Poland Sliding Toward Authoritarianism... Media Law Passed to 'Muzzle Press Freedom'

Opposition: "Attack Targeting the Media"... US Secretary of State "Deep Concern"
Right-Wing Coalition Collapses as Centrist Party Withdraws from Coalition

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] The right-wing coalition government in Poland has ultimately passed a media bill that has raised concerns about gagging press freedom. The centrist party that opposed the bill's vote withdrew from the coalition. Poland, long regarded as a model democracy in Eastern Europe, is expected to see its authoritarian regime strengthen as a result of this move.

On the 11th (local time), the Polish lower house passed the media bill with 228 votes in favor and 216 against, according to Bloomberg and The Guardian.

The media bill, promoted by the ruling Law and Justice Party, stipulates that non-European owners cannot become the largest shareholders of Polish media companies.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

If the media law is enacted, Discovery, the largest shareholder of Poland's leading private broadcaster TVN, will be forced to sell its shares. This channel is known for its critical coverage of the government.

Experts fear that the passage of this bill will significantly set back democracy in Poland.

An opposition party member condemned the vote, saying, "Today's vote is an attack on freedom and the media."

Discovery also issued a statement, asserting, "This bill is an attack on the core democratic principles of freedom of expression and press independence, and it openly discriminates against Discovery and TVN."

The United States, a key ally of Poland, also immediately criticized the move.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed deep concern in a statement issued right after the media bill's passage.

Blinken said, "The media law passed this time will shrink press freedom within Poland."

Protests against the media law continued in over 100 cities, including the capital Warsaw, on the same day.

On the 11th (local time), citizens protested against the passage of the media law in Warsaw, the capital of Poland. [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

The Law and Justice Party has countered that the media law was promoted to block the involvement of Russian and Chinese capital.

The media law has also affected Poland's political landscape.

The Agreement Party, which had been part of the right-wing coalition, announced its withdrawal from the coalition on the same day.

The Agreement Party is a centrist party that opposed the Law and Justice Party's push for the media law.

With the 13-seat Agreement Party leaving the coalition, the right-wing coalition led by the Law and Justice Party was reduced to 219 seats, falling short of the majority in the 460-seat federal lower house.

From the left, Mateusz Morawiecki, Prime Minister of Poland, Jarosław Kaczy?ski, Leader of the Law and Justice Party, Jarosław Gowin, Deputy Prime Minister [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Additionally, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki (of the Law and Justice Party) dismissed Deputy Prime Minister and Agreement Party leader Jarosław Gowin the day before after he expressed opposition to the media bill.

The Law and Justice Party reportedly managed to pass the media law on the day by securing support from some far-right opposition lawmakers amid the Agreement Party's withdrawal from the coalition.

The opposition proposed and passed a motion to postpone the media bill vote until September. However, the Speaker of the lower house, affiliated with the Law and Justice Party, pushed for a re-vote, stating that "no specific voting schedule was specified," which nullified the postponement and led to an immediate vote on the media bill.

The opposition protested, calling it a "clear illegal act."

Concerns are also emerging that with the centrist Agreement Party leaving the coalition, the government will become more extreme by allying with far-right parties.

In an interview with Bloomberg, a political science professor analyzed, "The dismissal of Deputy Prime Minister Gowin, who had progressive tendencies, increases the likelihood of the government becoming more extreme."

The media law passed in the lower house on this day must still go through a vote in the upper house to complete the legislative process. However, The Guardian reported that since the opposition controls the upper house, the media law is likely to be rejected.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.