Lithuanian prime minister calls for “peace” amid ongoing public broadcaster reform debate

Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė has stated she “does not want to fight” as parliamentary discussions continue over proposed amendments to the law governing the country’s public broadcaster LRT, 15min.lt reports.

“Today, I want peace. I don’t want to fight, I don’t want war, I want peace. My main mission as head of government is to bring that peace to the people. I will continue to strive for it,” Ruginienė said in an interview on Wednesday.

The prime minister reiterated that changes to LRT’s governance are necessary following last year’s audit by the National Audit Office, which identified transparency and democratic accountability issues. “There’s no rush […] but we must return to the origins—the audit’s findings. The goal is a more transparent, democratic system. We’re talking about public funds and their use,” she said, emphasising that the reforms concern “technical decisions” unrelated to journalistic work or freedom of speech.

The draft amendments, prepared by a working group led by Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas, propose establishing a governing board for LRT, altering the composition of its council, and introducing grounds for the early dismissal of the director general. They would also prohibit other media outlets from operating on LRT’s channels or website without council approval, while requiring individuals affiliated with external media to disclose conflicts of interest.

The Venice Commission has reviewed the proposed changes under an expedited procedure. Meanwhile, protests against the reforms—including a rally last weekend under the slogan “Hands off free speech! We won’t surrender,” which drew around 10,000 participants—have continued, with another demonstration planned this week in Vilnius’ Cathedral Square.

The latest amendments follow a failed attempt in December 2025 by ruling coalition lawmakers to fast-track separate changes simplifying the dismissal process for LRT’s director general.