Linas Jegelevičius
Last week, Singapore’s firm unveiled a plan to invest EUR 15 million in Kaunas, US set to sell eight HIMARS systems to Lithuania.
PM, UEFA president discusses LFF statutes changes, transparency
Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė and UEFA President Aleksander Cheferin held a remote meeting on Friday, 11 November, to discuss the planned reform of the Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF) through changing its statutes and making its activities more transparent. The prime minister is waiting for new LFF statutes that are expected to be approved in the middle of December. The LFF started drafting its new statutes after some Lithuanian lawmakers initiated a bill on the introduction of direct LFF management. Debates on the new bill have been stalled for now as reforms from the federation itself are being awaited.
Lithuania reports 255 new Covid-19 cases, no deaths
Lithuania recorded 255 new coronavirus infections and no deaths from Covid-19 over Thursday, 10 November, the country’s public health authority, NVSC, said on Friday, 11 November. Of the new cases, 186 were primary, 67 were secondary, and two were tertiary. The number of patients hospitalized with Covid-19 now stands at 107, including seven ICU cases. The 14-day primary infection rate has edged down to 132 cases per 100 000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 17.6 percent. The daily number of new coronavirus cases remains well below the peak of over 14 000 reached in early February. More than 1.2 million people in Lithuania have tested positive for Covid-19 at least once.
Conservatives, LSDP lead Lithuania’s party rankings
Lithuania’s ruling conservative party – the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (HU-LCD) – continues to lead the party rating in the country, followed by the opposition Social Democratic Party of Lithuania in the second place, according to the latest public survey by Spinter Tyrimai, released on Friday, 11 November. In all, 14.2^ of respondents would have voted for the HU-LCD in October, compared to 12 percent in September. Some 11,8 percent would have voted for the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania, up from 11,3 percent in September. The opposition Democratic Union «For Lithuania» is next in line with 7,4 percent, up from 6.5 percent in September. Further down the list is the opposition Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union in fourth place with 6.9 percent (6.5 percent in September).
Grybauskaitė hesitant about her chances of becoming the next NATO chief
Ex-Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė doubts her chances of becoming NATO’s new secretary general once Jens Stoltenberg’s term of office ends. In her interview with The New York Times on Thursday, 10 November, the former president said NATO’s top diplomatic post usually goes to someone who receives unanimous support from all 30 member countries, adding that she would not get it because of her attitude towards Russia. She also noted that NATO countries should immediately provide Ukraine with more military equipment, and she also did not rule out the idea of deploying allied troops in the country. Stoltenberg’s term expired earlier this year, but NATO leaders agreed in March to extend it for another year in the wake of Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
Opposition gathers necessary signatures for Foreign Minister’s interpellation
The opposition Democratic Union’s For Lithuania political group in the Seimas announced on Thursday, 10 November, it has collected the necessary number of signatures to launch an interpellation against Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis. Under the Statute of the Seimas, an interpellation against a minister can be initiated by at least one-fifth of MPs, i.e. at least 29. Once the minister receives the questions, he or she has two weeks to answer them in writing. In the interpellation, the foreign minister is asked to give explanations regarding the developments surrounding the transit of sanctioned Russian goods via Lithuania to Kaliningrad and the circumstances related to the opening of a Taiwanese representation office in Lithuania and to answer questions about the diplomatic corps. The opposition previously announced its plans to initiate an interpellation motion against Landsbergis this past summer, after a scandal broke out over the transit of sanctioned Russian goods via Lithuania to Kaliningrad.
Lithuanian parliament returns 2023 budget bill to the government
Lithuanian lawmakers on Thursday, 10th of November, held their first hearing of the 2023 state budget bill and returned it to the government. Ministers will now look into committee and MPs’ proposals and then submit the adjusted budget bill to the Seimas. The second hearing would take place no later than 15 days. Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė says the budget vote will show whether lawmakers have confidence in her government, although that will not be a vote of no-confidence. The budget adoption is one of the most important laws of the political season, she said, which is why the vote on it is important. Some opposition representatives say they will not support the bill if their proposals are not taken into account. Gintautas Paluckas, a representative of the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania’s political group in the Seimas, says the group’s main budget proposal is to raise people’s income by raising the non-taxable income to the existing minimum monthly wage, instead of paying businesses compensation for high electricity prices.
US set to sell eight HIMARS systems to Lithuania
The State Department of the United States announced it has approved the potential sale of eight High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers with missiles to Lithuania for an estimated cost of 495 million US dollars, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said on Wednesday, 9 November.
Singapore’s firm to invest 15 million euros in Kaunas
Singaporean group Esco Lifesciences announced on Wednesday, 9 November, it is starting the construction of a medical equipment factory worth 15 million euros in Lithuania’s central district of Kaunas. Situated in the Kaunas Free Economic Zone (FEZ), the new production facility will produce laminars and incubators to ensure optimal microclimate for cells, the group said. Elijas Civilis, CEO of Investuok Lietuvoje (Invest Lithuania), Lithuania’s foreign investment promotion agency, says Esco’s expansion in Lithuania demonstrates the high level of life sciences competencies.
Interior Ministry proposes toughing up immigration procedures
Lithuania’s Interior Ministry proposed on Tuesday, 8th of November, tightening the existing immigration and citizenship procedures to prevent nationals from countries hostile to Lithuania from entering as they might pose a threat to national security and public order. The ministry said it had drafted changes to the interior minister’s orders on the procedure of issuance of documents granting foreigners the right to stay or reside in Lithuania. The proposed changes will introduce additional requirements to submit additional documents or information for certain categories of foreigners applying for a visa, residence permit, or residence card for a family member of an EU citizen.
Litgrid denies buying services from Inter RAO Lithuania
Litgrid, Lithuania’s state-owned electricity transmission system operator, denied on Tuesday, 8th of November, buying electricity from Inter RAO Lietuva (Inter RAO Lithuania), an electricity supplier controlled by Russian energy giant Inter RAO, which is now in administration, after Inter RAO Lietuva claimed Litgrid was still buying electricity for system balancing.
Week in Lithuania | Conservatives lead Lithuania’s party rankings, 2023 budget bill sent back to government
