Poland defends new media law against EU criticism

(Vatican Radio)  Poland has defended its controversial new media law as fair, voicing surprise at the European Union's negative reaction to the legislation. The law is part of measures introduced by Poland's recently elected government that have raised eyebrows in Brussels.

Listen to Stefan Bos' report:

The European Commission, the EU's executive, says it will debate the rule of law in Poland at its January 13 session amid concern over Poland's media legislation.

Under the law the terms end of the current heads of state-run radio and television. The new law gives the right-wing and anti-migrant government the authority to appoint new directors and chief editors.

On Sunday, Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper quoted Commissioner Gunther Oettinger as saying that "many reasons exist... to activate the 'Rule of Law mechanism' and to place Warsaw under monitoring."

Under that procedure the Commission can eventually propose invoking Article 7 of the Treaty of the European Union. That means a member can be stripped of its voting rights in EU institutions if it is deemed guilty of serious and persistent breaches of the rule of law.

Director concerned

The director of Poland radio's Channel One, Kamil Dabrowa, shares the EU's concerns. "The new media law is a real threat to the freedom of speech of Poland. I am convinced of that both as a director of Polish radio and as a journalist," he said.  

Yet, President Andrzej Duda is expected to sign it into law soon, as the ruling EU-skeptic Law and Justice party is rushing to make major state and social reforms it promised in the presidential and parliamentary campaigns last year.

Duda's spokesman said the changes in the legislation were necessary, because for eight years under the previous pro-EU government, state broadcasters were in his words "deeply one-party media" with "not a penny's worth of pluralism." At that time, he added, "not a single EU commissioner or EU lawmaker expressed any concern over the fact."

Four directors of state TV channels and programs already resigned last week in protest of the new law. And state radio is airing the EU and Polish national anthems before news broadcasts to stress attachment to EU values.

International condemnation

The Association of European Journalists says the law will  "effectively bring public service television and radio under the direct control of the government, involve the dismissal of respected journalists for political reasons, and lead to a systematic editorial bias in the content of... broadcasts in favour of the present government."

It comes shortly after Poland's government limited the power of the country's constitutional court,  which was seen as the last institute to control the leadership. 

The court, known as the Constitutional Tribunal, needs a two-thirds majority to issue a ruling, rather than by a simple majority as before, and 13 of its 15 judges must be present for the most contentious cases, up from nine.

Thousands of people have rallied against these policies, but so far that pressure has done little to change the government's course.