Lex TVN

Act of 11 August 2021 on the amendment of the "Broadcasting and the Cinematography Act" (Polish: Ustawa z dnia 11 sierpnia 2021 r. o zmianie ustawy o radiofonii i telewizji oraz ustawy o kinematografii), better known by media term Lex TVN (lit. "TVN Law"), was a controversial Polish media law amendment of the Polish Broadcasting Act. It was meant to remove loopholes that allowed companies from outside the European Economic Area to hold more than a 49% stake in Polish radio and television stations by use of dummy corporations. The government denies the measure is aimed at any one broadcaster, saying it seeks to prevent potential media acquisitions by non-EU countries such as Russia, China and Arab nations; however, many critics describe this amendment as an attempt to harass TVN and its parent company TVN Grupa Discovery in particular, given that it is the main television platform for the opposition to the ruling Law and Justice party.

On 18 December 2021, the bill was passed via the Sejm. The Sejm voted in favor 229–212 with 11 abstentions to override the Senate's veto. Law and Justice (PiS) party and allied opposition group Kukiz'15 voted for the bill, against was the remaining opposition with the exception of far right Confederation, which abstained. The bill was vetoed by Polish President Andrzej Duda on 27 December 2021.