Week in Lithuania | Lithuania gets first RRF loan of 360 million euros; President rejects SSD commission’ ‘untrue’ findings

Last week, Seimas backed bill outlawing Communist Party; MP Kasčiūnas sworn in as Lithuania’s new defence minister
PM says Lithuania should mull building N-plants
After Lithuania’s Ministry of Energy on Wednesday, the 27th of March, revealed an updated energy strategy until 2050, envisioning construction of small nuclear reactors in Lithuania after 2030, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė said on Thursday, the 28th of March, she agrees that such an alternative should be considered. “Looking at the way technology is developing in the world, all options should be considered. This does not mean that this option will be accepted because there is still a very, very long way to go. But as a theoretical alternative, as an option, depending on how technology developers do, I think it should be on the table,” the PM told the Žinių Radijas news radio.
Lithuanian N-plant suspects Estonian-owned firm of foul play
Lithuania’s shut-down Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) said on Wednesday, the 27th of March, it suspects Baltic Radiation Control, an Estonian-owned Lithuanian technology company, and its CEO and other responsible persons of attempting to get round international sanctions against Russia. The INPP said in a press release that the company had provided false answers and declarations and attempted to violate “nationally and EU-protected values”. The INPP turned to the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FCIS) back in November after noticing indications of sanctions circumvention, according to the press release. Baltic Radiation Control, which is owned by Estonia’s Radico Nord, previously supplied the INPP with various equipment such as monitoring devices for workers’ radioactive contamination, portable radiometers, and radiation dose rate detectors.
Lithuania gets its first RRF loan of 360 million euros
Lithuania has received its first 360-million-euro soft loan under the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). The European Commission transferred the funds to Lithuania on Wednesday, the 27th of March, the Finance Ministry said. The government last December requested a loan payment of 387 million euros, but the funds were disbursed after deducting the advance already paid out. Finance Minister Gintarė Skaistė said that the loan will help Lithuania “confidently” implement necessary changes in the areas of social security, health system, national defence and green finance. 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.
President rejects SSD commission’ ‘untrue’ findings
President Gitanas Nausėda on Wednesday, the 27th of March, rejected the conclusions of the parliamentary commission that investigated the State Security Department whistleblower’s case. “I absolutely reject them as they are untrue,” he told reporters in Širvintos. The Seimas commission concluded earlier this week that SSD director Darius Jauniškis had assisted Nausėda in gathering intelligence information on his team members and supporters. And it also found that the list of these persons was given to the intelligence service by Nausėda himself or it was done by his order. For his part, the president reiterated that he did not ask the SSD to gather information on his inner circle. The conclusions state, among other things, that Nausėda’s refusal to testify before the commission is incompatible with his oath of office. The MPs who conducted a parliamentary inquiry into the State Security Department’s whistleblower case said on Wednesday that their conclusion about Gitanas Nausėda’s vulnerability is supported by collected evidence, but they do not plan to initiate impeachment proceedings against the president.
Updated energy strategy envisions more production, use of hydrogen, nuclear energy
Lithuania should produce and consume 74 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity in 2050 and become an exporter of energy products, including hydrogen, according to the country’s updated National Energy Independence Strategy, which was unveiled by the Energy Ministry on Wednesday, the 27th of March. The document foresees the possibility of developing low-power nuclear reactors in the country beyond 2030. Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys said, presenting the strategy at the Seimas Committee on Economics, said the import of energy resources and increased electricity production remain Lithuania’s key energy challenges. Under the ministry’s scenario, onshore wind farms (28.1 TWh), offshore wind farms (18.8 TWh), nuclear reactors (11.2 TWh), and solar power plants (9.5 TWh) are expected to generate the most electricity in 2050. Meanwhile, hydrogen (35.5 TWh) and the rest of industry (12.6 TWh) and transport (6.3 TWh) are expected to be the largest consumers of electricity in 2050.
Elektrum Lietuva to invest nine million euro in EV charging network
Elektrum Lietuva, an electricity supplier that is part of Latvia’s energy group Latvenergo, plans to invest nine million euros into the development of an EV charging network in Lithuania this year, Elektrum Lietuva CEO Martynas Giga said on Tuesday, the 26th of March. The plan includes installation of 150 new charging points with a capacity of 150-400 kilowatts (kW) in Lithuania by the end of this year, bringing the total number of such stations in the country to 200. The CEO said that one of the company’s key strategic goals is to ensure the development of infrastructure along the country’s main roads, including the A1 (Vilnius-Klaipeda – BNS) and A2 (Vilnius-Panevėžys – BNS) motorways, the Via Baltica motorway.
Seimas to consider bill outlawing Communist Party
Lithuanian lawmakers on Tuesday, the 26th of March, gave their initial backing to a bill that would declare the Lithuanian Communist Party as a criminal organization after 52 MPs voted in favour, four were against and 43 abstained. Under the bill drafted by a group of MPs from the ruling conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats, the LCP would be recognized as a criminal structure that established a dictatorship in Soviet-occupied Lithuania between 1940-1941 and 1944-1990 and is responsible for the genocide of citizens, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the forced collectivization of citizens by the occupying power. HU-LCD MP Audronius Ažubalis, one of the initiators of the law, said the draft is based on the German model of de-Nazification where ordinary members of the National Socialists were not persecuted but were given the opportunity to “reform themselves by their own work and to be loyal to the new state”.
Lithuania proposes EU ban on waste imports from Russia
Lithuania, supported by the Czech Republic, Latvia and Estonia, proposed that the European Union ban imports of ferrous metals, copper, and aluminium waste and scrap from Russia, saying that Moscow is using the money to finance its war against Ukraine. The proposal was tabled at the Environment Council’s meeting in Brussels on Monday, the 25th of March, the Environment Ministry said in a press release on Tuesday. The EU imported ferrous metals, copper, and aluminium waste and scrap, worth over 118 million euros, from Russia between 2022 and 2023, the ministry said, adding that most of these imports pass through Lithuania.
Kasčiūnas sworn in as Lithuania’s defence minister
Laurynas Kasčiūnas on Tuesday, the 26th of March, took office as Lithuania’s new defence minister after a swearing-in ceremony at the parliament. Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė nominated Kasčiūnas for the position last week after asking Anušauskas to step down because, she said, he had not been active enough on key defence issues such as the conscription reform, the search for additional defence funding sources, and the expansion of the active military reserve.
President’s re-election campaign collects over 38 000 voter signatures
The campaign staff of Gitanas Nausėda, who is seeking a second term as Lithuanian president, has collected more than 38 000 voter signatures in support of his candidacy. Povilas Mačiulis, Nausėda’s campaign chief for the 12th of May presidential election, said on Monday, the 25th of March, that the team will submit sheets with 16 538 voter signatures to the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) on Monday and that another 21 877 people have signed electronically. Over 40 000 voters supported Nausėda’s candidacy five years ago. Nausėda is the second presidential contender to submit voter signatures to the CEC. The first to do so was Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, the presidential candidate of the ruling conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats. Voters could only sign for her electronically, with a total of 33 722 signatures collected and 33 701 accepted. The CEC has issued sheets for collecting voter signatures to 12 politicians. They have until the 28th of March to collect at least 20 000 signatures to be registered as candidates.
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