Since the end of December last year, the process of district courts placing entries in the National Court Register regarding the liquidation of subsequent regional Polish Radio stations has been ongoing. Last Wednesday, these activities were successful. The District Court Lublin-Wschód entered the last station there – Radio Lublin.
Radio Lublin in liquidation. The remaining 16 regional radio stations also
This decision was made after considering an appeal filed against the previous decision of February 1, in which the court dismissed the application. Then the court clerk referred to the January judgment of the Constitutional Tribunal by Julia Przyłębska, which stated that the provisions on the possibility of liquidating public radio and television were inconsistent with the Constitution.
However, on Wednesday, February 14, Judge Mateusz Półtorak indicated that on December 29, 2023, an extraordinary general meeting of Radio Lublin was held, where its dissolution, opening of liquidation and the appointment of a liquidator were resolved. He also added that the general meeting “bears full responsibility for such a decision and proper determination of the grounds for making it.”
The decision of the Lublin court means that all regional stations of Polish Radio have been put into liquidation. However, so far the registry court has not agreed to the liquidation of TVP and Polskie Radio. Despite the fact that he himself has approved statutes in the past that allow such conduct. This case will end in the second instance.
The Ministry of Culture and National Heritage triumphs. “The registry courts recognized the authority to make such a decision”
Let us recall that on December 19, 2023, the government began the depoliticization of public media promised during the election campaign. Pursuant to the decision taken by the Sejm regarding the restoration of legal order, impartiality and reliability of the public media and the Polish Press Agency, the Minister of Culture dismissed the current presidents of the management boards of TVP, PR and PAP as well as the Supervisory Boards.
President Andrzej Duda then submitted a veto, but Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz then decided to put the three above-mentioned companies into liquidation. The court admitted that “liquidation and dissolution of a regional joint-stock company constituting a public radio broadcasting unit is possible.”
He justified his decision by stating that “the provisions granting the general meeting of a joint-stock company constituting a public radio and television broadcasting unit the right to dissolve and liquidate the company have not been eliminated.”
The presented view on the prohibition of liquidation of public media should be shared, but it is not synonymous with the prohibition of liquidation of individual joint-stock companies, especially regional ones – said Judge Półtorak.
After the court’s decision, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage spoke out. “Therefore, the opening of liquidation of all 17 companies, adopted by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, representing the State Treasury (100% owner of shares) at the General Meetings of Shareholders of companies – regional radio stations of Polish Radio, was effectively entered into the National Court Register. The registration courts recognized the right to make such a decision,” it was written on the X platform.
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.
