PES President Sergei Stanishev said:
“I am old enough to remember what the regulation of the press looked like under communism. It was the total government control of the press – the exact opposite of the freedom of the media. It is a shame that the current governing party in Poland dares to propose going back to it.”
In its election programme, PiS announced plans to set up a council with powers to strip journalists of their professional licence.
Sergei Stanishev added:
“Freedom of the press is a fundamental democratic freedom: it allows for public scrutiny of those in power and for a fair electoral competition. The fact the Polish ruling party wants to limit it is one more proof of their authoritarian drift. There is only one alternative: to vote them out of power before it is too late and to endorse the progressives of Lewica, who – within the opposition – represent the values of freedom, equality and non-discrimination.”
