Highlights: Poland: President and new government clash over media. President Andrzej Duda called on the prime minister to "respect the legal order" The premises of the public television station are in the process of becoming a rear base for the former ruling Law and Justice party, the PiS, which lost the last parliamentary elections. Shortly after the dismissal was announced, also on Wednesday, the regular broadcast of public generalist channel TVP was suspended for several hours, as was its website TVP Info.

The new Polish government, led by the pro-European Donald Tusk, announced on Wednesday 20 December the dismissal of the president and members of the board of directors of the television, radio and radio station.

Poland: President and new government clash over media

Poland's new government, led by pro-European Donald Tusk, announced on Wednesday (20 December) the dismissal of the president and members of the board of directors of television, radio and public agencies, which runs the country's state media. President Andrzej Duda called on the prime minister to "respect the legal order".

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, right, with President Andrzej Duda during his swearing-in ceremony in Warsaw on December 13, 2023. AP - Czarek Sokolowski

By: RFI Follow

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Eight days after taking office, Poland's government of Tusk on Wednesday attacked the state-run media leadership as a conduit for the country's former leadership.

The president and members of the board of directors of television, radio and public agencies "have been sacked," the Culture Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

Shortly after the dismissal was announced, also on Wednesday, the regular broadcast of the public generalist channel TVP was suspended for several hours, as was its website TVP Info. The account remains very active on the social network X.

The premises of the public television station are in the process of becoming a rear base for the former ruling Law and Justice party, the PiS, which lost the last parliamentary elections. Some MPs even forced open the doors of the building.

Siłowe przejęcie Telewizji Polskiej zostało dokonane ze złamaniem obowiązującego prawa:

Koalicja może działać tylko w granicach, jakie wyznacza Konstytucja — mówi prof. Ryszard Piotrowski w rozmowie z Business Insider Polska.

Konstytucjonalista z Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego...

— tvp.info 🇵🇱 (@tvp_info) December 21, 2023

President Andrzej Duda, an ally of PiS, reacted on the social network X on the same day as the dismissal as head of state media: "I call on Prime Minister Donald Tusk and the cabinet to respect the Polish legal order," he said.

In this regard, the Head of State attached a letter addressed to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, in which he stated that "a parliamentary resolution does not have the force of law". He also speaks of "anarchy".

Cel polityczny nie może stanowić usprawiedliwienia dla łamania zasad konstytucyjnych i prawa.
Dlatego w związku z dzisiejszymi działaniami Ministra Kultury dotyczącymi mediów publicznych wzywam Premiera @donaldtusk i Radę Ministrów do respektowania polskiego porządku prawnego.... pic.twitter.com/DT9xkBPXef

— Andrzej Duda (@AndrzejDuda) December 20, 2023

The head of government immediately replied that his decision was aimed at "restoring legal order and common decency in public life". "You can count on our unwavering determination on this issue," he added.

Panie Prezydencie, tak jak już Pana informowałem, dzisiejsze działania mają na celu - zgodnie z Pana intencją - przywrócenie ładu prawnego i zwykłej przyzwoitości w życiu publicznym. Może Pan liczyć w tej sprawie na naszą determinację i żelazną konsekwencję.

— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) December 20, 2023

On Tuesday, Poland's new ruling coalition pushed through the country's parliament a resolution calling for the "restoration of the legal order, impartiality and credibility of the public media", the dismissal of which is the logical next step.

The following night, Polish nationalists began occupying the television premises in defence of "pluralism". On Wednesday, PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski was himself seen entering the premises.

There is no democracy without media pluralism or without strong anti-government media, and in Poland it is the public media," said Kaczynski, the country's former strongman.

The opposition denounced "a first step towards a dictatorship, illegal measures". However, the former ruling party also cleaned up when it arrived in 2015. The PiS had changed the media law and placed its supporters.

During the eight years of the PiS party's governance, Polish state media were regularly accused of presenting biased information, relaying government propaganda and launching attacks against the opposition.

In its annual report in 2020, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) stressed that "partisan discourse and incitement to hatred are still the rule in the (Polish) public media, which have been transformed into mouthpieces of government propaganda" during the PiS's eight years in power.

But by wanting to "rebalance" the media by force, the Tusk government is now exposing itself to the same criticism as the nationalists.

Read alsoBlockade of the border between Poland and Ukraine: ministers met

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Poland: President and new government clash over media

Poland: President and new government clash over media

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