Polish ruling coalition collapses amid rift over media bill

Controversial legislation proposes ban on non-European owners having controlling stakes in Polish media firms.

Poland’s right-wing ruling coalition has collapsed after a small coalition partner announced that it was leaving the government amid a rift over legislation it views as an attack on media freedom. The media bill, which is scheduled for an afternoon vote on Wednesday, would prevent non-European owners from having controlling stakes in Polish media companies. It is viewed as a crucial test for the survival of independent media in the former communist nation, coming six years into the rule of a populist government that has chipped away at media and judicial independence.