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resolution motion, 19 January 2026

On the attempted takeover of Lithuania’s public broadcaster and the threat to democracy in Lithuania

Motion B-10-2026-0076 · (2026/2568(RSP))

on behalf of the ESN Group · Rapporteur: Petras Gražulis, Zsuzsanna Borvendég

On Parliament’s site PDF Word

AI:In short

This resolution expresses concern about changes to the governance of Lithuania's public broadcaster (LRT) made by the former ruling coalition after the 2024 Seimas elections, replacing the simple majority appointment procedure with a two-thirds qualified majority and abolishing the secret ballot. It condemns political censorship in public media, including reported bans on journalists interviewing elected representatives of current parliamentary majority parties, and calls on Lithuanian authorities to restore the previous democratic governance structure of LRT.

Key points

  1. Expresses serious concern that the former ruling coalition changed LRT governance rules, replacing the simple majority appointment and dismissal procedure with a two-thirds qualified majority and abolishing the secret ballot, after the 2024 Seimas election results were known.
  2. Stresses that simple majority and secret ballot for appointing and dismissing the director general is a widely recognised democratic standard, and excessive qualified majority requirements risk institutional paralysis and preserving party influence.
  3. Unequivocally condemns any political censorship in public media, including reported decisions by current LRT management to ban journalists from interviewing or reporting on elected representatives of parties forming the current parliamentary majority.
  4. Rejects attempts to use European Parliament resolutions to protect politically connected media executives or legitimise governance arrangements that undermine democratic accountability.
  5. Calls on Lithuanian authorities to restore the previous democratic governance structure of LRT, confirming the primacy of its council as the highest governing body, with the right to appoint and dismiss the director general by simple majority and secret ballot.
  6. Calls on all political actors to ensure that public service broadcasting serves the whole of society, reflecting a diversity of opinions and not a single ideological line.

Who is affected

  • Lithuanian authorities and political actors: must restore LRT's previous governance structure and ensure public broadcasting serves all society.
  • LRT management and journalists: management's censorship practices are condemned; journalists should be free to interview elected representatives.

Legal basis. Article 2 TEU, Article 4(2) TEU, Articles 10 and 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, Article 10 of the European Convention on Human 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 22 paragraphs

B100076/2026

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 (TEU),

–having regard to Article 4(2) TEU on respect for national identities and constitutional structures,

–having regard to Articles 10 and 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,

–having regard to the European Convention on Human Rights, in particular Article 10 thereof,

–having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.whereas in the final months of its mandate, the former ruling coalition in Lithuania fundamentally altered the governance rules of the Lithuanian public service broadcaster (LRT);

B.whereas these changes were adopted after the outcome of the 2024 Seimas elections was already known;

C.whereas the simple majority appointment procedure is a recognised democratic standard across the EU;

Read the rest (10 paragraphs)

D.whereas excessive qualified majority requirements risk causing institutional paralysis;

E.whereas reports indicate that politically motivated censorship takes place within LRT;

F.whereas such censorship undermines media pluralism and freedom of expression;

G.whereas the role of the EU is not to protect entrenched elites but to defend democratic accountability;

1.Expresses serious concern that in the last months of its term of office, the former ruling coalition in Lithuania fundamentally changed the rules of governance of the Lithuanian public broadcaster, replacing the long-standing simple majority appointment and dismissal procedure with a two-thirds qualified majority requirement and abolishing the secret ballot for appointments, thus consolidating political control over the broadcaster after the results of the 2024 Seimas elections were already known;

2.Stresses that the principle that the board of a public service broadcaster appoints and dismisses its director general by a simple majority and by secret ballot is a widely recognised democratic standard throughout the EU, and that excessive requirements for qualified majority voting run the risk of causing institutional paralysis, distorting democracy and preserving party influence contrary to the expressed will of the electorate;

3.Unequivocally condemns any political censorship in public media, including reports of decisions by the current LRT management to ban journalists from interviewing or reporting on elected representatives of the parties forming the current parliamentary majority, as such actions constitute a serious violation of media pluralism, freedom of expression and democratic debate;

4.Rejects attempts to use European Parliament resolutions to protect politically connected media executives or to legitimise governance arrangements that undermine democratic accountability, and recalls that the role of the EU is not to protect entrenched elite groups, but to ensure the pluralism, integrity and institutional neutrality of public media;

5.Calls on the Lithuanian authorities to restore the previous democratic governance structure of the LRT, confirming the primacy of its council as the highest governing body, with the right to appoint and dismiss the director general by a simple majority and in a secret ballot; calls on all political actors to ensure that public service broadcasting serves the whole of society, reflecting a diversity of opinions and not a single ideological line;

6.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, and the Government and parliament of the Republic of Lithuania.