media broadcasting act, would further strengthen restrictions on non-European firms controlling Polish media outlets.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki rhetorically asked reporters that “would we like Polish media … to be acquired without any regulations by anyone from around the world without any obstacles?” Reuters reported.
While Morawiecki’s Law and Justice party (PiS) claim that the amendment would serve as a buffer to countries such as China or Russia from exerting greater influence on Polish broadcasters, many think it is targeting Poland’s most popular news channel TVN24, a subsidiary of TVN which is owned by U.S.-based company Discovery Inc.
Discovery is estimated to be worth $1 billion dollars and the biggest U.S. company in Poland, owns TVN via a firm based out of the Netherlands as a means of getting around the existing restriction that no more than 49 percent of Polish media is owned by non-European sources.
The proposed amendment has been used as a weapon by critics of the government, including former Polish Prime Minister and European Council President Donald Tusk and members of the opposition. Many have made the current situation a comparison to PiS ally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s crackdown on media sources critical of him and his nationalist party Fidez.
Perhaps the biggest concern is the strain the amendment has put on U.S.–Polish relations.
Wirtualna Polska reports there are fears in Warsaw that U.S. President Joe Biden will consider moving U.S. military units currently stationed in Poland to neighboring Romania in response to the law.
Accord Party leader Jarosław Gowin echoed these concerns, attacking the law as a means of appropriating media groups from their rightful owners, and for the role it would have in isolating the United States. Gowing, along with former Deputy Development Minister Anna Kornecska, also of Accord, have since been sacked from their positions in the ruling United Right coalition for their dissent by PM Morawiecki. This effectively dissipated United Right’s one vote majority in the legislature. It will be seen if this has repercussions for the amendment vote and the future of the political landscape of Poland. Politicians like Tusk have been gaining traction and the ability to form a staunch opposition to the current PiS-led government.
