Lithuania’s parliament adopted watered-down changes to LRT on Tuesday following widescale protests attracting tens of thousands of people.
“We have a law, which was supported by a majority. The use of public funds by LRT will be more effective,” Parliament Speaker Juozas Olekas told lawmakers.
The protest organisers, including Association of Professional Journalists (ŽPA), as well as the LRT staff protest committee, welcomed the softened changes, saying that demonstrations had an effect in stifling plans to take control of the public broadcaster.
What changes were adopted?
A parliamentary working group was formed following initial protests in December last year, which expanded the scope of the proposals beyond the initial plans to change how the director general was elected and dismissed.
