Public service media organisations from across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) have sent a joint open letter to the Lithuanian Seimas, expressing serious concern about recent legislative initiatives that they believe could undermine the independence and stable financing of Lithuania’s public broadcaster, LRT (Lithuanian National Radio and Television).

The letter — addressed to the Speaker of the Seimas, parliamentary committees, the Prime Minister and the Office of the President — highlights a set of amendments currently under discussion which, if adopted, could significantly weaken the governance safeguards that protect LRT from political interference.

On November 27th, the Seimas approved amendments to the Law on LRT at first reading, that would allow the dismissal of the LRT Director General by a simple majority vote of the LRT Council and through a secret ballot – removing the requirement that dismissal be justified by the public interest. A separate amendment freezes LRT’s budget at its 2025 level until 2029, with a reduction in tax-based funding envisaged thereafter.

In the open letter, the CEE public broadcasters note that such changes contradict the safeguards established under the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), which requires that appointment and dismissal procedures for public service media leadership guarantee independence and include clear protections against undue influence.

The concerns raised by the CEE group echo a wide range of voices in Lithuania and abroad, says the EBU:

1. The Lithuanian National Commission for UNESCO has warned the amendments threaten media freedom and democratic governance.
2. Over 100,000 citizens have signed a petition opposing the changes.
3. The Seimas Legal Department has stated that the proposal contradicts Constitutional Court doctrine on LRT’s independence.
4. Lithuanian journalists’ organizations have called for the amendments to be withdrawn and will hold a public protest on 9 December.
5. LRT’s own governing Council has publicly rejected the proposed changes to the dismissal procedure.

In their letter, the CEE Members also stress that LRT is widely recognised as one of the strongest and most trusted public media institutions in the region. Undermining its independence would not only harm the Lithuanian public but also weaken media freedom standards across CEE at a time of rising disinformation, foreign interference and political polarisation.

The CEE public service media community calls on the Seimas to:

1. Reject amendments that weaken governance safeguards or lower the protections surrounding the dismissal of the Director General
2. Ensure stable, predictable and adequate funding for LRT in line with EMFA obligations
3. Uphold Lithuania’s reputation as a democratic leader committed to pluralism and the rule of law.

The letter concludes with a statement of solidarity: “We stand in full support of LRT and remain confident that Lithuania will continue to uphold the high democratic standards for which it is widely respected.”

It has been signed by members of the EBU Central and Eastern Europe Group, representing 27 public service media organisations across the region.

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Tags: EBU, lithuania, news, PSB