The Polish opposition slammed Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk for riding roughshod over freedom of speech principles after a Warsaw court revoked the licence of the TV Republika and wPolsce 24 independent conservative broadcasters on April 10, Brussels Signal reports.

The decision comes in the midst of a hotly contested presidential election campaign with both sides hoping to score points ahead of the first round vote on May 18 that will be followed by a second round vote, if no candidate wins an outright majority, on June 1.

At stake is whether Tusk's pro-European Union coalition can advance its reform agenda without obstruction from the presidency. The current president is Andrzej Duda, an ally of the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, but he is concluding his second and final term.

Michał Karnowski, co-founder of wPolsce 24, condemned the court's ruling, saying that it had been orchestrated to “silence dissent [within] Prime Minister Donald Tusk's centre-left government.”

"They use brutal power, not law," Karnowski stated, characterising the action as part of a broader campaign of “lawfare” against political adversaries.​

The court's decision was reportedly prompted by a challenge from a small company that had previously vied for the same broadcasting frequencies. Karnowski noted that this entity lacked the requisite experience and funding to operate a viable broadcasting service. He further criticised the justification for the licence revocations, which cited unverified concerns over state security, despite the channels' unblemished operational histories, Brussels Signal reports.

"These were just excuses used by a politically motivated judge," Karnowski alleged, adding that "some politicians and journalists close to the Tusk government knew about this verdict in advance." He described a courtroom atmosphere where liberal media journalists were "fraternising openly with the judge and cheering the verdict."​

The broadcasters appear to the rural and lower-income audiences who rely heavily on television for the news and tend to support the more conservative candidates. Karnowski said the strategic importance of maintaining terrestrial access, warning that the move aims to "cut conservative voters off from sources of information and debate which are proving attractive to them." He contended that the government's objective is to create "a world in which there are only left-wing broadcasters left."​

Further allegations include the exclusion of conservative media from government press conferences and the withdrawal of state advertising. Karnowski claimed that private companies have also been forced to cease advertising with conservative outlets, suggesting a concerted effort to marginalise dissenting voices.​

The main contenders in the presidential race include:

Rafał Trzaskowski:The liberal Mayor of Warsaw and candidate for the Civic Coalition (KO) who is currently leading in the polls with approximately 34% support. ​He advocates stronger ties with the European Union, judicial reforms and progressive social policies.

Karol Nawrocki: A conservative historian backed by PiS, Nawrocki who is polling around 24%. He stands for traditional Catholic values, national sovereignty and a strong stance on historical issues, including seeking reparations from Germany for World War II atrocities.

Sławomir Mentzen: Representing the far-right Confederation party, Mentzen has 13.5% of voter support in the recent polls. He is advocates libertarian economic policies, strict immigration controls and a nationalist agenda.

The election is taking place during Poland's six-month presidency of the European Union, adding further significance to the vote.