In Lithuania there are demonstrations against changes to broadcasting. The debate in Parliament leads to an absurd proposal.
December 19, 2025, 10:08December 19, 2025, 10:08
In Lithuania, several thousand people took to the streets for the third day in a row to protest against new regulations for the public broadcaster LRT. The new regulation, which had already been approved in the second reading, was introduced by a populist party that belongs to the center-left coalition of the ruling Social Democrats.
People protest on Independence Square in front of the Palace of Parliament in Vilnius against attempts by politicians to restrict media freedom in Lithuania.Image: keystone
The background to the protests is a bill that would make it easier to dismiss the general director of the LRT. According to the proposal, the board of directors would vote by secret ballot and be able to remove the LRT boss with fewer votes and for less valid reasons.
Satirical motion accepted in block vote
While the government coalition wanted to rush the bill through parliament, the opposition tried to delay the process with numerous amendments. In the second reading of the block vote, a satirical motion was absurdly accepted, according to which an early dismissal of the LRT boss can only take place with the approval of the cat of a certain opposition MP.
The protests in Vilnius attract thousands of people. Image: keystone
In order not to be anchored in law, the cat provision must be removed from the draft before the final vote. This was actually supposed to take place on Thursday evening. However, because the responsible committee chairman had to be hospitalized for health problems during the preparatory meeting, it was postponed.
Biggest protests since independence
Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė called on all sides to compromise and said discussions on these changes must stop. The appropriate way to do this would be for the entire board of directors to resign, said the Social Democrat. However, her party’s parliamentary groups and coalition partners take a different view.
In Vilnius, demonstrators gathered again in front of the parliament on Thursday. There were also rallies in other cities in the Baltic EU and NATO country. These are the largest protests in Lithuania since regaining independence in 1990 and are also directed against the government.
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