Lithuanian social democrat faction ignores expertise on national broadcaster reforms

Lithuania’s ruling Social Democratic Party faction has shown no interest in expert opinions on proposed reforms to the national broadcaster LRT, according to Linas Balsys, a faction member and former LRT journalist, BNS reports.

Speaking to LRT on Monday, Balsys—who worked at the broadcaster for nearly 30 years—said his decades of experience in television and international media had been dismissed. “No one in the faction needs this expertise. I’m the only person here with almost 30 years in this television [industry],” he said. “I’ve gained some competence in broadcasting and international media during my time in Brussels—not to portray myself as some offended figure—but no one in the faction, except when I’ve spoken up myself, has ever asked me: ‘What do you think about this reform, about Skardžius’ proposals?’ No one even asked.”

Balsys added that he had not been invited to join the working group drafting amendments to LRT’s governance structure, despite his background. “I wouldn’t have gone anyway because I know what’s happening,” he said. “But if they truly cared about substantive reform, they’d seek out professionals. They have one in their own faction—they could say, ‘Hey, what’s your take?’ But no one needs that. No one.”

A member of the Social Democratic faction in parliament but not a party member himself, Balsys worked at LRT from 1982 to 2009 before becoming a press representative for then-President Dalia Grybauskaitė.

The government has pushed since December to alter the procedure for dismissing LRT’s director-general, initially attempting fast-track changes that sparked mass protests over threats to press freedom, drawing over 10,000 participants. After failing to pass urgent amendments, a parliamentary working group led by Speaker Juozas Olekas proposed broader governance reforms, now under debate. Opposition persists, with another large protest held outside parliament last week.