Polish television stations TVN and Polsat CPS.WA will be included on the list of companies of strategic importance that cannot be taken over without special approval from the government, Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated on Wednesday, as reported by Reuters.
The addition of the largest television stations in Poland to the list of companies of strategic importance highlights the increased concern of Polish authorities regarding foreign interference, especially during national elections.
"We have decided to include on the list of entities benefiting from protection (...) the TVN and Polsat television stations. They will be included on the list of companies of strategic importance benefiting from protection in case of takeover attempts," stated Donald Tusk at a press conference.
"In accordance with this decision, it is impossible for these companies to be sold or purchased without the consent of the Polish government. We will make decisions on this matter transparently, so that hostile states do not openly interfere, as has happened in Romania or Moldova, in our lives or in our economic processes," added the Polish Prime Minister.
The Polish television station TVN is owned by the American media group Warner Discovery WBD.O.
The list of strategic Polish companies, which cannot be taken over without the consent of the Warsaw government, is currently mainly composed of companies in the energy, petrochemical, and telecommunications sectors.