There is no objection from the President to the possibility of public media authorities returning to the National Broadcasting Council, a constitutional body, in line with the Constitutional Court’s ruling. However, it requires a majority in the Sejm, the Senate, and ultimately a presidential decision, stated Małgorzata Paprocka, a minister serving in the KPRP.
In a discussion with the Onet portal, the Secretary of State in the Presidential Chancellery was asked about President Andrzej Duda’s stance on potential changes in the management of public media.
Paprocka: a model ensuring media pluralism cannot be developed
The President has repeatedly stressed in public remarks that during his tenure a model achieving true pluralism and encouraging cross-division action within the media landscape has not been created.
She noted that while some resist, the view remains that those who win elections often push to appoint governing bodies. In such scenarios, bypassing the Constitution and laws would require non-binding instruments, such as a Sejm resolution, even though the majority holds the power to alter the legal framework. For clarity, there is no objection from the President to returning matters related to appointing boards of directors or supervisory boards to the National Broadcasting Council, as a constitutional body, but this return would demand a Sejm and Senate majority and, ultimately, a presidential decision.
The President does not deny the majority’s right to appoint media boards
Paprocka added that the parliamentary majority and the new government have the right to pursue changes, and that democratic elections remain a natural part of the process. She emphasized that the President has clearly expressed his position both in official written communications and in conversations with Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Sejm Chair Szymon Hołownia, a stance also discussed during the National Security Council meeting held on Wednesday.
The Chairman: the constitution was violated during ministerial actions
Discussing the events linked to changes in public media, the President stated on December 21 in an interview with Radio ZET that decency in public life and adherence to the rule of law in Poland should be observed. He condemned the events of the previous day, saying that the constitution had been flagrantly violated by Minister Sienkiewicz.
On the evening of December 19, the Sejm adopted a resolution calling for the restoration of the rule of law and the impartiality and reliability of public media and the Polish Press Agency, urging the Ministry of Finance to take corrective steps. A day later, the Ministry of Culture announced that Minister Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz, acting within the Ministry of Finance’s property rights framework, dismissed the current chairs of the boards of Telewizja Polska SA, Polskie Radio SA, and the Polish Press Agency SA, along with the supervisory board, and appointed new boards. The companies then appointed new management, reshaping leadership across the public media sector.
Other related developments included strong statements about constitutional violations and calls for urgent action to prevent further breaches. A notable line of commentary emphasized that resolutions to dismiss public media authorities were not recognized by the National Media Council. The overall situation drew attention to the ongoing tension over media governance and the balance between constitutional obligations and political changes.
Several observers urged swift measures to uphold the rule of law and ensure the integrity of public media institutions. The broader discourse highlighted the ongoing debate about how democratic processes and legal frameworks intersect with media governance in Poland, especially in the context of shifting governmental majorities and oversight bodies.
In summary, the sequence of events reflected a contentious struggle over control of public media boards, with presidential positions emphasizing compliance with constitutional norms, and other factions pushing for organizational changes aligned with electoral outcomes. The situation remains a focal point in political and legal discussions about media independence and state broadcasting in the country. [citation: wPolityce]