The opposition Left Democrats (LiD) is likely to cooperate with the government on the issue of amending Polish media law, one of the party leaders, Marek Borowski, has said.

In an interview for Gazeta Wyborcza Borowski said he hopes for co-operation with the government, but also criticised the ruling Civic Platform (PO) for not revealing its real intentions connected with the new media law amendment.

Borowski said that public media above all should be garaunteed independence from government – especially after two years of Law and Justice (PiS) government when public media was used politically.

Borowski said that LiD disapprove of the government’s  ideas to change the management of the media first, and only then pass appropriate law to define the public media’s aims and set new ways of financing them.

“LiD is for setting rules: the management of the public media should be professional and pluralistic, the public mission of the media defined and financed,” the politician explained.

Marek Borowski also commented on the issue of radio and TV licensing licence fees. According to him, the financing should be reformed in a way that would allow for their effective collection.

A few days ago the government announced that it intends to abolish radio and television licence fee and introduce a ‘Public Mission Fund’. The new media law has been causing a heated debate in Poland for several months now since the new government took power. (jm)