In a letter to the Public Broadcasting Council and the Riigikogu Cultural Affairs Committee, Purga, a member of the ruling Reform Party, said Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR) is a public institution whose independence, including editorial independence, must remain fundamental.

"ERR's role is to offer an honest and multifaceted reflection of life in Estonia, with respect for human dignity," she wrote, adding that the public broadcaster serves as "a mirror of society through which we see and understand life in Estonia in all its richness and diversity."

She noted that Veidemann recently said featuring a same-sex couple raising children on Father's Day "does not fit within our value space."

"Such a statement raises serious questions about whether the values of the public broadcaster's chief align with the obligations set out in the Estonian Public Broadcasting Act, as well as with ERR's independence and credibility," Purga warned.

As minister of culture, she said, it is her duty to ensure that ERR can operate freely and independently, upholding both its constitutional and its own ethical and legal principles.

"When the chair of the [Public Broadcasting Council] says that a certain group of people should not be shown on air on ERR, that effectively constitutes a breach of editorial independence, which is prohibited by law," Purga said.

"It goes against ERR's legal duty to cover all of Estonian society and embodies a discriminatory attitude that divides society," she added.

According to her, such remarks undermine ERR's authority as an independent public institution and chip away at public confidence in journalistic neutrality.

Purga asked the council to clarify whether Veidemann's comments represent ERR's official position and how they align with the public broadcaster's legal obligations and core values. She also requested to know what steps the board intends to take in this matter.

She concluded by saying that public media cannot exclude people based on gender identity, family structure or worldviews, and that ERR must remain the voice of all of society.

Riigikogu committee chair: Council should discuss things first

MP Liina Kersna (Reform), chair of the Riigikogu Cultural Affairs Committee, said the Public Broadcasting Council should first address the issue internally.

"The council has the right to replace its chair if it deems it appropriate to do so," Kersna told ERR Thursday. "They certainly need to discuss the situation to ensure ERR's independence as well as editorial freedom."

She added that, for now, the Cultural Affairs Committee is not considering proposing Veidemann's removal from the council.

Veidemann announced Thursday that he will convene a meeting of the Public Broadcasting Council to discuss viewer feedback on ERR's programming and the ensuing public debate.

The critical response followed Sunday's Father's Day broadcast of ETV's "Hommik Anuga," featuring Mart Haber and Taivo Piller and their twin children.

Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) chair Martin Helme sharply criticized the family segment the next morning, calling for ERR to be dismantled entirely.

In an interview Wednesday, Veidemann called EKRE's subsequent Riigikogu bill to shut the broadcaster down an overreaction, but agreed that Sunday's segment with Haber and Piller's family was "highly inappropriate in the value space in which we, the majority of Estonians, live."

Estonian Public Broadcasting is a publicly funded media organization that operates independently of the government.

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