The European Broadcasting Union has urged Lithuanian lawmakers not to rush amendments that would make it easier to dismiss the head of public broadcaster LRT, warning the changes could undermine media freedom and violate EU law.
EBU Director General Noel Curran said Wednesday the organisation has raised its concerns with the European Commission and called on politicians to pause the fast-tracked process.
“Normally, legislation concerning a public broadcaster is adopted slowly, with public debate,” Curran told LRT TV. “What I would respectfully suggest is that all parties pause, consult more broadly and think this through, rather than taking steps that could significantly affect perceptions of freedom of expression in Lithuania.”
The proposed amendments would allow the LRT director general to be dismissed by a secret vote of seven of the 12 members of the broadcaster’s Council, citing failure to approve an annual activity report or improper performance of duties.
Under current law, the director general can be removed only by an open vote of at least eight Council members and only on grounds of the public interest.
Curran said the EBU believes the changes would represent “a step backward” for public broadcasting in Lithuania.
“We have directly emphasised to the European Commission that these amendments violate the Media Freedom Act and asked it to closely monitor the situation,” he said, adding that EU law is intended to ensure independence, transparency and clear appointment and dismissal procedures for public media leaders.
On Wednesday, parliament approved at second reading amendments to the LRT law providing that the director general be appointed for a five-year term through a public competition and dismissed by the Council by secret ballot. One provision, proposed by the opposition as a gesture of protest, stipulates that a no-confidence dismissal would be possible only if lawmaker Agnė Širinskienė’s cat, Nuodėgulis, expresses no confidence.
The parliamentary opposition says such proposals are intended to obstruct the rapid adoption of the amendments.
Separately, lawmakers led by Artūras Skardžius of the Nemunas Dawn party, chairman of the parliamentary Committee on Audit, have drafted additional amendments that would significantly expand the powers of the LRT Council. The proposals would give the council authority to approve the broadcaster’s editorial, privacy and sustainability policies, annual activity reports, strategic and annual plans, organisational structure, procurement terms for program production services, and the results of tenders for LRT programs.
Curran said those provisions were also troubling.
“We see editorial control written into the law, which raises serious concerns because it could reduce editorial independence at the public broadcaster,” he said.
Protests against the proposed changes have taken place outside the Lithuanian parliament for a second consecutive day, drawing thousands of people, with further demonstrations planned for Thursday.
An installation titled Park of Spineless Air Dancers in Daukanto Square outside the Presidential Palace calls on President Gitanas Nausėda to veto the amendments if they are adopted.
Most LRT employees and parts of the media community say the fast-tracked changes, introduced without broad consultation, threaten the independence of the public broadcaster and media freedom.
The EBU represents public broadcasters across Europe. LRT Director General Monika Garbačiauskaitė-Budrienė is a member of its executive board.
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