Last week, Lithuania declared state of emergency over Russian invasion of Ukraine, asked NATO to trigger Article 4, while Ignitis Renewables cancelled solar parks plans in Poland and Bank of Lithuania discussed potential inflation.
Ex-PM’s founded party second in popularity ranking
Founded in January by Lithuania’s former Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis, the Democratic Union «For Lithuania» has come in 2nd in the latest party popularity rating, according to the latest survey by Vilmorus, a pollster. If a general election was held now, the opposition Social Democratic Party of Lithuania would receive 15.6 percent of votes, down from 18.5 percent in December, and the Democratic Union «For Lithuania» would get 10.3 percent of votes. In all, 8.9 percent (10.1 percent in December) would vote for the ruling conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats, 7 percent (7.9 percent) would back the opposition Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union, and 5 percent (5.7 percent) would vote for the Labour Party. The Liberal Movement, part of the ruling block, would receive 4.5 percent of votes, down from 6.3 percent in December.
Competition authority launches review of high-profile deal
The Lithuanian Competition Council has launched a review of last October’s acquisition of Lithuania’s ticketing company Tiketa by Estonia’s ticketing and event planning group Piletilevi Group. Piletilevi Group was not obliged to notify the Competition Council of the planned transaction because Tiketa’s revenue in 2020 did not exceed 2 million euros, but the authority has decided to review the deal on its own initiative, Lina Navickaitė, the watchdog’s spokeswoman, said on Monday, February 21.
Ignitis Renewables cancels acquisition of solar parks in Poland
Ignitis Renewables, a subsidiary of Lithuania’s state-controlled energy group Ignitis Grupe, has cancelled a deal to acquire a portfolio of solar parks in Poland from Sun Investment Group. The agreement on the acquisition of solar parks with a capacity of up to 170 megawatts (MW) was terminated on Monday «by mutual consent» after none of the projects was awarded a contract for difference (CfD) tariff in renewable energy auctions, Ignitis Grupė said in a statement to the Nasdaq Vilnius Stock Exchange on Monday, February 21. In Poland, Ignitis Renewables currently owns Pomerania Wind Farm, the developer of a 94 MW wind farm.
President calls Russia’s decision gross violation of international law
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda denounced on Monday, February 21, Russia’s decision to recognize the independence of the two self-proclaimed republics in eastern Ukraine as an «intolerable violation of international law».
Read also: BNN ANALYSES | Lithuania braces for influx of Ukrainian refugees, but how many can be accepted?
Geopolitical risks to push up inflation
Geopolitical risks may push EU inflation, already at its all-time high, even higher, the Lithuanian central bank governor Gediminas Šimkus said on Tuesday, February 22. According to him, inflation will be driven up by the conflict in Ukraine, supply disruptions, and persistently high natural gas prices. Rising prices are reducing people’s purchasing power, especially in countries where wages are not growing as fast as in Lithuania, according to Šimkus. Annual inflation in the euro area rose to 5.1 percent in January, the highest level since the index started in 1997. Lithuania’s 12-month inflation hit 12.4 percent.
Lithuania eyes defence budget ramp-up
Lithuania could allocate up to several hundred million euros for defence needs additionally this year, Mykolas Majauskas, chairman of the parliamentary Committee on Budget and Finance, said on Tuesday, February 22. According to Majauskas, there are several ways to boost the Defence Ministry’s budget. One of them would be to allocate additional funding under the existing budget law if the parliament declared a state of emergency.
Paysera suspends money transfers to, from Russia
Lithuanian-capital fintech company Paysera said on Wednesday, February 23, it will no longer service operations in Russian roubles, close accounts of Russian clients and will limit money transfers to and from banks in Russia.
MEPs urge Lithuania to ensure Yazidis’ right to asylum
Several dozen MEPs have turned to Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė and Speaker of the Seimas Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, urging them to ensure the right for Yasidis who are now in Lithuania to get asylum. Lithuania’s MEPs Petras Auštrevičius, Aušra Maldeikienė and Juozas Olekas said that «it is extremely dangerous» for the Yazidis currently stranded on the EU border with Belarus or in the camps in Lithuania to return to Iraq. In the letter, the European lawmakers also expressed their support for Nobel Piace Prize winner and Iraqi Yazidi human rights activist Nadia Murad‘s appeal for Lithuania to provide safe refuge to Yazidis stranded on the EU border with Belarus or in the camps and make it possible for them to apply for asylum.
Lithuanian businessman detained in Austria
Vidmantas Kučinskas, the founder of Lithuania’s now-bankrupt business group Arvi ir Ko, has been detained in Austria. Reportedly, Kučinskas was detained early this week at the request of Russian prosecutors as part of a pre-trial investigation into possible fraud and financial machinations. The probe against Kučinskas was launched in Russia. The businessman has said he owes 61.8 million euros to creditors. His largest creditors are Russia’s Alfa Bank (38.6 million euros), Russia’s Sberbank (almost 10 million euros), and Belor (4 million euros).
Lithuania urges citizens to leave Ukraine by land
The Foreign Ministry on Thursday, February 24, urged Lithuanian citizens in Ukraine to leave the country immediately by land «due to the start of a large-scale Russian military aggression.» The ministry also reiterated its recommendation for Lithuanian citizens not to travel to Belarus and for those already in the neighbouring country to leave it after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced warfare in Ukraine.
Lithuania declares state of emergency, asks NATO to trigger Article 4
President Gitanas Nausėda on Thursday, February 24, declared a state of emergency after Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine. The country’s parliament approved the move in an emergency session. The country’s Defence council also decided to ask NATO to invoke Article 4 on joint consultations, according to the president.
Lithuania reports 6,193 new COVID-19 cases, 26 deaths
Lithuania recorded 6,193 new coronavirus infections and 26 deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, the country announced on Friday, February 25. The 14-day infection rate has declined to 3,333.4 per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 50.1 percent. Some 69.6 percent of the Lithuanian population have received at least one jab so far.
Week in Lithuania: State of emergency declared over Ukraine, Ignitis Renewables cancels solar parks plans in Poland, central bank expects inflation
