Poland, media freedom, and a German banking move
A few months before Bundestag elections, a Polish bank announced bonds totaling 5 million euros aimed at supporting what it called independent media in Germany. The German media landscape and political leaders cried foul, accusing Poland of meddling in an electoral process. The EPP group, led by Manfred Weber, prepared a draft resolution criticizing Poland for rule-of-law concerns, while Ursula von der Leyen pressed for an explanation and hinted at taking the matter to the Court of Justice of the European Union. The scenario reads like political fiction, but the real development is that GLS, a socio-ecological bank based in Bochum, decided to issue bonds worth 5 million euros to back what it described as endangered media in Poland and Slovakia, a move reflected in the Polish-language segment of Deutsche Welle to support “journalistic independence in Eastern Europe”. (attribution: DW Poland language edition)
Poland and media freedom in focus
To create a justification for this aid, a few days earlier a curious poll on media freedom in the V4 group (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic) was published under the banner of the Bakala Foundation. The foundation is run by Zdenek Bakala, a Czech billionaire who also owns a publishing house and has not previously shown interest in Poland. The survey claimed that 71% of Poles worry about freedom of expression. The study polled 1,000 people per country, but questions linger about its methodology and representativeness. A sociologist from Loughborough University, Dr. Václav Sztietka, who has researched media freedom in the four V4 nations, suggested that rising concern in Slovakia and Poland is likely tied to parliamentary elections in those nations this year. The article speculates that during the election season governments in both countries might push censorship and pressure opposition-linked media, while outlets with foreign capital could be pressured or pushed out. That context helps explain why there is concern among Poles about media freedom. (attribution: Loughborough University sociologist, media freedom studies)
1.5 million euros and questions about independence
The narrative of German social responsibility and financial support for independent media in Central and Eastern Europe appears controversial at a moment when Germany itself faced questions about media independence. It emerged that in the past five years, the federal government and related bodies allocated roughly 1.5 million euros to journalists for activities such as moderation, writing, editing, training, lectures, and related events. Public broadcasters received about 900,000 euros, private media roughly 600,000 euros, with around 200 journalists involved. Some worked for major outlets like Spiegel, Zeit, Tagesspiegel, and others, while about 120 were connected to public broadcasters such as ARD, ZDF, WDR, and rbb. In surveys, the German public has shown concern about media independence, regardless of the country running the press. (attribution: internal German press expenditure audit)
Tracing the flow of money
Observing the attention directed at perceived independence of Polish media and the accompanying funds, one can read into the implications for political dynamics in Europe. The perception is that liberal European elites are wary of a potential third term for the United Right and worry that foreign capital could influence Polish political life through the internet, radio, weeklies, and commercial television. The concern extends to which non-governmental organizations might receive support, alongside city portals and radio stations sustained by local subsidies and advertising. Some argue that independent journalists in truly free media could be affected, a claim echoed by observers who say similar patterns have existed in Germany for years.
Polish elections are described by some as not purely free, with historical roots in past centuries shaping how democratic power is exercised today. The narrative in some circles is that neighboring powers attempt to sway the outcome of elections through various channels, though others insist that Poles themselves determine the course of their democratic governance. (attribution: political commentary, wPolityce source)
Source note: wPolityce