The Polish Sejm adopted a law that prohibits foreign companies directly possess the media in the country. It is reported by TV channel BBC .
New norms will affect only those companies that are based outside the European Economic Area. The government states that the law is directed against the Russian and Chinese propaganda.
Legislative act caused mass social discontent. Protests broke out in Poland. Thousands of demonstrators on Tuesday, August 10, gathered at the Parliament Building in Warsaw. Ringings took place in Krakow, Wroclaw, Poznan, Lublin and Szczecin.
Critics of the draft law argue that this is an attempt by the Polish authorities to suppress the freedom of speech and to silence the TV channels condemning their actions. The law caused discontent in the United States, since the American company Discovery owns TVN (Polish commercial television network) through a subsidiary company in the Netherlands.
At the moment, the law is transmitted to the Senate controlled by the opposition. It can amend or reject bill.
Earlier in Poland predicted the decay of the ruling coalition, as the liberal and conservative party “Consent” left it. Now the conservative coalition of “rights and justice” lacks places to the majority in the Polish Parliament. Disagreements occurred against the background of the dismissal of the Deputy Prime Minister Yaroslav Adam Kozin. He expressed against the preparing increase in taxes.