By Benas Gerdžiūnas, LRT.lt.
Lithuania’s civil society sector is organising protests against plans to politicise the public broadcaster, LRT. Here’s what’s been happening so far.
Around 12,000 people – or double that, by some estimates – came out to protest in front of the parliament on December 9 against a move to make it easier to dismiss the head of LRT. Over 140,000 people also signed a petition, making it the most popular online petition to date.
Despite calls to abandon the reforms, they are moving ahead under an expedited procedure, which critics are calling a “bulldozer”.
But let’s go over it from the beginning.
What are the reforms about?
The initial reforms proposed to ease the removal of the director general from a two-third majority in the supervisory, 12-member LRT Council, to just six. A later version of the legislation which is currently being debated in the Seimas, raises the level to a simple majority, seven out of 12. Under the proposed changes, this would also be done by a secret ballot, and the reasons for dismissal would be broadened.
Read more: LRT.LT
