Poland's president OKs €448 mil for public broadcasters amid reelection campaign

Poland’s president Andrzej Duda has signed on Friday a 2 billion zlotys ($510 million) bill to fund public television and radio for his reelection campaign.
Duda said that even though he had serious reservations, he eventually decided to support the legislation. The opposition had called for the money to be used for cancer treatment, but PM Mateusz Morawiecki answered that the money that the government had pledged for that purpose has still not been spent.
The ruling right-wing populist Law and Justice (PiS) party that supports Duda has been criticized for abusing public television stations to praise the government’s achievements and to tarnish the opposition’s reputation. It has also been facing criticism for its populist policies ever since it came to power in 2015. The party has been known for its EU skepticism.
The global organization Reporters Without Borders called Poland’s public media “government propaganda mouthpieces”. According to the group, directors of the entities “tolerate neither opposition nor neutrality from employees and fire those who refuse to comply”.
Poland will hold the first round of its presidential election on 10 May. Duda has a strong lead in opinion polls. However, surveys suggest that he is unlikely to secure a first-round victory.