Lithuanian constitutional law expert criticises proposed LRT amendments as overly restrictive

A draft law amending regulations for Lithuania’s public broadcaster LRT contains significant flaws and risks undermining its constitutional independence, according to a legal assessment by Toma Birmontienė, a constitutional law professor at Mykolas Romeris University, reports LRT.lt.

Birmontienė, commissioned by parliament to evaluate the proposed changes, argued that the amendments fail to align with Lithuania’s Constitutional Court rulings from 2006 and 2019, which define LRT’s role as a national public broadcaster with constitutional status. The court’s doctrine emphasises that LRT’s mission extends beyond commercial media obligations, requiring it to uphold democratic values, combat disinformation, and foster national culture and language.

The current draft narrows LRT’s mandate to providing “reliable, objective, and diverse information” and facilitating public debate—omitting key constitutional responsibilities such as defending national interests, promoting civic engagement, and ensuring accessibility across all regions and social groups, Birmontienė noted. She warned that the proposed wording strips away “many constitutionally significant aspects” of LRT’s role.

Institutional and editorial independence at risk

The expert stressed that the Constitutional Court’s doctrine treats LRT’s independence—both institutional and editorial—as a cornerstone of its public service mission. This independence must be shielded from interference by government bodies, officials, or external actors in programming and content decisions.

Birmontienė cautioned that the draft’s provisions could create conditions for state institutions to influence LRT’s operations, particularly in structuring its programming and content, thereby jeopardising its editorial autonomy. “Public broadcasters must serve the entire public, not just the state as their founder,” she stated, urging lawmakers to ensure financing models that guarantee both institutional and editorial independence.

The proposed amendments also reduce LRT’s funding from 2029 onward, cutting its share of personal income tax revenue from 1% to 0.75% and excise tax revenue from 1.3% to 0.8%. The broadcaster’s budget has already been frozen for three years.

Parliament’s legal and human rights committee is expected to review the draft law and Birmontienė’s assessment in the coming weeks.