Poland in favour of using EU funds to support Radio Free Europe
A group of ten EU member countries, including Poland, has expressed support for a Czech initiative to finance Radio Free Europe (RFE) through the use of EU funds.
Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Slovenia and the Netherlands signed a joint statement on Tuesday prepared by Czech European Affairs Minister Martin Dvorak.
Although Poland, which currently holds the presidency of the Council of the EU, could not officially sign the statement on behalf of all member states, it expressed its backing for the step.
"It's an interesting initiative, we'll see how many more countries support it," said Polish European Affairs Minister Adam Szlapka during a press conference in Brussels, following a meeting with his EU peers.
He reminded reporters that the priority of the Polish presidency was European security, including information security, to which media outlets like Radio Free Europe were crucial.
The countries that endorsed the statement urged European institutions and other member states to join forces in establishing "sustainable financial support for RFE and other independent media," arguing that this would be vital for safeguarding media freedom and democracy both in Europe and globally.
The move comes after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday which aimed to significantly reduce the activities and personnel at the US Agency for Global Media, the body responsible for international broadcasters, including RFE. This followed earlier staff reductions reportedly initiated by tech billionaire Elon Musk, who oversees the government's efficiency department.
Additionally, on Saturday, broadcasts from several publicly funded radio and television stations, including RFE, were halted due to the termination of their funding. (PAP)
aj/jch/ ał/
