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Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and six other European media freedom organizations called on Poland’s newly elected president to urgently pursue reforms to uphold press freedom in the country.
The coalition urged President-elect Karol Nawrocki to foster non-partisan cooperation in government in order to implement the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) and adopt legal safeguards against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), which have increasingly been weaponized to silence journalists.
Nawrocki, elected on June 1 and aligned with the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, faces a tense political environment in which press freedom is both contested and precarious. His administration must work with Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s pro-reform Civic Coalition-led government, whose attempts to depoliticize media institutions and reduce SLAPPs have stalled due to entrenched political resistance.
Pavol Szalai, head of the RSF European Union-Balkans desk, emphasized across-the-aisle cooperation:
Despite these EU mandates, Poland’s domestic media environment remains embattled. RSF noted that Poland’s National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) was politically captured by PiS. Since 2022, PiS-appointed Maciej Świrski heads the council and has withheld funds to the public media and fined broadcasters critical of PiS. Additionally, while verbal attacks and SLAPP suits have decreased since the 2023 elections, press freedom advocates stress that systemic protection is still lacking.
Journalists also remain vulnerable in Poland’s polarized sociopolitical context, particularly when reporting on gender, LGBTQ+ rights, or Russia-related issues. The legal framework continues to include harsh defamation laws and restrictive measures near sensitive zones such as the Belarus border, often relying on pretexts like national security.
The joint declaration urges Nawrocki to rise above party lines and cooperate with both chambers of Parliament to pass legislative reforms that have been formulated and recommended by media organizations like RSF and the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR).
The declaration also referred to the IPI–MJRC report that underscores the need for President-elect Nawrocki to support reforms enhancing the independence of TVP and KRRiT, ensuring transparent media ownership and fair state advertising. They collectively warn that failing to act risks undoing recent progress and weakening Poland’s democratic institutions.
The post Journalist groups pressure Poland’s president-elect to protect media freedom appeared first on JURIST - News.
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The coalition urged President-elect Karol Nawrocki to foster non-partisan cooperation in government in order to implement the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) and adopt legal safeguards against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), which have increasingly been weaponized to silence journalists.
Nawrocki, elected on June 1 and aligned with the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, faces a tense political environment in which press freedom is both contested and precarious. His administration must work with Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s pro-reform Civic Coalition-led government, whose attempts to depoliticize media institutions and reduce SLAPPs have stalled due to entrenched political resistance.
Pavol Szalai, head of the RSF European Union-Balkans desk, emphasized across-the-aisle cooperation:
The EMFA is set to take effect in August and mandates EU member states to protect editorial freedom, ensure transparency in media ownership, and prevent state interference. The EU’s anti-SLAPP Directive, adopted in 2024, compels member states to curb abusive lawsuits intended to intimidate and financially exhaust journalists and civil society actors.
Despite these EU mandates, Poland’s domestic media environment remains embattled. RSF noted that Poland’s National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) was politically captured by PiS. Since 2022, PiS-appointed Maciej Świrski heads the council and has withheld funds to the public media and fined broadcasters critical of PiS. Additionally, while verbal attacks and SLAPP suits have decreased since the 2023 elections, press freedom advocates stress that systemic protection is still lacking.
Journalists also remain vulnerable in Poland’s polarized sociopolitical context, particularly when reporting on gender, LGBTQ+ rights, or Russia-related issues. The legal framework continues to include harsh defamation laws and restrictive measures near sensitive zones such as the Belarus border, often relying on pretexts like national security.
The joint declaration urges Nawrocki to rise above party lines and cooperate with both chambers of Parliament to pass legislative reforms that have been formulated and recommended by media organizations like RSF and the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR).
The declaration also referred to the IPI–MJRC report that underscores the need for President-elect Nawrocki to support reforms enhancing the independence of TVP and KRRiT, ensuring transparent media ownership and fair state advertising. They collectively warn that failing to act risks undoing recent progress and weakening Poland’s democratic institutions.
The post Journalist groups pressure Poland’s president-elect to protect media freedom appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.