Lithuanian president says opposition’s constitutional court appeal on LRT amendments may receive support

A group of 37 Lithuanian parliament members from the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD), the Liberal Movement, and the Democrats “For Lithuania” factions have submitted a request to the Constitutional Court to assess whether recent amendments to the law on Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) comply with the Constitution, reports ELTA.

President Virginijus Sinkevičius told journalists on Friday that the Democrats “For Lithuania” party may support the appeal. “Probably, we will support it. I think it is very important that all laws adopted in the state comply with the Constitution,” he said.

Sinkevičius described the amendments, adopted in early June, as chaotic but noted they might still align with the Constitution. “The law itself is patchy and very strange, but it may comply with the Constitution. However, I think there is nothing wrong with the Constitutional Court reviewing its compliance—the Constitution is the foundation of our state,” he added.

The signatories of the appeal argue that the new regulations, adopted on June 2, fail to guarantee LRT’s independence from political influence, create unclear mechanisms for dismissing the LRT director, and potentially violate the principles of the rule of law. They have asked the Constitutional Court to examine whether the amendments comply with constitutional provisions on freedom of expression, the prohibition of mass media censorship, the limitation of state power, and the principle of the rule of law.

MPs Giedrė Balčytytė, Simonas Kairys, and Agnė Širinskienė are designated as representatives in the Constitutional Court proceedings.

The amendments follow earlier proposals by the ruling coalition to simplify the dismissal process for LRT’s director-general. The original draft suggested secret voting for the appointment and dismissal of the director and allowed dismissal for poor performance or failure to approve annual reports, with a majority of at least seven out of 12 council members required.

The new law defines LRT’s mission, expands the LRT Council from 12 to 15 members, and introduces changes to its composition. The president and parliament will each appoint four members, while the remaining seven will be selected by various national councils and associations. The amendments also establish a Council Bureau and require a two-thirds majority for the early dismissal of the director-general if they no longer meet reputation standards or commit serious violations.