Thousands of people marched through the streets of Warsaw and in more than 120 cities in Poland on Sunday December 19. They were protesting against the adoption on Friday of a new media law, accused of wanting to directly target the television group TVN, the country’s main independent group and bête noire of the conservative government which considers it too hostile towards it.
With our correspondent in Warsaw, Sarah Bakaloglou
In front of the presidential palace, Jaroslaw holds an anti-government sign against him. Faced with a public television under the control of the conservative majority in power, the independent news channel TVN24 is essential, according to the Pole: ” It is the last TV channel that shows the truth, there is no other in Poland on which there is neither propaganda nor lies. ”
According to the text, the media cannot be owned more than 49% by owners located outside the European Economic Area. This would oblige TVN, currently in the hands of the American group Discovery, to find a new majority shareholder, otherwise it could no longer be broadcast. TVN is one of the largest private television networks in Poland.
At the origin of this controversial amendment, the ruling Law and Justice party, accused since 2015 of undermining the rule of law in the country. Changes that Alexander, 70, observes with sadness: ” For me each weakening of democracy is a tragedy, as when they took control of the constitutional court, as for these judges who can no longer do their job … it really hurts. And that’s what I’m here for. “
The government, for its part, claims that the law will protect the Polish media landscape against potentially hostile actors, such as Russia. The United States declared itself “ extremely disappointed By law and urged President Duda to veto it. It is now up to him to decide whether or not to sign the media law. A petition calling on the Polish president to veto the media law has garnered more than one million signatures in Poland, organizers say.
Another Andrzej, used to demonstrations, is not very confident: “ They want to win the 2023 election. For them, if they get rid of independent media, then they have a better chance of winning them. “
Renowned journalists and opposition representatives, including former President of the European Council Donald Tusk (2014-2019), addressed the crowd, lit by Christmas lights. ” We are here today to defend media freedom. If we stick together, in solidarity, we will win. We will get rid of this government together », Launched Mr. Tusk, today at the head of the Civic Platform, a right-wing opposition party.
The PiS already controls public television TVP, which has become a government propaganda medium, and much of the regional press.