EU to discuss Polish media laws

[webfact]

EU to discuss Polish media laws



BRUSSELS: -- Poland’s new conservative government faces further scrutiny on Wednesday as the European Commission debates new laws seen as reining in the country’s state media.

Two weeks ago, Poland’s Law and Justice party rushed through new laws that will automatically sack all top executives at the country’s public television and radio companies.

Andrzej Duda, the Polish president, signed the bills into law last week, despite critics saying the move undermines the freedom of the press.

But officials at the EU executive say they are not yet considering the so-called nuclear option: a recommendation that Poland lose its voting rights at EU level.

It would require a qualified majority of EU countries to agree.

The European Parliament advocated a similar move back in 2011 when Prime Minister Viktor Orban passed new legislation tightening the government’s control over state media.

The legislation has sparked opposition demonstrations in Warsaw.

But the new government has rejected any concerns.

It has defended the new law, expressing surprise and displeasure with the Commission’s interference in the matter.

Ministers in Warsaw argue changes were needed because of state media’s alleged “extreme bias” in favour of opposition parties.

The Law and justice party won October’s parliamentary, ending eight years of rule by the centre-right group, Civic Platform.


-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-01-14

[godden]

Good for Poland, stuff the EU.

[Grouse]

Anything the EU does is wrong?

What about what's happening in Poland?

They've flourished since joining the EU.

Reverting to a totalitarian state would be disastrous. The Poles had it worst of all on the last century.

[billd766]

quote "Andrzej Duda, the Polish president, signed the bills into law last week, despite critics saying the move undermines the freedom of the press.

But officials at the EU executive say they are not yet considering the so-called nuclear option: a recommendation that Poland lose its voting rights at EU level.

It would require a qualified majority of EU countries to agree."

Perhaps the EU is not confident that it can guarantee a qualified majorities who WILL agree to interfere with the laws of an independent sovereign country.

[Norvid 1950]

Poland is just doing what needs to be done; get rid off all judeocommunism from the media and all organs of government. Democracy is not a judeocommunist dictatorship under democratic slogans, it is free judicial system with truly free press, straightforward elections, responsibility taken by those elected and severe penalties for corruption. To get rig off judeocommunism is not easy with all media around the world working for them. Certainly in EU under A. Markle diktat.