On the attempted takeover of Lithuania’s public broadcaster and the threat to democracy in Lithuania

B100072/2026

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

(2026/2568(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Article 2 of the Treaty on 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,

– 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 communication, published in the Official Journal on 11 January 2012, entitled ‘European Union framework for State aid in the form of public service compensation (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 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 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 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 ensuring both independence from political influence and effective accountability is a legitimate and necessary objective of public service media governance;

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 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 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, 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 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 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;

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;

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;

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;

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;

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;

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;

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

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

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

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

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;

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;

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;

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;

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.