News Summary:
On June 12, 2026, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda signed into law amendments overhauling the governance of the public broadcaster, Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT). These changes introduce an LRT board, expand the broadcaster's council, establish fixed terms for governing body members, and strengthen their powers. This development followed an appeal on June 11, 2026, from a coalition of European and international media organizations. They urged Lithuanian authorities to make further changes to the legislation, warning that key concerns over LRT's governance, funding, and editorial independence remained unresolved. Previously, on March 29, 2026, members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) Executive Board expressed serious concern over the proposed changes to Lithuania’s public service media framework. Earlier, on February 25, 2026, a parliamentary working group concluded its efforts to revise the law governing LRT, proposing significant changes to its governance, oversight, and funding. This initiative followed a rushed attempt in December to amend the LRT law, aimed at easing the dismissal of the public broadcaster’s director. That attempt was blocked by opposition lawmakers and met with mass protests outside the parliament, where tens of thousands gathered under the banner “Hands Off Free Speech.”
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