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Poland's Senate vvotes against controversial media law

Poland’s Senate rejects controversial media law

Poland’s Senate has voted against a controversial media bill that critics say is meant to stop a US-owned anti-government TV station. The parliament’s lower house has earlier approved the law but the opposition has the majority in the Senate.

Also in this case where the Senate is against, the lower house of the parliament has the final say so what will happen now is unclear. However, it seems clear at the law will be sent back to the lower house.

President Andrzej Duda, supported by the coalition government’s biggest part Law and Justice, has indicated that he could veto the bill even if it once again is approved by the parliament’s lower house.

The government says the new law is needed to stop foreign powers from taking control over the country’s broadcasters.

The legislation aims to limit non-EU ownership of broadcasters in the country. Opposition says the government’s plan is to force US company Discovery to sell the country’s biggest TV network, TVN. Discovery owns TVN via a subsidiary based in Holland.

 

Read Also:  European public service broadcasters under pressure

 

Discovery has said that the legislation is “the latest assault on independent media and freedom of the press, and takes direct aim at Discovery’s TVN”.

After the approval of the law in the lower house, Vera Jourova, European Commission Vice President for Values and Transparency tweeted “We need a #MediaFreedomAct in the whole EU to uphold media freedom and support the rule of law”.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said US government was “deeply troubled” by the approval of the law.

The Senate rejected the legislation by a vote of 53-37, with 3 abstentions.

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