Media pluralism under threat in Poland

Motion for a resolution | Doc. 15907 | 24 January 2024

Signatories:

Mr Arkadiusz MULARCZYK, Poland, EC/DA ; Ms Iwona ARENT, Poland, EC/DA ; Mr Pavlo BAKUNETS, Ukraine, EC/DA ; Mr Stephen Nikola BARTULICA, Croatia, EC/DA ; Ms Anna BOGUCKA, Poland, EC/DA ; Mr Bob De BRABANDERE, Belgium, EC/DA ; Sir Christopher CHOPE, United Kingdom, EC/DA ; Mr Thibaut FRANÇOIS, France, EC/DA ; Mr Erkin GADIRLI, Azerbaijan, EC/DA ; Ms Elisabetta GARDINI, Italy, EC/DA ; Mr Oleksii GONCHARENKO, Ukraine, EC/DA ; Mr Martin GRAF, Austria, EC/DA ; Ms Nicole HÖCHST, Germany, EC/DA ; Ms Boglárka ILLÉS, Hungary, EC/DA ; Mr Fernand KARTHEISER, Luxembourg, EC/DA ; Ms Olena KHOMENKO, Ukraine, EC/DA ; Sir Edward LEIGH, United Kingdom, EC/DA ; Mr Ian LIDDELL-GRAINGER, United Kingdom, EC/DA ; Mr Daniel MILEWSKI, Poland, EC/DA ; Mr Sorin-Titus MUNCACIU, Romania, EC/DA ; Mr Zsolt NÉMETH, Hungary, EC/DA ; Mr Kacper Maciej PŁAŻYŃSKI, Poland, EC/DA ; Mr Marcin ROMANOWSKI, Poland, EC/DA ; Mr José María SÁNCHEZ GARCÍA, Spain, EC/DA ; Mr Harald WEYEL, Germany, EC/DA ; Mr Markus WIECHEL, Sweden, EC/DA ; Mr Morten WOLD, Norway, EC/DA

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

The Polish Government is attacking public media outlets and media pluralism is therefore under threat in Poland. Donald Tusk’s government is creating a media environment in which the government will not face any critical media.

The Polish Government used methods that have not been used since communism and martial law to stop public broadcasting and prevent Polish citizens from being informed.

Article 11 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights protects the right to freedom of expression and information.

Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ETS No. 5) protects the right to freedom of expression and the freedom of the media as pillars of democratic security in Europe.

The Council of Europe has a platform to promote the protection of journalists in Europe.

In each member State, media organisations must be protected from domestic political interference and takeover.

President Duda has stated that Donald Tusk’s government is violating the Polish Constitution in the way the Polish Government has treated:

• the public broadcaster, TVP,
• Polish Radio, and
• the Polish Press Agency, PAP.

The Parliamentary Assembly must condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the Polish Government’s actions and must call for an end to all government interference.