Last week, Lithuania asked EU commission to disburse 463 million under RRF; prosecutor asks EP president to strip MEP Grazulis’ immunity
Klaipėda resident faces charges for painting Z symbols
A Klaipėda resident is facing charges on the violation of public order after painting letters Z, the symbol of the Russian war in Ukraine, in several places around the city. According to the prosecution service the man painted the letters Z on several buildings and other objects in the city on the 6th and 7th of September. The man has pleaded guilty and has had his home searched. He was initially detained but later released and ordered to periodically report to the police. The man is suspected of having painted the symbol of support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to spread propaganda justifying the Kremlin’s aggression. He is facing a community service, a fine, restriction of liberty, arrest or a prison term of up to two years.
Desovietisation commission against new memorial signs to Škirpa
The Desovietisation Commission on Thursday, the 19th of September, advised against erecting new memorial signs for “controversial figures” like Kazys Škirpa, a 20th century Lithuanian diplomat and military officer. It said that installing such memorial signs will only deepen existing societal divisions, rather than helping resolve issues, and will stir up tensions. The plaque was placed in June on the wall of the Lithuanian Court of Appeal building on Gediminas Avenue in Vilnius without permission, following an initiative by the National Alliance, but was taken down soon thereafter. The LGGRTC says in its conclusion that during World War II, Škirpa was “a Lithuanian patriot who devoted significant efforts to building an independent state and organising resistance against Soviet occupation.” However, it also noted that “there were manifestations of anti-Semitism” in his activities between 1940 and 1941. According to the LGGRTC, the Lithuanian Activist Front (LAF), led by Škirpa, elevated anti-Semitism to a political level, which “may have encouraged some Lithuanian residents to participate in the Holocaust”.
YouTube removes EU-sanctioned Belarusian accounts
YouTube on Wednesday, the 18th of September, removed 18 EU-sanctioned Belarusian radio and television accounts at the request of the Lithuanian Radio and Television Commission (LRTC). The Lithuanian media watchdog said in a press release that it had asked the platform to take down the 18 accounts as part of its cooperation with Google. The removed accounts were directly linked to Belarus’ state television and radio company Beltelradio, it said. The Lithuanian watchdog made its request to YouTube in July of this year.
Defence ministry’s military personnel plan for 2024-2030 approved
Lithuania’s government on Wednesday, the 18th of September, gave the green light to the Defence Ministry’s plans to have 15 500 professional military service personnel and 50 000 soldiers in the active reserve by 2030 as it approved the ministry’s military personnel development plan for the country’s national defence system for 2024-2030. According to the government resolution, the number of conscripts is to be gradually increased from next year, with the aim of recruiting more than 6 000 young people annually for compulsory military service from 2027. According to the bill, from 2030 onwards, 3 900 conscripts are to be called up for nine months of compulsory initial military service, 100 for three months of service after acquiring the professions that are lacking in the army, a further 1 000 students would serve in the army for between 160 and 200 days, and 1 350 young people would be enrolled into other training programs approved by the commander-in-chief, with a duration of service ranging from 90 to 120 days.
Lithuania to give four million for reconstruction of rehab centre in Zhytomyr
Lithuania will contribute to the reconstruction of a rehabilitation centre in Ukraine’s the Zhytomyr, ministers agreed on Wednesday, the 18th of September. A total of 15 million euros will be allocated for the implementation of these projects. Lithuanian plans to allocate up to 2.5 million euros for the reconstruction of a spinal cord injury rehabilitation centre in Dnipro, up to 5.6 million euros will be allocated for the reconstruction of a rehabilitation centre in Lviv, and up to 1.5 million euros will be allocated for the reinforcement of the activities of institutions and organizations involved in rehabilitation and reintegration. Around 1.3 million euros will be given for the administration of the implementation of these projects.
Luminor ups GDP growth forecast for 2024 to 2.4%
Luminor Bank has upgraded its forecast for Lithuania’s economic growth and now expects the country’s GDP to grow by 2.4% this year, up from its March projection of 2%. “The Lithuanian economy certainly looks significantly better than the average for Latvia, Estonia and the European Union,” the bank’s chief economist Žygimantas Mauricas said when presenting the latest economic forecasts on Tuesday, the 17th of September. Luminor expects the Latvian economy to expand 0.5% his year, and Estonia’s GDP is projected to contract 1% this year. Next year, Lithuania’s economy is projected to expand 3%. Mauricas says the bank upped its forecast for next year after Lithuania did not adopt any tax changes.
Lithuania asks EU commission to disburse 463 million under RRF
The European Commission on Monday, the 16th of September, received Lithuania’s third payment request under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). Lithuania is requesting 463 million euros, including 174.7 million euros in grants and 288.3 million euros in loans, the EU’s executive body said in a press release on Tuesday, the 17th of September. Lithuania’s request covers “28 milestones and targets”, including investment in new electricity storage facilities, and reforms and action plans in areas such as quality and access to medical services, education programs, investment environment for renewable energy developers, and tax collection, it said. Last October, the Commission approved an updated package of 3.85 billion euros in RFF funding for Lithuania, consisting of 2.3 billion euros in EU grants and 1.55 billion euros in loans.
MPs vote to keep civil union bill on Seimas fall agenda
Lithuanian lawmakers on Monday, the 16th of September, voted to keep a civil union bill, which would recognize same-sex partnerships, on the parliament’s fall agenda after 48 MPs voted in favour, 48 were against and seven abstained. In March, the Seimas removed the bill from its spring agenda after 59 MPs voted in favour, 44 were against and ten abstained. In the spring of 2023, the Lithuanian parliament gave its initial backing to the civil union bill, which would legalize same-sex partnerships, by a minimum majority, and there’s only vote for it to be adopted. In Lithuania, partnerships are currently not legal for male-female or same-sex couples. Previous attempts to do so in the parliament have been unsuccessful.
Top prosecutor asks EP president to strip MEP Gražulis’ immunity
Lithuania’s Prosecutor General Nida Grunskienė on Monday, the 16th of September, turned to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola with a request to strip controversial Lithuanian MEP Petras Grazulis of his legal immunity to face prosecution in Lithuania, the prosecution service said. Grazulis is accused of publicly ridiculing and expressing contempt for a group of persons or a person on grounds of their sexual orientation. On the 26th of May 2022, after the Lithuanian parliament gave its initial backing to the civil union bill legalizing same-sex unions, Gražulis met several representatives of the LGBTIQ community as he was leaving the plenary session hall and called them degenerates spreading STDs, and said they should get treatment. Five individuals have been recognised as victims in this investigation. Gražulis is facing a fine, freedom restriction, arrest and a prison term of up to two years.
President will recommend next minister to audit Foreign Ministry
President Gitanas Nausėda said on Monday, the 16th of September, he will recommend to the new leadership of the country’s Foreign Ministry to conduct a performance audit. “Because of some things, especially the interesting competition procedure at the Foreign Ministry, I will strongly recommend that the new foreign minister conduct not only a financial audit, but also a comprehensive performance audit to look into certain circumstances, how competitions are organized, how some people know in advance that they will win, so it is no longer a competition,” the president told journalists. The delfi.lt news website reported in late August that Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis’ first secretary and another assistant had become attachés. Landsbergis later rejected the allegations by some politicians that the process was not transparent.