Week in Lithuania | LSDP invites “Nemunas Dawn” and “For Lithuania” to join new ruling bloc; President congratulates Trump on election victory

Last week, ex-Snoras Bank owners hiding in Russia were convicted 10.5 years in prison; President announced that new Seimas will gather on the 14th of November

 Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union launches major exercise

The Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union (LRU) launched on Friday, the 8th of November, an exercise involving around 700 members of the paramilitary organization from all over the country. The Black Hawk 2024 exercise will run in Kaišiadorys through Sunday and will help assess the level of preparedness of LRU members under the command of commandant’s offices and their ability to act together with state and municipal authorities during mobilization and martial law, according to the organization.

LSDP invites “The Dawn of the Nemunas”, and “For Lithuania” to join new ruling bloc

“The Dawn of the Nemunas” party and the Democrats “For Lithuania” on Thursday, the 7th of November, received the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party’s invitation to join the new ruling coalition, the two parties’ leaders, Remigijus Žemaitaitis and Saulius Skvernelis, said. Such a three-party coalition would have 86 votes in the 141-seat Seimas. The LSDP will have 52 seats in the new parliament, followed by the Dawn of the Nemunas with 20 and the Democrats with 14. The three parties plan to agree on a coalition agreement by Saturday, Žemaitaitis said.

Seimas stiffens gambling rules, sets single minimum age limit

Lithuanian lawmakers on Thursday, the 7th of November, tightened the existing gambling rules and strengthened the protection of problem gamblers in a bid to prevent irresponsible gambling. In all, 87 MPs voted in favour of the proposed amendments, and four abstained. Under the new amendments tabled by the government, casinos, slot machine, bingo parlours and betting shops will be required to have a qualified employee who, in suspected irresponsible gambling cases, could offer to stop the gambling or be able to stop it themselves for at least 48 hours. Gambling companies will also be obliged to introduce a remote gambling platform not only containing all information about a gambler and their transactions but also allowing the Gaming Control Authority to access the platform at any time and check data. The parliament also introduced the standard minimum age for all gamblers of 21 years, hoping that new gamblers will be more emotionally mature and more aware of gambling-related risks.

Lithuania will have a national minority law after a 15-year break

Lithuania will have a law on national minorities again after 15 years, the Seimas decided on Thursday, the 7th of November, when 67 lawmakers voted in favour of its adoption, there were no votes against, and four MPs abstained. Lithuania has not had a law on national minorities since 2010, when the then version expired. Since then, quite a few attempts to adopt a new law on the rights of national minorities have not been successful. The latest bill was prepared by the Justice Ministry and submitted by the government. This version will come into force in January, if signed by President Gitanas Nausėda. Ahead of the vote, Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said the delay in adopting the law could harm bilateral relations with Poland. Representatives of national minorities have criticized the new bill, stating in particular that it does not address the basic issues of national minorities and does not change the situation of national communities in any way.

Seimas approves new training areas in two new districts

The Lithuanian parliament Seimas on Wednesday, the 6th of November, gave the green light for establishing new military training areas in the western districts of Tauragė and Šilalė. Ninety-four MPs voted in favour, one against, and six abstained. After the vote, Defence Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas thanked MPs for their decision and pointed out that the new government will have to establish a division-sized training area. After consultations, the training area in Tauragė District was reduced by 565 hectares, or 13%, compared to the original plan, and the area in Šilalė District was cut by 335 hectares, or 12.5%. Previously, the training area was planned to cover 4 304 in Tauragė and 2 677 hectares in Šilalė, respectively.

PM calls proposals to normalize relations with China ‘unwise’

Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte on Wednesday, the 6th of November, described proposals to normalize Lithuania’s relations with China as “unwise”. Šimonytė was commenting on proposals from President Gitanas Nausėda and Gintautas Paluckas, the Social Democratic candidate for prime minister following his party’s recent parliamentary election win, to normalize relations with Beijing. Paluckas has said that his government would seek to restore full diplomatic relations with China but would not be willing to make excessive concessions. The Social Democratic candidate for prime minister said he would work to bring Lithuania’s ambassador back to Beijing and to see China’s ambassador return to Vilnius.

President congratulates Trump on election win

President Gitanas Nausėda on Wednesday, the 6th of November, congratulated Donald Trump via a message on X social media on his victory in the US presidential election. In his social media post, Nausėda said that Lithuania spends 3.5% of GDP on defence. However, the latest figures show that Lithuania has actually allocated about 3.2% of GDP to defence this year, including borrowed funds. Next year, defence spending is planned at around 2.5 billion euros, or 3.03% of GDP.

Seimas is to hold its first sitting on the 14th of November

Lithuania’s newly elected Seimas will hold its first parliamentary session next week, on Thursday, according to a decree signed by President Gitanas Nausėda on Tuesday, the 5th of November. During the sitting, the newly elected lawmakers will be sworn in, and their term will begin. As stipulated by the Statute of the Seimas, the first post-election is opened by the oldest MP, and this time it will be Social Democrat Birute Vesaite who will preside over parliamentary sittings until the new speaker is elected. The Social Democrats will have 52 seats in the new parliament, followed by the Conservative, the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (28) and the Nemunas Ausra party (20). The Democrats “For Lithuania” will have 14 seats, the Liberal Movement will have 12 seats, the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union will have eight seats, the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania – Christian Families Alliance will have three, and the National Alliance and the Freedom and Justice Party will have one seat each. There will also be two independents in the Seimas.

Court sentences ex-Snoras owners in absentia to 10.5 years in prison

Vilnius Regional Court on Tuesday, the 5th of November, sentenced Vladimir Antonov and Raimondas Baranauskas, the former owners of the now liquidated Snoras Bank, who are hiding in Russia, to 10.5 years in prison for embezzlement of the bank’s high-value assets. Antonov and Baranauskas were sentenced to prison for eight intentional crimes, and Antonov was also convicted as the mastermind of the crimes. According to Vilnius Regional Court Judge Gintaras Dzedulionis, the two appropriated assets worth around 509 million euros, caused damage to Snoras and its creditors worth around 460 million euros, and embezzled a further 14.5 million euros. The prison sentences were in line with those requested by the prosecution service. In March 2018, Lithuanian prosecutors informed the Russian prosecution service of the charges brought against Antonov and Baranauskas as they were set to stand trial in absentia, but Russia refused to extradite them.

Foreign minister congratulates Moldovan president on re-election

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis on Monday, the 4th of November, congratulated Moldovan President Maia Sandu on her re-election and “on successfully thwarting Russia’s assault against Moldova’s democracy”. Moscow’s attempts to interfere in the Moldovan elections must be investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice, he also said. Sandu received 54.7% of the vote against 45.3% for Alexandr Stoianoglo, Moldova’s former chief prosecutor, backed by the pro-Russian Socialists.

Armonaitė quits as Lithuanian Freedom Party leader

Aušrinė Armonaite, chairwoman of the Lithuanian Freedom Party, said on Monday, the 4th of November, that she is resigning after the party’s poor performance in the recent parliamentary election. The Freedom Party failed to secure any seats in the first round, garnering 4.53% of the vote, just below the 5% threshold needed to enter the parliament. Armonaitė and two other Freedom Party candidates advanced to the second round, but none managed to win a seat. In the 2020 parliamentary election, the Freedom Party won 11 seats and formed the current ruling coalition with the Liberal Movement and the conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats.