Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed to the Council of Ministers on December 18 that two private TV broadcasters, TVN and Polsat, had been placed on the list of "strategic companies." This new regulation means that once it comes into force on January 1, 2025, the two most influential channels in the country cannot be bought out without the government's consent. The aim is to prevent potential buyers from threatening national interests.

"I know this won't please everyone ... but the PiS [Law and Justice Party, in opposition since 2023] wouldn't want media, telecoms operators or energy companies to end up in the hands of those hostile to the Polish state one day either," Tusk explained, again referring to "a hybrid war" against Poland's interests.

The Romanian context, highlighted by the prime minister, played a key role in this decision. In Romania, Calin Georgescu, a little-known pro-Russian candidate, was propelled to the second round of the presidential election in November, thanks to various influence operations on the TikTok social media network. In the end, the Romanian constitutional court annulled the election. The same scenario is haunting Poland, which also fears interference from the Kremlin in the May 2025 presidential election. The Tusk government, which is hoping to put an end to a stormy cohabitation, cannot afford to have TVN, which is supportive, fall into hands closely or remotely linked to the PiS.

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