During today’s debate in the European Parliament titled “Criminal Intimidation of Investigative Journalists in the EU: The Attempted Assassination of Sigfrid Ranucci,” PiS MEP Arkadiusz Mularczyk took the floor, drawing attention to the hypocrisy surrounding freedom of speech issues in Poland.
“Today we are debating press freedom and the persecution of journalists, yet you remain silent while press laws have been violated and freedom of speech has been suppressed in Poland for the past two years,” Mularczyk emphasized. He pointed to the illegal takeover of public media, which—as he recalled—took place with the involvement of current Member of the European Parliament Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz. “Perhaps he should speak about his own illegal activities,” he suggested.
The MEP also emphasized that journalists who are critical of Donald Tusk’s government are being denied access to press conferences, and attempts are being made to strip independent media outlets of their broadcasting rights. He drew attention to a recent report on the suppression of free speech in Poland, which was met with silence and a lack of response from the European Commission and other defenders of democracy.
“If freedom of speech is to have any real meaning, we must defend it everywhere, not just where it is politically convenient!” Mularczyk urged.
