On Monday, December 11, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki will ask the Sejm for a vote of confidence in the selected government. Everything indicates that he will not be able to gain support and the MPs will choose his successor on their own. It is said that the coalition will appoint Donald Tusk to this position.
Changes in public media. What’s next for the National Media Council?
The leader of the Civic Coalition emphasized already during the election campaign that one of the issues he would like to deal with immediately after taking power is public media. However, changes in Polish Television and Polish Radio are not possible without the consent of the National Media Council, on which Law and Justice politicians still sit, and their terms end only in five years – Wirtualne Media.
The portal asked politicians about solving this difficult situation for the new government. None of the people who spoke wanted their name published. One of the website’s interlocutors claims that the National Media Council can be changed simply by an act, but this solution requires reaching an agreement with the president.
“I don’t see any possibility of negotiations with the president”
“Andrzej Duda has powers regarding the media, and the new coalition has an instrument of pressure in the form of his office’s budget. This may result in war or cooperation. It is better if there is cooperation and modification of the RMN so as to allow a new majority to come to power,” says the politician . Additionally, he explains that the RMN is dominated by the parliamentary majority, and the minority is appointed by the president. Currently, the parliamentary majority is a minority in the council, which goes against its assumptions.
Opinions about the proposed solution are divided. An anonymous politician of the New Left in an interview with Wirtualne Media claims that talks with the president are always a good idea. “Even with someone who has been showing for years that he is a true son of his mother party – Law and Justice. I am a supporter of talking about every topic and using even the smallest gap. And if that gap is Mr. President’s reluctance towards RMN, then it is even more necessary talk to him,” says a representative of the New Left.
A politician from the Civic Coalition, who categorically refuses to talk to the head of state, had a different opinion. “I don’t see any possibilities for political negotiations with the president. There are other ways to regain the RMN.”
Dr. Kamil Stępniak, a specialist in constitutional law, points out, however, that in 2016 the Constitutional Tribunal ruled that the exclusion of the National Broadcasting Council from the process of appointing public media authorities was unconstitutional, and the RMN should not have the last word on this issue. “Consequently, the authorities may use this judgment to, for example, repeal resolutions appointing members of the RMN or declare them invalid with ex tunc effect (from the beginning). This would allow for a series of actions to invalidate decisions made by the RMN. As a result, it could enable changes on company management boards,” the expert notes.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
