Protests in Lithuania against changes that undermine the independence of the public broadcaster

In Vilnius, around 10,000 people protested against amendments to the law regulating the Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), the country’s main public broadcaster.

According to the media, the turnout was so large that Independence Square near the Lithuanian Parliament could not accommodate all the participants, causing the protest to spill into nearby streets.

The protest was organized by opponents of the changes to the law that is being pushed by the ruling coalition. Critics of the reforms argue that the future changes weaken the independence of the public broadcaster and increase its politicization. The amendments stipulate that voting in the board on personnel decisions will become secret (currently voting is done openly). They also propose reducing the number of votes required to remove the director general from eight to seven, or from a two-thirds majority to a simple majority. In addition, the law expanded the list of grounds for dismissing the head of the broadcaster.

The first protests against the law took place as early as December 2025. At that time, opposition lawmakers blocked the bill’s consideration, after which it was temporarily withdrawn for further revision.

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Juozas Olekas, Speaker of the Lithuanian Parliament, addressed the protesters. He did not endorse their demands, but stated that lawmakers working on the bill had taken expert views into account. At the same time, he emphasized that he considers it important for people to have the right to publicly express their opinions in a democratic country.

The greatest controversy resulted from amendments affecting the LRT Public Council, which is responsible for appointing its director general. The council consists of 12 members, whose nominations are submitted by political parties, the President of Lithuania, and civil society organizations under a quota system.

Monika Garbačiauskaitė-Budrienė has headed LRT since 2018 and was reappointed by the council in 2023. She is associated with the Homeland Union party and the ruling coalition that formed in 2020-2024. The Social Democrats, who later came to power, have been critical of the director. In their view, under her leadership, LRT’s programming aligns itself more toward the views of business and the intellectual elite in Vilnius, the capital, rather than those of residents of rural towns and villages.

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Main image: Yauhen Yerchak/Anadolu Agency/IMAGO

Copyediting: Ben Angel