"There is cause for great concern". EP committee assessed Poland's media freedom

The 6-MEP-strong delegation, led by Committee Chair Sabine Verheyen met representatives of the Polish government and media as well as the cultural industry and academic community. The delegation also visited Lublin, the first Polish city that has been granted the title of European Youth Capital title in 2023.

In Warsaw MEPs discussed education policy matters with Polish Minister for Education and Science Mr Przemysław Czarnek, held a debate on academic freedom with representatives of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools as well as with educational NGOs.

"The CULT Committee supports the clear majority of Polish citizens who believe in fundamental European values. The help provided to Ukrainian refugees in Poland or the example of Lublin as a successful European Youth Capital clearly show what impressive things Polish society is capable of in terms of the fundamental values of the European Union," Sabine Verheyen who lead the EP delegation said in the concluding press conference.

"The current Polish government should take Polish citizens’ openness and warmth and their historic love of freedom as an example, instead of undermining freedom and democracy in Poland," she added.

"There is cause for great concern: Academic freedom, artistic and cultural freedom and in particular media freedom and media pluralism in Poland are being attacked by the Polish government. Sometimes subtly, sometimes more openly," Sabine Verheyen said.

"This goes against basic European values and the EU cannot and must not accept it," she added.

According to CULT, one example of said unacceptable actions is Poland's Education Minister Przemysław Czarnek's threat to cut financing of Holocaust research led by Prof. Barbara Engelking. The minister claims the research does harm to Poland. The MEPs argue that cutting spending on projects incompatible with the party line leads straight to academic censorship.