WARSAW, Poland – Poland’s public television news channel, TVP Info, ceased broadcasting on Wednesday as the country’s new pro-EU administration sought to assert control over state media, claiming it had become a mouthpiece for the previous rightwing government. The move came amid protests by the rightwing Law and Justice (PiS) party.

The abrupt shutdown of TVP Info’s 24-hour news broadcasting followed the dismissal of the heads of the state television, radio, and news agency by the government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Tusk, who took office last week, had promised to dismantle state television, accusing it of serving as a mouthpiece for the former government. He presented a draft budget without state funding for TVP, leading to a walkout by PiS lawmakers from a parliamentary debate on the broadcaster’s future.

Following the closure of TVP Info, Tusk’s Civic Platform party celebrated what it called “the end of TVPiS” on social media. However, former PiS Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki accused Tusk’s culture ministry of taking illegal actions and vowed to resist what he described as a dictatorship in Poland.

Tusk, who leads a pro-European coalition, has pledged to restore Poland’s role in the EU and unlock frozen EU funding. Despite his efforts to dismantle the PiS apparatus, the feuding over TVP highlights the challenges he faces. He has also replaced the heads of state security, intelligence, and anti-corruption offices while recalling Poland’s World Bank representative, a former boss of TVP.

As the struggle over control of state media continues, Tusk faces the challenge of working alongside President Andrzej Duda, who is supported by PiS and holds significant veto powers. The closure of TVP Info and the ongoing power struggle underscores the deep political divisions in Poland, which Tusk will need to navigate as he seeks to fulfill his campaign promises.