Lithuanian parliamentary committee rejects proposal for public service contract between government and LRT

The Lithuanian parliament’s Culture Committee on Tuesday rejected a proposal to introduce a public service contract between the government and the national broadcaster LRT, BNS reports.

The initiative, put forward by MPs Artūras Zuokas, Indrė Kižienė, Roma Janušonienė, Ligita Girskienė, Kęstutis Vilkauskas, and Vytautas Grubliauskas, would have required the government and LRT to sign a five-year agreement outlining the scope, quality, and funding of public services provided by the broadcaster.

Committee chairman Kęstutis Vilkauskas, one of the proposal’s authors, urged lawmakers to reject his own initiative, arguing that the parliamentary board had already requested the government submit amendments to LRT’s law by September 1. These amendments would define the principles, scope, quality standards, and funding mechanisms for public service contracts.

Conservative MP Vytautas Juozapaitis criticised the proposal, calling it a “cognitive dissonance” and noting that its authors were aware of the parliamentary board’s request. “What you are doing now is called cognitive dissonance, when a person cannot understand what they want and what they are doing,” he said. “It is clear that we cannot support this [contracts between LRT and the government], and I vote against it.”

Democrat Rima Baškienė called the current discussion of LRT law amendments premature, as the legislation is set for major revisions in autumn. “This means that whatever law the ruling parties adopt now, the government will submit new amendments to the same law by September 1,” she said. “Do you realise what path we are taking? This law will be changed and rearranged again because we understand we are making a mistake now.”

The Culture Committee and the parliament have previously rejected opposition demands for the government to provide its conclusions on the LRT law amendments. The latest draft introduces a definition of LRT’s mission, establishes a new governing board, expands the broadcaster’s council from 12 to 15 members, and sets requirements for council members. It also restricts the involvement of other media representatives in creating LRT content and revises the grounds for dismissing the director-general before their term ends.

LRT’s administration, some journalists, and academics have criticised the proposed changes.