What changed

B100074/2026

B100072/2026

European Parliament resolution on the attempted takeover of Lithuania’s public broadcaster and the threat to democracy in Lithuania

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Articles 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11 and 49 of the Treaty on European Union and Articles 9, 10 andArticle 162 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

– having regard to Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,

– having regard to Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights and the European Social Charter,

– having regard to Protocol No 29 to the Treaties on the system of public broadcasting in the Member States,

– having regard to the European Charter on Freedom of the Press,

– having regard to the declarations, recommendations and resolutions of the Committee of Ministers and Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the opinions and the Rule of Law Checklist of the Venice Commission,

– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the UN Convention against Corruption and the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions,

– having regard to the relevant resolutions of the UN General Assembly, the UN Human Rights Council and the reports of the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression,

– having regard to the work carried out by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe on media freedom, in particular by its Representative on Freedom of the Media,

– having regard to its resolution of 3 May 2018 on media pluralism and media freedom in the European Union,

– having regard to its resolution of 11 November 2021 on strengthening democracy and media freedom and pluralism in the EU: the undue use of actions under civil and criminal law to silence journalists, NGOs and civil society,

– having regard to its resolution of 8 March 2022 on the shrinking space for civil society in Europe,

– having regard to its resolution of 18 January 2024 on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union – annual report 2022 and 2023,

– having regard to its resolution of 18 June 2025 on the Commission’s 2024 Rule of Law Report,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1083 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 establishing a common framework for media services in the internal market and amending Directive 2010/13/EU (European Media Freedom Act),

– having regard to the Commission communicationcommunication, ofpublished 8in Julythe 2025Official entitledJournal ‘2025on Rule11 ofJanuary Law2012, Reportentitled –‘European theUnion ruleframework offor lawState situationaid in the European Union’ (COM(2025)0900), and the annex thereto containingform recommendationsof forpublic theservice Membercompensation States,(2011)’,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 27 October 2009 on the application of State aid rules to public service broadcasting,

– having regard to the judgment of the General Court of 21 May 2025 in Case T-72/22,

– having regard to the role of public service media providers in democratic societies, including their responsibility to operate transparently, efficiently and independently,

– having regard to the publicly reported findings of the National Audit Office of Lithuania concerning the activities and financial management of Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT),

– having regard to the decisions of the Seimas concerning the financing of LRT for the 2026-2028 period,

– having regard to the ongoing legislative discussions in Lithuania regarding the governance arrangements of LRT,

– having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas the rights to freedom of expression and information are fundamental rights enshrined in Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, and constitute indispensable conditions for the full development of individuals and their active participation in a democratic society, for the promotion of the principles of transparency and accountability and for the fulfilment of other fundamental rights and freedoms;

A. whereas public service media providers play an essential role in providing reliable information, fostering pluralism and supporting democratic debate, while being accountable for the use of public funds;

B. whereas pluralism is inseparable from freedom, democracy and the rule of law;

B. whereas the National Audit Office of Lithuania has identified substantial and systematic shortcomings in public and programme procurement and internal control systems at LRT, including gaps in compliance with the principles of transparency, equality, economy and competition in procurement, highlighting the need to strengthen procedural safeguards and accountability in the use of public resources;

C. whereas public service media are essential for providing citizens with independent, impartial and high-quality information;

C. whereas the Lithuanian Parliament has responded to the findings and recommendations of the National Audit Office of Lithuania by introducing legislative amendments aimed at addressing these issues, in line with the principles of transparency, good governance and the rule of law;

D. whereas public service media established by the Member States play a particular role in the internal media market and, when operating independently, in the public interest and with input from the broadest possible base of society, can help in providing citizens and businesses with access to quality information and impartial media coverage;

D. whereas ensuring both independence from political influence and effective accountability is a legitimate and necessary objective of public service media governance;

E. whereas public service media can be particularly exposed to the risk of undue political influence, given their institutional proximity to the state and the public funding they receive; whereas even in the absence of undue political influence, public service media in neoliberal societies can be guilty of retreating from the interests, concerns and aspirations of the public, a retreat that is reflected in their ongoing marginalisation or exclusion as active partners in public service media;

E. whereas legislative discussions on amendments to the Law on LRT were initiated in response to identified governance deficiencies and legal uncertainty, including unclear grounds for dismissal and limitations in current oversight mechanisms;

F. whereas it is also necessary to guarantee that, without prejudice to the application of the EU’s State aid rules, public service media providers benefit from sufficient and stable funding to fulfil their mission and to enable predictability in their planning; whereas such funding should be decided and appropriated in a transparent, impartial and independent way, preferably on a multiannual basis, in line with the public service mission of public service media providers, to avoid the potential for undue influence from yearly budget negotiations;

F. whereas the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) establishes common principles concerning transparent, objective and proportionate rules for the appointment and dismissal of the head of management or the members of the management board of public service media providers, as well as requirements for stable and adequate financing;

G. whereas Article 5 of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), in line with Article 4(2) of the same regulation, requires Member States to guarantee the editorial and functional independence of public service media, including through transparent, objective and proportionate procedures for the appointment and dismissal of management, as well as adequate, stable and predictable funding;

G. whereas decisions on public financing and governance structures fall primarily within Member State competence, provided that they are exercised in line with EU law and fundamental rights;

H. whereas Articles 5 and 6 EMFA provide additional safeguards against undue political or commercial interference, ensuring that budgetary allocations are sufficient to allow public service media to fulfil their remit and that any funding framework preserves their independence;

H. whereas, given the constitutional role of a public service broadcaster, the Lithuanian authorities are acting with due caution to ensure full respect for the rule of law and the independence of LRT;

I. whereas in its 2025 Rule of Law Report, the Commission issued country-specific recommendations to Lithuania, calling for continued efforts to strengthen the independence, stable funding and transparent governance of public service media, including safeguards against political influence in appointment and dismissal procedures;

I. whereas the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that the Commission erred in its procedural assessment of the funding scheme of Lithuania’s public service broadcaster LRT and should have examined more closely whether the amendments introduced in 2015 and 2020 affected the compatibility of the funding model with EU State aid rules;

J. whereas the Commission’s report underlined that reforms affecting public service media should be conducted in a transparent and inclusive manner, involving stakeholders and civil society, in line with European standards and the objectives of the EMFA;

J. whereas only days after being sworn in in 2023, the new government of the neighbouring country of Poland decided to forcibly and unlawfully take over public media, including public television, public radio and the national press agency, using methods characteristic of special services and physical coercion in order to seize control; whereas this takeover involved the suspension of radio and television broadcasting signals, an action unprecedented in Poland since the imposition of martial law in 1981; whereas these actions were unlawful and unconstitutional and were carried out by the Polish Government through the use of external private legal entities, in breach of Polish law, while placing public media institutions into a state of liquidation, which persists to this day; whereas, following the takeover, the government transformed the public media outlets into instruments of political propaganda, violating democratic and ethical standards; whereas this was particularly evident during the most recent presidential election campaign, in which Polish public television openly sided with the government-backed candidate, including by organising campaign events, constituting a serious breach of the law and a grave violation of democratic principles; whereas the EU institutions, including the European Parliament, responded to these grave violations of the rule of law and democratic standards with silence and inaction, as they were carried out by a government politically supported by Brussels, thereby exposing the scale of hypocrisy within the EU in its selective enforcement of the principle of the rule of law;

K. whereas in November 2025, members of the Lithuanian parliament (Seimas) introduced draft amendments to the Law on the Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), which passed a first reading and included changes affecting governance, funding, and procedures for the dismissal of the Director General of the LRT;

1. Reaffirms that the independence of public service media providers, combined with high standards of accountability and good governance, is a cornerstone of democratic societies within the EU;

L. whereas following the adoption of the draft amendments at first reading, several demonstrations took place in early December 2025 in Vilnius, organised by LRT journalists and civil society groups and supported by thousands of citizens, expressing concern over potential threats to media independence;

2. Notes that the National Audit Office of Lithuania has stated that it is necessary to apply timely and effective corrective measures to LRT’s legal and operational framework to strengthen public trust and institutional integrity and ensure the efficiency, effectiveness and economy of LRT’s activities;

M. whereas the Council of Europe, the European Broadcasting Union, the European Federation of Journalists, journalists’ associations and civil society have warned that the draft amendments may increase the risk of politicisation of public service media governance and undermine compliance with European standards;

3. Notes that the procedure for the formation of the LRT Council is in line with the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania and the principles of the EMFA, and ensures the independence of LRT; underlines, however, that a clearer separation of management and supervisory functions and a strengthened role for the LRT Council as the highest collegiate governing body of LRT are necessary to ensure effective governance and accountability;

N. whereas the draft amendments have not been finally adopted, following the decision on 19 December 2025 to postpone the final vote, and continue to be examined within the Seimas in a dedicated working group;

4. Encourages the competent Lithuanian authorities to continue addressing the recommendations of the National Audit Office of Lithuania in a structured and transparent manner, including through clear internal rules on procurement, staffing and accessibility;

O. whereas the LRT requested an urgent opinion on the draft amendments from the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe; whereas a Venice Commission delegation is scheduled to visit Lithuania on 19 and 20 January 2026 in connection with that request;

5. Acknowledges the right of Member States to review and, where appropriate, update the governance arrangements of public service media providers in order to ensure effective oversight, clarity of responsibilities and institutional resilience; underlines, however, that in order to ensure the independence of LRT, primary oversight and control should be exercised by the LRT Council as an internal body with the highest level of governance;

1. Expresses serious concerns about the draft amendments to the Law on the LRT;

6. Emphasises that neither EU law nor national law, including laws laying down constitutional and fundamental principles, should create conditions that encourage opacity or a lack of accountability; stresses that an appropriate and inclusive legislative process to address issues related to the management and organisation of LRT cannot be treated as an attack on the fundamental principles of freedom of speech and pluralism;

2. Strongly believes that certain elements of the draft amendments, if adopted without adequate safeguards, could undermine the editorial and functional independence of the LRT, particularly through changes to leadership dismissal procedures, which should remain exceptional, objective and based on clear criteria, and through funding arrangements, which should be adequate, stable and predictable; considers that, if adopted as currently proposed, these amendments could increase political influence over the LRT and may be incompatible with Articles 4(2), 5 and 6 EMFA, which safeguard editorial independence, transparent governance and the independence of public service media;

7. Stresses, however, that any amendments affecting the appointment or dismissal of public service media provider management should:

3. Calls on the Seimas to ensure that any final amendments to the LRT Law are fully compliant with the relevant provisions of the EMFA, including (a) guaranteeing editorial and functional independence, objective and proportionate governance procedures, and transparent appointments and dismissals, (b) ensuring protection against political or commercial interference and (c) providing adequate, stable and predictable funding to allow public service media to fulfil their remit; calls on the Lithuanian authorities to build on the international standards and recommendations developed by the Council of Europe in this regard, including the Venice Commission’s opinion;

(a) be based on clear, objective and publicly accessible criteria,

4. Calls on the Lithuanian authorities to continue the legislative process in a transparent and inclusive manner, consulting journalists, public service media representatives, civil society and independent experts;

(b) ensure the transparency of decision-making procedures, and

5. Calls on the Lithuanian authorities to take adequate measures to safeguard and promote a pluralist, independent and free media landscape in the service of democratic society, including the independence and sustainability of public service media and community media, which are crucial elements of a favourable environment for freedom of expression;

(c) maintain safeguards that protect management from undue political influence, in line with the EMFA;

6. Welcomes the postponement of the final vote and stresses that this provides an opportunity to ensure that any reform strengthens the independence, accountability and effectiveness of the LRT;

8. Recalls, in this context, that the EMFA does not prescribe specific voting systems, such as open or secret ballots, but focuses on duly justified decisions, predetermined criteria and the availability of judicial review;

7. Believes that developments in Lithuania, including compliance with the EMFA, should continue to be followed and reflected in the next rule of law report;

9. Underlines that any changes to dismissal procedures, voting thresholds or decision-making formats should be legally justified, proportionate and carefully assessed in order to avoid unintended effects on institutional stability or public confidence, and should, where appropriate, be accompanied by an impact assessment;

8. Recalls the important role played by public broadcasters in preserving media pluralism, as highlighted in Protocol No 29 to the Treaties; calls on the Member States to provide public broadcasters with the adequate financial and technical means necessary for performing their social function and serving the public interest; calls on the Member States, to this end, to guarantee the editorial independence of public broadcasters by protecting them, through clearly defined regulatory frameworks, from any form of governmental, political or commercial interference and influence, while at the same time ensuring that all public bodies and entities exercising powers in the areas of broadcasting and telecommunications have full management autonomy and independence;

10. Recalls that current Lithuanian law does not fully ensure transparent and accountable procedures for the appointment and dismissal of the director general of public service media in accordance with Article 5 EMFA;

9. Notes with great concern that public service media and public broadcasters across Europe are increasingly subjected to political and ideological attacks, smear campaigns, intimidation and attempts to undermine their editorial independence and stable funding by far right actors seeking to weaken independent journalism and democratic checks and balances;

11. Notes that making draft amendments to the Law on LRT fall within national competences, in compliance with Article 5 EMFA, which does not prescribe specific formats for appointments or uniform voting thresholds for dismissals, leaving such matters to the Member States;

10. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Government and Parliament of Lithuania and the Council of Europe.

12. Recalls that the highest governing body of LRT is its Council, chaired by the LRT President, to which Article 5 EMFA applies in particular; underlines, however, that the current regulatory framework limits the LRT Council’s ability to fully exercise its statutory powers, as significant decision-making authority remains concentrated in the hands of its director general;

13. Notes that public funding decisions, including multi-annual budgetary frameworks, should balance fiscal responsibility with the need to provide public service media providers with predictable and sufficient resources to fulfil their statutory remit;

14. Recalls that, in order to ensure the compliance of the LRT funding model with EU State aid rules, effective oversight of the public broadcaster’s financing and activities must be demonstrated; underlines that targeted amendments to the Law on LRT are necessary to implement relevant recommendations of the National Audit Office of Lithuania, enhance transparency and ensure full compliance with EU State aid requirements, while safeguarding the independence and public service remit of the broadcaster;

15. Invites the Lithuanian authorities, in the context of ongoing legislative discussions, to continue constructive and transparent dialogue with relevant stakeholders, including media professionals, lawyers and civil society, in order to ensure a broad understanding of the factual and legal basis of the reforms, and to maintain public trust;

16. Welcomes the establishment of a parliamentary working group composed of Members of Parliament and representatives of media and journalists’ organisations, mandated to prepare and submit, by 26 February 2026, proposals for improving the legal framework determining the governance of LRT;

17. Recalls the importance of safeguarding the political neutrality and independence of public service media providers; underlines that public service broadcasters and professional journalists should refrain from engaging in political processes or activities that could be perceived as political campaigning; emphasises that the use of public service media resources must remain strictly within the framework of their public service remit, in order to maintain public trust and comply with national law and applicable EU standards;

18. Calls on the Commission to fully respect national competences and remain in dialogue with the Member States when it engages in the general monitoring of public service media governance across the EU under the EMFA;

19. Condemns, as incompatible with EU standards of democracy and the rule of law, the unlawful and forceful takeover of public media in Poland, including the use of methods characteristic of special services, the disruption of broadcasting continuity, and the flagrant violation of applicable national and constitutional law by the government of Donald Tusk; calls for the immediate repeal of the unlawful decisions concerning the takeover and the placing into liquidation of public media, the restoration of the rule of law, the imposition of appropriate legal accountability on those responsible, and the full redress of the institutional, financial and societal damage caused; expresses deep outrage at the scale of hypocrisy displayed by the EU institutions and certain political forces which deliberately ignore such blatant and well-documented violations of the rule of law, democracy and media freedom solely because they are committed by a government politically aligned with them, thereby undermining the credibility of the EU in enforcing its own values and principles in an impartial and consistent manner;

20. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Lithuanian Parliament and Government, the European Council, the Commission, and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.