Polish President Andrzej Duda has vetoed a media law that opponents say limits freedom of the press. The controversial law was approved by parliament in Warsaw earlier this month in a vote not announced by the opposition.
A law can only come into effect in Poland if the president signs it, but Duda previously announced that he did not want to do so. Duda uses his veto, because he says he shares Poland’s concerns about the curtailment of freedoms. Tens of thousands of people have demonstrated against the law.
The government wants to combat foreign influence through the media by issuing broadcasting licenses from now on only to foreign broadcasters that have their head office in the European Union and, moreover, are not dependent on a party with a head office outside the union. According to opponents, the law mainly focuses on the government-critical news channel TVN24, owned by the American Discovery.
The United States said it was “extremely disappointed” after the vote in parliament, but also expressed its confidence in Duda. By blocking the law, Duda avoids a conflict with the Americans, but his relationship with the conservative ruling party Law and Justice (PIS) comes under pressure.
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