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

B100076/2026

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 (TEU),

– having regard to Article 4(2) TEU on respect for national identities and constitutional structures,

– having regard to Articles 10 and 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,

– having regard to the European Convention on Human Rights, in particular Article 10 thereof,

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

A. whereas in the final months of its mandate, the former ruling coalition in Lithuania fundamentally altered the governance rules of the Lithuanian public service broadcaster (LRT);

B. whereas these changes were adopted after the outcome of the 2024 Seimas elections was already known;

C. whereas the simple majority appointment procedure is a recognised democratic standard across the EU;

D. whereas excessive qualified majority requirements risk causing institutional paralysis;

E. whereas reports indicate that politically motivated censorship takes place within LRT;

F. whereas such censorship undermines media pluralism and freedom of expression;

G. whereas the role of the EU is not to protect entrenched elites but to defend democratic accountability;

1. Expresses serious concern that in the last months of its term of office, the former ruling coalition in Lithuania fundamentally changed the rules of governance of the Lithuanian public broadcaster, replacing the long-standing simple majority appointment and dismissal procedure with a two-thirds qualified majority requirement and abolishing the secret ballot for appointments, thus consolidating political control over the broadcaster after the results of the 2024 Seimas elections were already known;

2. Stresses that the principle that the board of a public service broadcaster appoints and dismisses its director general by a simple majority and by secret ballot is a widely recognised democratic standard throughout the EU, and that excessive requirements for qualified majority voting run the risk of causing institutional paralysis, distorting democracy and preserving party influence contrary to the expressed will of the electorate;

3. Unequivocally condemns any political censorship in public media, including reports of decisions by the current LRT management to ban journalists from interviewing or reporting on elected representatives of the parties forming the current parliamentary majority, as such actions constitute a serious violation of media pluralism, freedom of expression and democratic debate;

4. Rejects attempts to use European Parliament resolutions to protect politically connected media executives or to legitimise governance arrangements that undermine democratic accountability, and recalls that the role of the EU is not to protect entrenched elite groups, but to ensure the pluralism, integrity and institutional neutrality of public media;

5. Calls on the Lithuanian authorities to restore the previous democratic governance structure of the LRT, confirming the primacy of its council as the highest governing body, with the right to appoint and dismiss the director general by a simple majority and in a secret ballot; calls on all political actors to ensure that public service broadcasting serves the whole of society, reflecting a diversity of opinions and not a single ideological line;

6. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, and the Government and parliament of the Republic of Lithuania.