Decision
Attempted takeover of Lithuania’s public broadcaster and the threat to democracy in Lithuania
- Effect
- Adopted
- Result
- 385 for · 165 against · 35 abstained roll call
- Date
- 22 January 2026, 12:15–12:21
- Kind
- Resolution
More facts (9)
- Margin
- by a large majority
- Dossier
- 2026/2568(RSP)
- Source
- Motion for a resolution
- Topics
- Digital, AI & dataJustice, rule of law & rights Assigned by a model, not checked by hand.
- Votes
- 44 votes · 24 roll calls
- Requested by
- S&D (10 split votes, 1 separate vote) · Renew (1 roll call)
- Sitting
- Thursday 22 January 2026
- Final vote
- 184065
Result
The final vote and what it means for this kind of decision.
Final vote: 385 for, 165 against, 35 abstained (roll call).
Adopted by a large majority.
Parliament adopted the text as its official position.
Before the final vote, MEPs decided on 36 parts of the text voted on separately (27 adopted, 9 rejected). 7 alternative motions lapsed once the text was adopted.
Backed by The Left, Greens, S&D, Renew and EPP; opposed by ECR, Patriots and ESN.
Groups
| Group | For | Against | Abst. | No vote | Majority line | Clear line | Cohesion | Bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Left | For 36 | Against 0 | Abst. 0 | No vote 10 of 46 | Majority line For | Clear line For | Cohesion 1.00 | |
| Greens | For 46 | Against 0 | Abst. 0 | No vote 7 of 53 | Majority line For | Clear line For | Cohesion 1.00 | |
| S&D | For 81 | Against 7 | Abst. 17 | No vote 31 of 136 | Majority line For | Clear line For | Cohesion 0.66 | |
| Renew | For 62 | Against 0 | Abst. 0 | No vote 13 of 75 | Majority line For | Clear line For | Cohesion 1.00 | |
| EPP | For 153 | Against 0 | Abst. 1 | No vote 33 of 187 | Majority line For | Clear line For | Cohesion 0.99 | |
| ECR | For 0 | Against 56 | Abst. 5 | No vote 18 of 79 | Majority line Against | Clear line Against | Cohesion 0.88 | |
| Patriots | For 0 | Against 70 | Abst. 5 | No vote 11 of 86 | Majority line Against | Clear line Against | Cohesion 0.90 | |
| ESN | For 0 | Against 22 | Abst. 0 | No vote 5 of 27 | Majority line Against | Clear line Against | Cohesion 1.00 | |
| No group | For 7 | Against 10 | Abst. 7 | No vote 6 of 30 | Majority line — | Clear line No line | Cohesion — |
Members who changed group are counted in the group of the day: Branko GRIMS changed group, Elena YONCHEVA changed group, Elisabetta GUALMINI changed group, Ewa ZAJĄCZKOWSKA-HERNIK changed group, Jessika VAN LEEUWEN changed group, Lukas SIEPER changed group, Nikola BARTŮŠEK changed group, Nikolas FARANTOURIS changed group, Pina PICIERNO changed group, Roberto VANNACCI changed group, Sander SMIT changed group, Taner KABILOV changed group.
Voted against their group, 35
Members who voted otherwise than a clear line (at least two thirds of the votes cast, at least 10 members voting) of the group they sat in that day. A group without a clear line is divided and not counted.
S&D line For · 7 voted against, 17 abstained of 105 who voted
Voted against (7)
- Joanna SCHEURING-WIELGUS Poland
- Kristian VIGENIN Bulgaria
- Krzysztof ŚMISZEK Poland
- Nicolás GONZÁLEZ CASARES Spain
- Nils UŠAKOVS Latvia
- Robert BIEDROŃ Poland
- Vytenis Povilas ANDRIUKAITIS Lithuania
Abstained (17)
- Adnan DIBRANI Sweden
- Andi CRISTEA Romania
- Christel SCHALDEMOSE Denmark
- Claudiu MANDA Romania
- Eero HEINÄLUOMA Finland
- Evin INCIR Sweden
- Gabriela FIREA Romania
- Heléne FRITZON Sweden
- Johan DANIELSSON Sweden
- Leire PAJÍN Spain
- Marianne VIND Denmark
- Marina KALJURAND Estonia
- Marko VEŠLIGAJ Croatia
- Matjaž NEMEC Slovenia
- Romana JERKOVIĆ Croatia
- Ştefan MUŞOIU Romania
- Sven MIKSER Estonia
EPP line For · 1 abstained of 154 who voted
Abstained (1)
- Branko GRIMS Slovenia
ECR line Against · 5 abstained of 61 who voted
Abstained (5)
- Ondřej KRUTÍLEK Czechia
- Reinis POZŅAKS Latvia
- Rihards KOLS Latvia
- Roberts ZĪLE Latvia
- Veronika VRECIONOVÁ Czechia
Patriots line Against · 5 abstained of 75 who voted
Abstained (5)
- Jorge BUXADÉ VILLALBA Spain
- Jorge MARTÍN FRÍAS Spain
- Juan Carlos GIRAUTA VIDAL Spain
- Margarita DE LA PISA CARRIÓN Spain
- Mireia BORRÁS PABÓN Spain
Countries
The final vote by national delegation.
Votes by country (27 delegations)
| Country | For | Against | Abst. | No vote | Cohesion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 11 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0.47 |
| Belgium | 12 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0.70 |
| Bulgaria | 8 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0.42 |
| Cyprus | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | — |
| Czechia | 6 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 0.37 |
| Germany | 63 | 13 | 5 | 15 | 0.67 |
| Denmark | 9 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0.54 |
| Estonia | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Spain | 43 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 0.72 |
| Finland | 12 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.88 |
| France | 40 | 32 | 0 | 9 | 0.33 |
| Greece | 7 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 0.55 |
| Croatia | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0.59 |
| Hungary | 0 | 9 | 0 | 12 | — |
| Ireland | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1.00 |
| Italy | 35 | 22 | 0 | 19 | 0.42 |
| Lithuania | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0.40 |
| Luxembourg | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Latvia | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — |
| Malta | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
| Netherlands | 18 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0.58 |
| Poland | 22 | 23 | 0 | 8 | 0.27 |
| Portugal | 16 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0.91 |
| Romania | 15 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 0.44 |
| Sweden | 11 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0.42 |
| Slovenia | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — |
| Slovakia | 6 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0.25 |
Members
Each member’s recorded position on the final roll call, in the group they sat in that day. Filter by country, group, position or name.
Debate speakers and how they voted
| Member | Group | Speeches | Spoke | Final vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sabine VERHEYEN Germany | EPP | Speeches4 | 22 Jan 2026 (verbatim report, official site) | For |
| Petras GRAŽULIS Lithuania | ESN | Speeches6 | 21 Jan 2026 (verbatim report, official site) · for the group | Against |
| Victor NEGRESCU Romania | S&D | Speeches6 | 21 Jan 2026 (verbatim report, official site) | No vote recorded |
| Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS Lithuania | Greens | Speeches5 | 21 Jan 2026 (verbatim report, official site) | For |
| Lukas SIEPER changed group Germany | Renew | Speeches5 | 21 Jan 2026 (verbatim report, official site) | For |
| Vytenis Povilas ANDRIUKAITIS Lithuania | S&D | Speeches4 | 21 Jan 2026 (verbatim report, official site) | Against |
Show the other 22 speakers
All votes on this decision, 44
| No. | Vote | Recorded | Result | Requested by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vote on text inserted after paragraph 1 | Show of hands | Rejected | |
| 2 | Vote on text inserted after paragraph 1 | Show of hands | Rejected | |
| 3 | Separate vote on paragraph 4 RC-B10-0070/2026 – § 4 | Roll call | 431 for, 140 against, 32 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew |
Show the other 43 votesShow the other 41 votes
| No. | Vote | Recorded | Result | Requested by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Vote on text inserted after paragraph 1 | Show of hands | Rejected | |
| 3 | Separate vote on paragraph 4 RC-B10-0070/2026 – § 4 | Roll call | 431 for, 140 against, 32 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew |
| No. | Vote | Recorded | Result | Requested by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Paragraph 5 — part 1 RC-B10-0070/2026 – § 5/1 Part voted on: “Condemns all attempts to undermine the independence of LRT” | Roll call | 430 for, 145 against, 33 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew; split: S&D |
| 5 | Paragraph 5 — part 2 RC-B10-0070/2026 – § 5/2 Part voted on: “including legislative and administrative measures and political pressure aimed at acquiring political control over LRT;” | Roll call | 417 for, 158 against, 34 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew; split: S&D |
| 6 | Separate vote on paragraph 6 RC-B10-0070/2026 – § 6 | Roll call | 424 for, 158 against, 29 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew |
| 7 | Vote on text inserted after paragraph 6 | Show of hands | Rejected | |
| 8 | Vote on text inserted after paragraph 6 | Show of hands | Rejected | |
| 9 | Vote on text inserted after paragraph 6 | Show of hands | Rejected | |
| 10 | Separate vote on paragraph 7 RC-B10-0070/2026 – § 7 | Roll call | 405 for, 163 against, 41 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew |
| 11 | Separate vote on paragraph 8 RC-B10-0070/2026 – § 8 | Roll call | 442 for, 132 against, 34 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew |
| 12 | Separate vote on paragraph 9 RC-B10-0070/2026 – § 9 | Roll call | 413 for, 158 against, 39 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew; separate: S&D |
| 13 | Paragraph 10 — part 1 RC-B10-0070/2026 – § 10/1 Part voted on: “Text as a whole without the words: ‘to reject the pending amendments, including lowering the threshold for dismissing the LRT director general, removing the requirement that the dismissal be based on objective considerations of public interest, and introducing secret ballots, and’” | Roll call | 427 for, 161 against, 21 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew; split: S&D |
| 14 | Paragraph 10 — part 2 RC-B10-0070/2026 – § 10/2 Part voted on: “those words” | Roll call | 334 for, 259 against, 18 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew; split: S&D |
| 15 | Paragraph 11 — part 1 RC-B10-0070/2026 – § 11/1 Part voted on: “Text as a whole without the words: ‘to minimise political influence in the formation of the LRT Council, including by reducing the number of seats allocated to the appointees of political bodies and establishing adequate professional requirements for the Council members; calls, further, on the Seimas and the Lithuanian Government to refrain from adopting and to repeal already adopted legislative measures and budgetary frameworks that undermine the independence of LRT and’ and ‘those violating’” | Roll call | 430 for, 157 against, 20 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew; split: S&D |
| 16 | Paragraph 11 — part 2 RC-B10-0070/2026 – § 11/2 Part voted on: “those words” | Roll call | 412 for, 171 against, 28 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew; split: S&D |
| 17 | Vote on text inserted after recital B | Show of hands | Rejected | |
| 18 | Vote on text inserted after recital E | Show of hands | Rejected | |
| 19 | Recital J — part 1 RC-B10-0070/2026 – Recital J/1 Part voted on: “Text as a whole without the words: ‘governing coalition’ (2nd occurrence)” | Roll call | 422 for, 107 against, 73 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew; split: S&D |
| 20 | Recital J — part 2 RC-B10-0070/2026 – Recital J/2 Part voted on: “those words” | Roll call | 327 for, 235 against, 42 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew; split: S&D |
| 21 | Separate vote on recital K RC-B10-0070/2026 – Recital K | Roll call | 406 for, 149 against, 50 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew; separate: S&D |
| 22 | Recital L — part 1 RC-B10-0070/2026 – Recital L/1 Part voted on: “Text as a whole without the words: ‘were substantiated and transparent, with some aspects that needed’ and ‘and did not recommend any changes to LRT’s funding model, governance structure or leadership, or ask for any political or institutional action in that regard; whereas after these findings of the National Audit Office, further actions followed, including overlapping inspections, requests addressed to other state bodies to verify LRT’s activities, and repeated public attacks against LRT’s management’” | Roll call | 425 for, 147 against, 37 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew; split: S&D |
| 23 | Recital L — part 2 RC-B10-0070/2026 – Recital L/2 Part voted on: “those words” | Roll call | 328 for, 237 against, 33 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew; split: S&D |
| 24 | Vote on text inserted after recital L | Show of hands | Rejected | |
| 25 | Vote on text inserted after recital L | Show of hands | Rejected | |
| 26 | Recital M — part 1 of 2 Part voted on: “Text as a whole without the words: ‘and without adequate deliberation’ and ‘serious’” | Show of hands | Adopted | Requested bysplit: S&D |
| 27 | Recital M — part 2 of 2 Part voted on: “those words” | Show of hands | Adopted | Requested bysplit: S&D |
| 28 | Recital O — part 1 RC-B10-0070/2026 – Recital O/1 Part voted on: “Text as a whole without the words: ‘whereas these legislative initiatives were introduced and advanced under accelerated procedures, in the absence of objectively justified exceptional circumstances, thereby undermining transparency, inclusiveness and the meaningful participation of stakeholders and civil society, and falling short of EU and constitutional standards of responsible governance;’ and ‘significantly’” | Roll call | 426 for, 151 against, 31 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew; split: S&D |
| 29 | Recital O — part 2 RC-B10-0070/2026 – Recital O/2 Part voted on: “those words” | Roll call | 398 for, 164 against, 40 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew; split: S&D |
| 30 | Recital P — part 1 RC-B10-0070/2026 – Recital P/1 Part voted on: “whereas the proposed amendments appear to be targeted at the incumbent Director General of LRT, as evidenced by public statements made during the legislative process expressing dissatisfaction with her performance” | Roll call | 419 for, 158 against, 25 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew; split: S&D |
| 31 | Recital P — part 2 RC-B10-0070/2026 – Recital P/2 Part voted on: “and explicitly indicating an intention to enable her removal from office; whereas legislation targeting a specific individual (<i>ad personam</i> legislation) is incompatible with the principles of the rule of law, including legal certainty, the generality of laws and the prohibition of the arbitrary exercise of power;” | Roll call | 426 for, 141 against, 42 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew; split: S&D |
| 32 | Recital Q — part 1 RC-B10-0070/2026 – Recital Q/1 Part voted on: “Text as a whole without the words: ‘attempts to take over LRT triggered a wave of public mobilisation when’” | Roll call | 421 for, 150 against, 35 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew; split: S&D |
| 33 | Recital Q — part 2 RC-B10-0070/2026 – Recital Q/2 Part voted on: “those words” | Roll call | 405 for, 155 against, 41 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew; split: S&D |
| 34 | Recital S — part 1 of 2 Part voted on: “Text as a whole without the words: ‘citing a lack of dialogue, selective invitations and statements indicating that previously contested amendments would be reconsidered’” | Show of hands | Adopted | Requested bysplit: S&D |
| 35 | Recital S — part 2 of 2 Part voted on: “those words” | Show of hands | Adopted | Requested bysplit: S&D |
| 36 | Separate vote on recital T RC-B10-0070/2026 – Recital T | Roll call | 429 for, 153 against, 26 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew |
| 37 | Final vote — text as a whole RC-B10-0070/2026 – Motion for a resolution (as a whole) | Roll call | 385 for, 165 against, 35 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew |
| 38 | Alternative motion for a resolution B10-0070/2026 | Show of hands | Lapsed | |
| 39 | Alternative motion for a resolution B10-0072/2026 | Show of hands | Lapsed | |
| 40 | Alternative motion for a resolution B10-0073/2026 | Show of hands | Lapsed | |
| 41 | Alternative motion for a resolution B10-0074/2026 | Show of hands | Lapsed | |
| 42 | Alternative motion for a resolution B10-0075/2026 | Show of hands | Lapsed | |
| 43 | Alternative motion for a resolution B10-0076/2026 | Show of hands | Lapsed | |
| 44 | Alternative motion for a resolution B10-0078/2026 | Show of hands | Lapsed |
Roll call requested by Renew · split votes by S&D (10) · separate votes by S&D.
Text
The text voted on.
AI: What this vote decides Written by AI from the official text — check the source
Parliament adopted a resolution on the attempted takeover of Lithuania's public broadcaster and the threat to democracy in Lithuania.
The text expresses concern about amendments to the LRT Law that ease dismissal of the director general and freeze the broadcaster's budget, saying they breach EU media freedom rules.
Parliament calls on Lithuanian authorities to reject the pending changes, ensure stable funding, and asks the Commission to monitor compliance and use all tools if needed.
AI: The text in short Written by AI from the official text — check the source
This resolution expresses serious concern about Lithuanian amendments to the LRT law that ease dismissal of the director general and freeze the broadcaster's budget, saying they breach EU media freedom rules.
Dossier
Where the dossier stands and its other decisions in plenary.
2026/2568(RSP) · Resolution on a topical subject
Parliament adopted the text on 22 January 2026. This is its final position on the matter.
Show the 3 steps of the dossier
- Tabled for plenary (done)
- Plenary vote · Adopted 22 January 2026 (done)
- Parliament’s position · Final (done)
Connections
What this decision touches: the procedural chain, the same text, running issues, votes that split the chamber the same way.
Show 17 connections: Running issue: Rule of law in EU · Running issue: EU fundamental rights · Final votes that split the chamber the same way
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Running issue: EU fundamental rights
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Final votes that split the chamber the same way
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- Decision Discharge 2024: EU general budget – Commission Budget decision · report by Daniel Freund 29 Apr 2026 Discharge decision adopted
- Decision Implementation of the rule of law conditionality regime Resolution · report by Jean-Marc Germain, Monika Hohlmeier 18 Dec 2025 Adopted
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Sources & citation
Where the facts on this page come from, and how to cite it.
- Official sources
- Data source
- Licensed CC BY 4.0.
- Retrieved
- 25 September 2026
Cite as
European Parliament (2026). “Attempted takeover of Lithuania’s public broadcaster and the threat to democracy in Lithuania”. Decision, 22 January 2026. votingId 184065, document B-10-2026-0075, reference 2026/2568(RSP). EU Parl Watch Research. https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/decisions/2026-01-22/10 (retrieved 25 September 2026). Official sources: Roll-call votes, sitting of 22 January 2026 (European Parliament), https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/PV-10-2026-01-22-RCV_EN.html; Results of votes, sitting of 22 January 2026 (European Parliament), https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/PV-10-2026-01-22-VOT_EN.html. Data: EP Open Data API: decisions of the sitting MTG-PL-2026-01-22, https://data.europarl.europa.eu/api/v2/meetings/MTG-PL-2026-01-22/decisions?format=application%2Fld%2Bjson (CC BY 4.0).
BibTeX
@misc{epw-decision-2026-01-22-10,
author = {{European Parliament}},
title = {{Attempted takeover of Lithuania’s public broadcaster and the threat to democracy in Lithuania}},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-01-22},
howpublished = {\url{https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/decisions/2026-01-22/10}},
url = {https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/decisions/2026-01-22/10},
urldate = {2026-09-25},
publisher = {EU Parl Watch Research},
note = {Decision. votingId 184065, document B-10-2026-0075, reference 2026/2568(RSP). Official source: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/PV-10-2026-01-22-RCV\_EN.html, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/PV-10-2026-01-22-VOT\_EN.html. Data: EP Open Data API: decisions of the sitting MTG-PL-2026-01-22 (CC BY 4.0)}
}