Society
Happy new year from the Lithuania Tribune!
Happy new year from the Lithuania Tribune! […]
Month: December 2015
Politics
Tax collection breakthrough gives finance minister optimism for 2016 deficit budget
Finance Minister Rimantas Šadžius says that 2015 was a breakthrough in tax collection for Lithuania and that extra revenue is projected for 2016. […]
Culture
International recognition for Kaunas orchestra’s recording of Verdi opera
A studio album of Giuseppe Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra opera that was recorded by the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra received international recognition when it was named the Editor’s Choice opera album by the influential Opera News magazine in New York, the Kaunas City Municipality reports. […]
Culture
First raising of Lithuanian tricolour flag to be honoured on Gediminas Tower
On 1 January 2016, Vilnius residents and guests will be able to attend a solemn ceremony on Gediminas Tower to mark the day in 1919 when the Lithuanian tricolour flag used today was first flown. […]
Defence
New motorized infantry brigade will be formed in Western Lithuania in 2016
Starting on 1 January, 2016, a new motorized infantry brigade named Žemaitija will be formed in Western Lithuania. […]
Politics
Labour party will not ask Seimas speaker Loreta Graužinienė to step down despite widespread disapproval
With less than a year left until the Seimas (parliament) elections, the Labour Party is not planning to ask Loreta Graužinienė to leave the Seimas speaker‘s position. However, not only the opposition, but some MPs from the ruling coalition are dissatisfied with the politician. […]
Politics
New prosecutor general promises changes to office in first press conference
In the first press conference organized by the new Prosecutor General Evaldas Pašilis since he was sworn in two days ago, he promised changes in the Prosecutor’s Office. […]
Defence
Lithuania’s Javelin missiles will turn Russian tanks into ‘tin cans,’ report claims
Last week, it was officially confirmed that Lithuania will buy Javelin mid-range anti-tank systems from the United States for €50 million. The T-72 tank, widely used by Russian army and also used in Ukraine, is like a tin can when faced with a Javelin. More about the Lithuanian military‘s new purchase was revealed on an LRT TV programme about military weapons. […]
Foreign affairs
Hints that Polish-Lithuanian relations may improve from Polish president Andrzej Duda
When former President of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus read a report at a conference in Warsaw last week called Sovereignty, Solidarity and Security: Lech Kaczynski and Central-Eastern Europe, he also had the chance to speak with the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda. […]
Economy
Lithuanian export downturn predicted by producers and exporters
In the upcoming months, Lithuania’s producers and exporters predict a decrease in Lithuanian industrial exports. According to a poll distributed to the heads of industrial companies by Statistics Lithuania, 14 percent of businesses predict a decrease while 17 percent predict an increase (a month ago, these percentages were 12 and 31 percent, respectively). […]
Politics
Party charged with influence peddling and money laundering by investigators
The Special Investigation Service‘s (STT) Vilnius Department has brought charges against the Order and Justice political party over suspicions of influence peddling and money laundering. […]
Defence
Society
Unvaccinated children will be barred from kindergarten in Lithuania
After the Seimas (parliament) failed to adopt legislation authorizing mandatory vaccinations, an order made by former Minister of Health Vytenis Andriukaitis instructing not to accept unvaccinated children to kindergarten extablishments will take effect in 1 January, 2016. Minister of Health Rimantė Šalaševičiūtė says that the order will only apply to newly accepted children. […]
Society
Lithuanian innovators and leaders honoured by president at Global Lithuanian awards
There was a feel-good atmosphere in the Lithuanian Presidential palace in Vilnius on Tuesday afternoon as Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė hosted a ceremony honouring the Global Lithuanian Awards. The annual awards are presented to individuals who, in one way or another, have contributed to Lithuania’s welfare domestically or abroad. The President and Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius praised the initiative and made it a point that a country is more than its geographical and demographic size. […]
Energy
Lithuanian energy experts blast government’s plans to shutter thermal power plants
Nearly 60 famous Lithuanian power engineers, scientists, former energy and economy ministers and heads of business associations encouraged the government to take decisive actions in order to save thermal power plants as reserve electric power sources. The government adopted a resolution on October 7 that will effectively leave the thermal power plants unused. […]
Economy
Lithuanian GDP growth may outpace Estonia’s in 2016
Lithuanian economic growth this year has been the slowest among the Baltic countries, but analysts at Danske Bank predict that the country’s gross domestic product growth next year will be faster than in Estonia and, in 2017, will bypass Latvia as well. […]
Politics
Why did Darius Raulušaitis withdraw from the Prosecutor General’s Office?
On Tuesday, the General Prosecutor’s Office reported that Darius Raulušaitis, who had been serving as a temporary Prosecutor General, withdrew from the Prosecutor General’s Office. D. Raulušaitis had held the position since June, when former Prosecutor General Darius Valys’ term ended. […]
Foreign affairs
Which U.S presidential candidate would be best for Lithuania?
In an analysis of the U.S presidential race, public relations expert Mykolas Katkus and acting director of the Eastern European Studies Centre Laurynas Kasčiūnas revealed which Republican candidates they thought would be the best U.S presidents from Lithuania’s perspective. […]
Politics
Evaldas Pašilis sworn in as Lithuania’s prosecutor general
The Lithuanian president signed a decree on Tuesday, appointing Evaldas Pašilis as the country’s prosecutor general. […]
Politics
President Grybauskaitė on government’s 2015 accomplishments: strategy of idleness is not productive
Looking back at the achievements of the government headed by social democratic Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius over 2015, President Dalia Grybauskaitė says that while there are considerable accomplishments, procrastination in certain area will mean that the next government will inherit serious problems. […]