Lithuanian public broadcaster law still risks political interference, warns Reporters Without Borders

The international press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has cautioned that Lithuania’s revised public broadcaster law still contains a key loophole that could be exploited to dismiss the current director of LRT, despite recent amendments addressing earlier criticism.

The warning comes as the Seimas (Lithuanian parliament) prepares for a final vote on the controversial LRT law amendments on Tuesday, following months of domestic and international backlash. While lawmakers have dropped some of the most contentious proposals—prompting RSF to acknowledge a “crucial step”—the organisation insists one major risk remains.

“We welcome that Lithuanian legislators have addressed our concerns and reduced the risk of the LRT law violating Lithuania’s international obligations within the EU and the Council of Europe,” said Pavol Szalai, head of RSF’s EU-Balkans desk. “However, one danger persists: this law could still be used to dismiss the current director of the public broadcaster.”

RSF’s criticism centres on the refusal to adopt a recommendation by the Venice Commission, the Council of Europe’s advisory body, which urged that new dismissal rules—narrowing grounds for firing the director to serious professional misconduct or reputational harm—apply only to directors appointed after the law takes effect. The current director’s term runs until 2028, and applying the rules retroactively could enable her dismissal under standards not in place when she was appointed.

“Rejecting this recommendation means the current director could be removed under rules adopted during her own term,” RSF stated, calling the retroactive application a “political interference in the governance of public service media.”

The organisation also highlighted that the draft law grants the Seimas and the president joint authority to appoint eight of the 15 members of LRT’s council, securing an absolute political majority. “As long as this majority remains, the broadcaster’s independence will lack a solid institutional foundation,” RSF warned, urging further revisions to align with the European Media Freedom Act, which requires public broadcasters’ governing bodies to be shielded from political influence.

Previous iterations of the LRT reform sparked mass protests in Lithuania and a critical resolution from the European Parliament. RSF has repeatedly expressed concern over the long-standing freeze on LRT’s budget, which it argues further undermines the broadcaster’s independence.