Poland’s National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) has filed a complaint with prosecutors regarding the liquidation of public broadcasters TVP and Polish Radio, initiated in December 2023.
KRRiT Initiates Legal Challenge
The head of KRRiT, Agnieszka Glapiak, has requested a prosecutor’s investigation into whether the liquidation process of TVP and Polish Radio complies with applicable regulations. The public media outlets have been in liquidation since December 2023, a move justified by the Ministry of Culture as necessary to ensure the continued operation of the companies.
Allegations of Illegal Takeover
In a statement released on Wednesday, Glapiak asserted that “public media were illegally taken over in December 2023.” She characterized the situation as a “legal fiction” and stated that, as chairwoman of the National Broadcasting Council, she is obligated to respond. She decided to file a complaint with the prosecutor’s office to investigate whether those responsible for managing the companies in liquidation – Polish Television, Polish Radio, and the Regional Stations of Polish Radio – are actually fulfilling their duties or merely maintaining a semblance of operation.
Constitutional Concerns Raised
Glapiak added that the prosecutor should also clarify whether there was a violation of the constitutional order of the state and unlawful influence on the activities of a constitutional body, namely KRRiT.
Liquidation Deemed a “Sham”
According to Glapiak, placing public media into liquidation “gives the impression of a sham action.” The liquidation process has caused irreparable financial, organizational, and reputational losses, resulting in the loss of hundreds of thousands of viewers and listeners.
Call for Thorough Investigation
The head of KRRiT expects the prosecutor’s office to thoroughly investigate whether the liquidation process is being conducted in accordance with the law or whether it involves actions that may serve only to maintain a legal fiction.
Background: Parliamentary Resolution and Government Actions
On December 19, 2023, the Sejm passed a resolution “on restoring the rule of law and impartiality and reliability of public media and the Polish Press Agency,” calling on the State Treasury to take remedial action. The following day, the Ministry of Culture announced that the then-Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz, acting as the body exercising the ownership rights of the State Treasury, had dismissed the existing management boards of Polish Television, Polish Radio, and the Polish Press Agency, as well as their supervisory boards, based on the provisions of the Commercial Companies Code. New supervisory boards were appointed to these companies, which in turn appointed new management boards.
Ongoing Dispute and Presidential Veto
The dispute over public media has continued since the decision in December 2023. On December 23, President Andrzej Duda announced that he had vetoed the budget law prepared by the new government, which included funds for public media for the following year. Following the veto, Minister Sienkiewicz decided on December 27 to place TVP, Polish Radio, and PAP into liquidation. An analogous decision was made on December 29 regarding 17 regional stations of Polish Radio.
Justification for Liquidation
Sienkiewicz stated at the time that, “in the current situation, such action will allow for the securing of the continued functioning of these companies, the implementation of necessary restructuring, and the prevention of layoffs of employees of the aforementioned companies due to lack of funding.”
As of the time of publication, Polish Television and Polish Radio have not responded to the matter. (PAP)