Lithuanian parliament speaker says government will push ahead with public broadcaster reforms despite protests

The Lithuanian government will move forward with planned reforms to the country’s public broadcaster LRT despite ongoing protests, Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas said Thursday.

“We will do what needs to be done, and we will talk to those who are willing to talk—not those who just flip the middle finger,” Olekas told LRT Radio when asked how authorities would respond if demonstrations continued.

The proposed amendments to the Law on Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) are expected to be adopted during the spring parliamentary session, Olekas said, arguing that two months of open discussions had provided sufficient time for debate.

“This is a normal, transparent process,” he said. “There’s no rush, no special urgency, no attempt to force anything through. The Seimas had scheduled this issue for the April 7 plenary session. Since the committee took a little longer, it will return to the floor for a vote.”

On Tuesday evening, more than 10,000 people gathered in Vilnius’ Independence Square for a protest titled “Hands Off Free Speech,” organised by critics who argue the draft law would undermine LRT’s independence and politicise the broadcaster.

The proposed changes include defining LRT’s mission for the first time, establishing a new governing board, expanding the broadcaster’s council from 12 to 15 members, and setting stricter requirements for council appointees. The draft also restricts the involvement of other media representatives in LRT content creation unless approved by the council and revises the grounds for dismissing the director-general before their term ends.

Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys acknowledged concerns raised by the Venice Commission, an expert body of the Council of Europe, but dismissed claims that Lithuania’s press freedom ranking was declining. “Reports that we are sliding backward are unfounded,” he told Žinių Radijas, adding that while political declarations should be treated with scepticism, expert assessments—such as those from the Venice Commission—must be taken seriously.

Earlier attempts to fast-track similar amendments in December triggered mass protests, with over 10,000 participants each time. After those proposals stalled, a working group was formed to review LRT’s governance, but its draft has faced criticism from journalists and academic experts.