Media Briefing, Author at the Lithuania Tribune

R. Karbauskis wants changes in his party: R. Baškienė and A. Nekrošius to no longer be his deputies

January 23, 2019 Media Briefing 0

With the Lithuanian Farmer and Greens Union (LVŽS) congress nearing, “Farmer” leader Ramūnas Karbauskis has spoken to party members, proposing to halve the number of LVŽS deputies. The party chairman would like to not longer have Seimas first Vice Speaker Rima Baškienė and Seimas Vice Speaker Arvydas Nekrošius as his deputies, LRT’s Laba Diena, Lietuva reports, according to lrt.lt. […]

Civic committees aiming for Vilnius city council seats complain on inability to form coalition

January 23, 2019 Media Briefing 0

Civic electoral committees aiming to compete for seats in the city municipal council are complaining that they cannot form a coalition, while parties are able to. Discontent, five committees are saying that in terms of the electoral campaign, they are ignored and discriminated. Due to this, they have called upon the Central Electoral Commission (VRK) for explanations, lrt.lt writes. […]

M. Laurinavičius: Revolut is involved with the Kremlin from beginning to end

January 23, 2019 Media Briefing 0

A month ago, Lithuania was the first country in Europe to grant a specialised banking license to the company Revolut, which caused member of Seimas Stasys Jakeliūnas suspicions. The MP contacted the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FNTT) and State Security Department (VSD), asking them to check the financial company’s business model and links to Russian politicians, lrt.lt writes. […]

Agreement signed with Vietnam on illegal migration

January 23, 2019 Media Briefing 0

During an official visit to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Minister of Interior Eimutis Misiūnas signed a Lithuanian-Vietnamese agreement on citizen repatriation (hereon – repatriation agreement), a cabinet press release states according to lrt.lt. […]

Deliberations on A. Karbauskis’ amendments on child protection system postponed

January 23, 2019 Media Briefing 0

The Seimas Legal Affairs Committee removed amendments proposed by Ramūnas Karbauskis on the child protection law, which were to be deliberated on Wednesday because according to the committee’s chairwoman Agnė Širinskienė, cabinet conclusions are pending, lrt.lt writes. […]

Revolut chief: accusations constructed under false statements and unrelated facts

January 23, 2019 Media Briefing 0

On Wednesday, Revolut founder and head Nikolay Storonsky has released an open letter, where he rejects accusations of the company’s potential links to the Kremlin that have surfaced in the media, lrt.lt writes. […]

Proposals to charge employers with specifying wages in job adverts received negatively

January 22, 2019 Media Briefing 0

The amendments to the Labour Code proposed by the “Farmers”, where employers would have to specify wages in job advertisements and the interval for the size, have been met with criticism from experts, who think this will improve neither the employer, nor the employee’s negotiation positions, lrt.lt writes. […]

Proposals on air quality: maximum odour concentration in air to be reduced

January 22, 2019 Media Briefing 0

In order to improve air quality and reduce discomfort for those residing near industry, manufacturing and other objects, which could release sharp odours, it has been proposed to adjust the maximum permitted odour concentration in the air. Related institutions have been handed the legislative projects intended to do so, pending proposals and opinions, a Ministry of Healthcare press release states according to lrt.lt. […]

Experts on S. Skvernelis’ candidacy: do not see pre-planning and see risks

January 22, 2019 Media Briefing 0

Last week, Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis announced his presidential bid. This decision has finalised matters on the political stage. Gitanas Nausėda, S. Skvernelis and Ingrida Šimonytė gather 40% of the vote according to surveys. Another 40% of potential voters are undecided and the remaining 20% is shared by the other candidates. Thus, the number of candidates is growing and the intrigue is rising. How the presidential election campaign will develop and who has the highest chances was discussed by experts on Monday’s LRT Forumas, lrt.lt writes. […]

A. Monkevičius starts meetings with trade unions

January 22, 2019 Media Briefing 0

Minister of Education, Science and Sports Algirdas Monkevičius is starting meetings with education trade unions. The trade union, which organised a teachers’ strike in December states it will repeat its demands on raising hourly wages and reducing class sizes, lrt.lt writes. […]

L. Linkevičius: disinformation is a serious challenge to Western unity

January 21, 2019 Media Briefing 0

On Monday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius participated in an EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting, where EU member state foreign ministers discussed the EU’s plans to combat disinformation, a press release states according to lrt.lt. […]

Georgian prime minister visiting Lithuania

January 21, 2019 Media Briefing 0

Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze is arriving in Lithuania for an official visit. Discussions on bilateral relations and economic are to be held during meetings with President Dalia Grybauskaitė and Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis, lrt.lt writes. […]

Conservatives compare S. Skvernelis’ links to D. Gudelis with R. Paksas and J. Borisov’s friendship

January 21, 2019 Media Briefing 0

A journalist investigation has uncovered facts that Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis and Minister of Economy Virginijus Sinkevičius, running in respectively the presidential and municipal elections, are constantly and systematically consulted by public relations consultant Darius Gudelis, the owner of the company VIP Viešosios Informacijos Partneriai, without having officially declared it. The aforementioned company has been winning numerous publicity tenders by ministries and institutions subordinate to the cabinet, part of which are evaluated by the prime minister’s political confidence advisor, which raises doubts for the Conservatives on whether there is no abuse of office and if state institution publicity tenders are organised transparently, a press release states according to lrt.lt. […]

Ukrainians become the largest foreign community in Lithuania

January 18, 2019 Media Briefing 0

The Migration Department has released preliminary migration metrics for H2 2018. These have revealed that the largest foreign community in Lithuania is no longer Russians, but citizens of Ukraine, lrt.lt writes. […]

Evaluation of S. Skvernelis’ chances: by clashing with the media, he may have made a mistake

January 18, 2019 Media Briefing 0

Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis chose Rusnė as the location to announce his presidential bid. During his cabinet’s term, financing was arranged for the Rusnė overpass. The prime minister stated he wishes for there to be “harmony between governments in the country,” because at the moment he sees discord between the branches of government and journalists, who according to S. Skvernelis participate in politics, add further pressure. This was the discussion topic of Dienos Tema featuring VU TSPMI docent and KTU scientist Mažvydas Jastramskis and the chief editor of BNS news agency Vaidotas Beniušis, lrt.lt writes. […]

Minister threatens to terminate contracts with companies failing to deliver pensions

January 18, 2019 Media Briefing 0

With public discontent arising over delayed pensions, Minister of Social Security and Labour Linas Kukuraitis states that the contracts with the pension delivery companies will have to be terminated if pensions are not delivered to retirees by January 26, a press release from the ministry states according to lrt.lt. […]

Security institutions urged to react following LRT investigation, S. Skvernelis sees no issue

January 17, 2019 Media Briefing 0

That the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union is backed by the shareholders of various companies is a circumvention of the law, which not only the Central Electoral Commission (VRK) should take interest in, but also security institutions, Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats Seimas group member Gintarė Skaistė told LRT Radio, lrt.lt writes. Nevertheless, Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis sees no issue: “We live in a country under the rule of law. None of the companies have been sentenced or have been compromised. The party itself will decide, what donations to accept or not accept, whether you want it or not.” […]

Warning over news media: situation compared to state of war

January 17, 2019 Media Briefing 0

Currently the Seimas is discussing two legislative projects, which would fundamentally change news media work. Representative of the Lithuanian Journalist Union (LŽS) Darius Lukoševičius had a brief, but telling description for the majority’s aims – “declaring a state of war.” However, gathered in a discussion hosted by the opposition on press freedom, specialists in the area openly pointed out that the situation is already bad, without even the amendments having been put in place, lrt.lt writes. […]

Social Democrats appeal to STT over business financial support for “Farmer” candidate

January 16, 2019 Media Briefing 0

The Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) has appealed to the Special Investigation Service (STT) with a request to evaluate whether financial support from Klaipėda business to Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LVŽS) candidate to Klaipėda mayor, Arvydas Vaitkus is not a case of open political corruption, a statement sent to lrt.lrt reads. […]

Presidential debates: education – a priority for all candidates

January 16, 2019 Media Briefing 0

Politicians and public figures seeking the post of president once more took to defending their positions. This time it was at a discussion organised by Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) – President 2019: Four Months to Decision, lrt.lt writes. […]