Following a major clash in the public sphere last week and an attempt to force changes at TVP, PAP, and PR, the government led by Donald Tusk appears eager to leave the episode with a semblance of dignity. Maciej Berek, a Minister Member of the Council of Ministers, told TVN24 that public signals have been clear: a draft law to resolve the situation will be presented, and the project is expected to be completed within days.
Resolving the public media crisis requires a draft law
The current administration is pursuing personnel changes within the public media, a move that many politicians, journalists, experts, and commentators — not all of whom supported the previous government — view as unconstitutional and illegal. Given that the coalition has repeatedly invoked terms like the rule of law, democracy, and the constitution for years, these recent steps look more troubling to observers.
Lawmakers associated with the new government have consistently avoided self-blame. How did Maciej Berek, a Minister Member of the Council of Ministers, describe the actions of Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz, the head of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, in a TVN24 interview?
“We have said publicly that resolving the situation in the public media requires presenting a bill that will resolve this situation”, he stated on the program One on One.
It should be noted that for years there has been a dispute over the Constitutional Court’s rulings not being implemented. Those rulings outlined forms of legal solutions and, critics argue, ignored the National Broadcasting Council during the creation of radio and television entities, which some say runs counter to the Constitution. The 2016 judgment has yet to be fully implemented.
We want to conduct discussions on the basis of a concrete proposal
Media statements from the minister emphasised that the talks should take place soon and be anchored in a specific plan. He added that President Andrzej Duda and his entourage would receive an invitation to discuss the issue in the coming days.
Because the discussions are meant to be grounded in a concrete proposal, the parties expect to present a concept while noting that Minister Sienkiewicz currently has to manage ongoing legal decisions related to the form of radio and television broadcasting.
– Berek stressed and assured that the government would then work on the draft law and would invite the President to participate in talks.
Restructuring liquidations in the public media
There is a clear aim in the Polish legal framework to maintain TVP SA and Polskie Radio as entities, though the final form and the choice of vehicle — whether these exact names or comparable entities — will be decided in the near term.
The TVN24 guest described the situation as a restructuring-liquidation process, noting that it is essential to review the financial state and balance sheet to determine viable means of supporting the entity.
In response to a question about whether a specific law should precede personnel changes, the guest suggested that eight years of rhetoric about the constitution and the rule of law do not always translate into effective actions against predecessors, and that the current approach is being tested.
aja/TVN24