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Unexpectedly rushed through parliament this month, the
legislation would have tightened rules around foreign ownership
of media, specifically affecting the ability of news channel
TVN24, owned by U.S. media company Discovery Inc, to operate.
"I believe that generally limiting the possibility of holding
shares or stocks in media companies is sensible when it comes to
foreign capital ... I share the opinion that it should be
introduced in Poland, but for the future," Duda said.
"The bill and its amendments concern entities which are already
present in the market ... There is also the issue of media
pluralism, of freedom of speech. When taking my decision, I took
this element into serious consideration."
Poland's ruling nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party has long
said that foreign media groups have too much power in the
country and distort public debate.
Critics say the government's moves against foreign media groups
are part of an increasingly authoritarian agenda that has put
Warsaw at loggerheads with the European Union.
Duda was elected with the support of the ruling nationalists,
but his decision to veto the legislation may strain his
relations with the party.
Yet it may help Warsaw avoid a row with the United States at a
time of heightened tension in eastern Europe amid what some
countries see as increased Russian assertiveness.
(Reporting by Pawel Florkiewicz and Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk;
Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
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