Government critics said the proposed media law was aimed at silencing dissent. President Andrzej Duda said it would have dealt a blow to Poland's reputation as a place to do business.
Polish President Andrzej Duda said Monday that he had decided to veto a bill that would have forced the US media group Discovery to give up its controlling stake in Polish broadcaster TVN.
Duda said he recognized that the bill was unpopular with many Polish citizens and would have been a blow to his country's reputation as a place to do business.
The bill, recently passed by the lower house in Warsaw, would have blocked any non-European outlet from owning a 50% share or more in a Polish broadcaster.
"I believe that generally limiting the possibility of holding shares or stocks in media companies is sensible when it comes to foreign capital," Duda said. "I share the opinion that it should be introduced in Poland, but for the future."
