Govt seeks to limit media ownership

WARSAW: Poland will seek to craft rules limiting the concentration of foreignowned media outlets well before the ruling nationalists finish their term in power, the country’s de-facto leader has pledged, ahead of parliamentary elections expected in 2023.

Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party has long said foreignowned media outlets have meddled in the country’s affairs and that media owned domestically should have a stronger voice.

The accusation was levelled again in the recent presidential campaign, during which incumbent and PiS ally Andrzej Duda repeatedly accused foreign media, or foreign-owned media, of misinforming the public.

Asked if PiS would introduce reforms before the end of their term, party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski told Polish public radio he hoped the reforms would be carried out soon.

“We will do this much faster [than before the end of our term], at least on the legislative level, but this process’ success is tied to many changes that we have to bring about in our country as well as international relationships,” Mr Kaczynski said.

PiS has maintained that any new law would have to adhere to EU rules, which could hamper the party’s political aim to substantially reduce the influence of foreign-owned outlets, such as Discovery-owned broadcaster TVN.

But, in the wake of last week’s presidential vote, in which Duda won a second term in office, PiS has been emboldened in its criticism of the influence of foreign-owned media outlets in Poland.

Mr Kaczynski said any potential rules were still “being analysed and there are discussions on the matter”.

Many options were being considered, a PiS official said earlier this week, adding that the purchase of regional newspapers, many of which were German-owned, was among the ideas that had been discussed.