resolution motion, 19 January 2026
On the attempted takeover of Lithuania’s public broadcaster and the threat to democracy in Lithuania
Motion B-10-2026-0075 · (2026/2568(RSP))
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group · Rapporteur: Diana Riba i Giner, Nicolae Ștefănuță, Ville Niinistö, Erik Marquardt, Mārtiņš Staķis
- Voted on Thursday, 22 January 2026 · Adopted 385 for, 165 against, 35 abstained · See the decision →
- Where the law stands · dossier 2026/2568 →
AI:In short
This resolution expresses serious concern about Lithuanian amendments to the LRT law that ease dismissal of the director general and freeze the broadcaster's budget, saying they breach EU media freedom rules. It calls on Lithuanian authorities to respect EU standards, urges the Seimas to reject the amendments, and asks the Commission to monitor compliance.
Key points
- Recalls that independence of public service media depends on strong governance safeguards and adequate, stable funding, and that media freedom is part of the rule of law.
- Expresses serious concern about amendments allowing dismissal of LRT's director general by simple majority and secret ballot, without public interest justification.
- Expresses concern about freezing LRT's budget at 2025 level for 2026-2028 and reducing tax-based revenues thereafter, undermining financial sustainability.
- Believes both sets of amendments breach the European Media Freedom Act, notably Article 5.
- Calls on Lithuanian authorities to ensure amendments respect EU standards and to consult LRT staff, journalists, civil society, and media experts.
- Urges the Seimas to reject pending amendments and to wait for the Venice Commission's opinion before adopting any changes.
- Calls on the Seimas and Government to reconsider the budgetary framework and ensure stable, predictable, adequate funding for LRT.
- Requests the Commission to monitor media freedom in Lithuania, assess compliance with EMFA, and use tools including infringement procedures if needed.
- Regrets that the review of Regulation (EU) 2019/452 did not include media in mandatory screening for security and public order, and calls for this in an early review.
Who is affected
- Lithuanian authorities (Seimas and Government) are urged to change course on LRT amendments and funding.
- LRT (Lithuanian National Radio and Television) faces changes to leadership dismissal and budget freeze.
- The European Commission is asked to monitor and potentially act against Lithuania.
Figures and deadlines
Legal basis. Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union and Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights
Written by AI from the full text · every figure comes from the text · ¶ opens the paragraph · 4 Sept 2026 · Report a problem
Full text
Text 37 paragraphs
B100075/2026
European Parliament resolution on the attempted takeover of Lithuania’s public broadcaster and the threat to democracy in Lithuania
(2026/2568(RSP))
The European Parliament,
–having regard to Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union, which enshrines the EU’s founding values as democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights,
–having regard to Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which guarantees the rights to freedom of expression and to receive and impart information, and the freedom and pluralism of the media,
–having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1083 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 establishing a common framework for media services in the internal market and amending Directive 2010/13/EU (European Media Freedom Act), particularly Article 5 thereof,
–having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A.whereas public service media plays a vital role in ensuring access to independent, impartial and pluralistic information, and in fostering informed democratic debate;
B.whereas the independence of public service media providers requires strong legal safeguards against political interference, including transparent appointment and dismissal procedures for senior management, and adequate, predictable and sustainable funding;
C.whereas the weakening of Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) does not only harm the Lithuanian public, but it also undermines regional standards of media freedom at a time when disinformation, foreign interference and political polarisation are increasing;
D.whereas on 17 December 2025 the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania adopted at second reading amendments to the Law on LRT;
Read the rest (25 paragraphs)
E.whereas the proposed amendments would make it significantly easier to dismiss LRT’s director general by allowing dismissal through a simple majority vote of the LRT Council, by secret ballot, and without a requirement that such a dismissal be justified by considerations of public interest;
F.whereas the proposed amendments contradict the principles of independence enshrined in the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), particularly Article 5(2) thereof, which obliges the Member States to ensure that appointment and dismissal procedures for the head of management or the members of the management board of public service media providers ‘aim to guarantee the independence’ of these institutions;
G.whereas, also according to Article 5(2) EMFA, the head of management or the members of the management board of public service media providers ‘shall be appointed on the basis of transparent, open, effective and non-discriminatory procedures and transparent, objective, non-discriminatory and proportionate criteria laid down in advance at national level’;
H.whereas Article 5(2) EMFA also states that ‘decisions on dismissal of the head of management or the members of the management board of public service media providers before the end of their term of office shall be duly justified, may be taken only exceptionally where they no longer fulfil the conditions required for the performance of their duties according to criteria laid down in advance at national level, shall be subject to prior notification to the persons concerned and shall include the possibility of judicial review’;
I.whereas the staff of LRT went on strike on 9 December 2025 to protest against these changes, which they warn would ‘dismantle the safeguards that protect LRT’s independence’,
J.whereas the Seimas Legal Department has stated that the draft law contradicts Constitutional Court doctrine on LRT’s independence;
K.whereas such changes risk weakening current safeguards protecting the leadership of the public broadcaster from undue political pressure, and undermine editorial independence;
L.whereas the Lithuanian National Commission for UNESCO has warned that the amendments threaten media freedom and democratic governance;
M.whereas LRT requested that an urgent opinion on the pending amendments be issued by the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe;
N.whereas on 23 December 2025, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Representative on Freedom of the Media indicated that the recently proposed legislative changes raise questions about the protection of LRT’s editorial independence and its ability to fulfil its public service mandate freely, without undue interference;
O.whereas the Seimas also adopted, in November 2025, an amendment freezing LRT’s annual budget at the 2025 level for 2026, 2027 and 2028, with a reduction to its tax-based revenues thereafter;
P.whereas according to the Council of Europe’s Safety of Journalists Platform, Lithuania’s allocation of GDP-based funding to public service media is already one of the lowest in the EU, and LRT has warned that prolonged financial constraints would hinder its legally mandated role as the country’s primary source of crisis and emergency communication, including its ability to maintain uninterrupted broadcasting during national emergencies,
Q.whereas a stable and predictable budget is needed in order for public service media providers to fulfil their public service mandate; whereas prolonged budgetary freezes or reductions, particularly in the context of inflation and rising production costs, may seriously affect their capacity, in this regard;
R.whereas Article 5(3) EMFA obliges the Member States to ensure that ‘funding procedures for public service media providers are based on transparent and objective criteria laid down in advance’, and that those funding procedures ‘shall guarantee that public service media providers have adequate, sustainable and predictable financial resources corresponding to the fulfilment of and the capacity to develop within their public service remit’, and that those financial resources ‘shall be such that the editorial independence of public service media providers is safeguarded’;
S.whereas reforms affecting public service media providers should be undertaken in a transparent and inclusive manner, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, including journalists, civil society and media experts, and in line with EU law;
1.Recalls that the independence of public service media providers is a core component of media freedom and democratic resilience, and that it depends on both strong governance safeguards and adequate, stable and predictable funding, and that media freedom is an integral part of respect for the rule of law;
2.Expresses serious concern about the pending amendments to the LRT Law that allows dismissal through a simple majority vote of the LRT Council and through a secret ballot, and that removes the requirement that dismissal be justified by considerations of public interest;
3.Expresses further concern about the adopted amendment to freeze LRT’s annual budget at the 2025 level for 2026, 2027 and 2028, and reduce its tax-based revenues thereafter, which will undermine the broadcaster’s financial sustainability and independence;
4.Strongly believes that both sets of amendments are in breach of the EMFA, notably Article 5 thereof;
5.Calls on the Lithuanian authorities to ensure that any legislative amendments concerning LRT fully respect EU standards on public service media independence and do not expose the broadcaster to political or economic pressure; urges the Lithuanian authorities to engage in broad and meaningful consultations with LRT staff, journalists’ organisations, civil society and independent media experts;
6.Urges the Seimas to reject the pending amendments, including lowering the threshold for dismissing the LRT director general, removing the requirement that the dismissal be based on objective considerations of public interest, and introducing secret ballots, and to ensure that any legislative amendments, if needed, are only adopted after the Venice Commission issues its opinion, and respect the EMFA and the recommendations of the Venice Commission and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Representative on Freedom of the Media;
7.Calls on the Seimas and the Lithuanian Government to reconsider the adopted budgetary framework and to ensure stable, predictable and adequate funding for LRT, consistent with EMFA requirements;
8.Requests that the Commission monitor any developments concerning media freedom and public service media independence in Lithuania, to assess the compliance of the adopted and pending amendments with the EMFA and the principle of the rule of law, to inform the Lithuanian authorities accordingly, and to use all tools, including infringement procedures and the EU’s rule of law toolbox, in the case of non-compliance;
9.Considers it regrettable that there has been a missed opportunity, in the review of Regulation (EU) 2019/452, which has now been provisionally agreed upon, to include the media in the mandatory scope for screening in relation to security and public order, with a view to minimising the risks of foreign interference, among others; calls for this to be included in the framework of an early review of the revised regulation;
10.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Seimas and Government of the Republic of Lithuania, the Commission and the Council.