New Polish government faces constitutional hurdle in media reforms

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland's new government will not be able to take action aimed at liquidating public radio and television companies until a court has ruled on whether such measures break the constitution, state-run news agency PAP reported on Thursday.

The decision from the country's Constitutional Tribunal is a sign of the challenges Donald Tusk's pro-European Union government will face in undoing reforms implemented by the former nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) administration.

It comes after a group of PiS lawmakers led by Krzysztof Szczucki applied to the tribunal, which critics say became politicised under the previous government, for such a step to be taken.

"Minister of Culture and National Heritage Bartlomiej Sienkiewicz cannot interfere in the management of public media until our application is considered by the Constitutional Tribunal," Szczucki told PAP.

A hearing in the case is scheduled for Jan. 16.

Critics say that state-run media, in particular 24-hour news channel TVP Info, became an outlet for propaganda during PiS's eight years in office, and Tusk's coalition has vowed to create new stations that would take a more balanced approach to public service broadcasting.

Supporters of TVP Info say shutting it down would damage pluralism in the media by removing a conservative voice.

Hundreds of people gathered in front of TVP offices in central Warsaw on Thursday in a demonstration against any planned changes.

The head of the prime minister's office could not immediately be reached for comment.

Critics argue that Poland's Constitutional Tribunal lost its independence as a result of reforms implemented by PiS. The tribunal's head, Julia Przylebska, was described by PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski as a "close friend".

Earlier this week the Tribunal made two rulings that could complicate the new governments efforts to unblock EU funds that have been withheld due to a dispute over the rule of law.

(Reporting by Alan Charlish; Editing by Bill Berkrot)