Lithuanian parliament speaker says time for debate on LRT law changes is over

The speaker of Lithuania’s parliament has dismissed calls for further discussion on proposed amendments to the country’s public broadcaster law, stating that “there was time for debate, but now it is time to decide by voting.”

Juozas Olekas, the speaker of the Seimas, told journalists on Monday that he had repeatedly invited media representatives to engage in dialogue, reports ELTA. “I invited them, we spoke in my office. We invited them to a working group meeting. But if these are the same people who come and say, ‘Thank you for inviting us, but we won’t talk to you,’ then it’s very hard to invite them,” he said.

Olekas claimed no other draft law had been as openly debated as the proposed changes to the Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) law, with discussions held over two months. “I think there is no other bill where every amendment, even the smallest, has been publicly discussed as much as this one,” he added.

While insisting the time for debate had passed, Olekas said his door remained open if anyone still wished to meet. Asked whether he would join protesters, he replied: “I don’t know, maybe I will. Why not?”

Protest planned over “threat to media freedom”

The Journalists’ Professional Association (ŽPA) and the Cultural Assembly have announced a protest on April 8 outside the Seimas, opposing the government’s proposed amendments to the LRT law. Birutė Davidonytė, head of the ŽPA, said the aim was to pressure politicians into abandoning provisions that “pose a threat to media freedom.”

Davidonytė expressed hope for strong public support, stating: “It is very important that society once again shows what it thinks, and that those in power hear it and abandon the provisions that endanger media freedom and the independence of the public broadcaster.”

She added that organisers would attempt to engage with lawmakers, but if the bill passed “like a bulldozer” despite criticism from the Venice Commission, further legal action would follow. “Most likely, the bill will be challenged in the Constitutional Court. There are already legal opinions on this, and we will also raise it in the international community,” she said.

Key changes in the draft law

The proposed amendments, which passed their first parliamentary reading earlier this month with 67 votes in favour, 31 against, and six abstentions, would introduce a new governing board for LRT alongside changes to its council structure.

Under the draft, LRT’s council would consist of 15 members—representatives from civil society, science, and culture—appointed for six-year terms. Four would be nominated by the president and four by the Seimas, as is currently the case. From 2028, a new five-member board could be established, appointed by the council for five-year terms to oversee strategy, finance, and operations.

The bill retains the existing rule that dismissing LRT’s director-general for lack of confidence would require a two-thirds majority vote from the council, though members could choose to vote openly or secretly. It also introduces grounds for early dismissal if the director-general fails to perform duties properly, violates public interest, or commits serious misconduct.