Politics
Lithuanian parliament passes law on refugee resettlement
The Lithuanian parliament passed legislation on Thursday that clears up regulations of refugee resettlement in the country. […]
Politics
Politics
Lithuanian MP proposes to limit mayoral terms
Conservative MP Rasa Juknevičienė has proposed amendments to the Law on Local Self-Government which would limit the number of consecutive mayoral terms of office so that the same person, a member of a local council, could not be elected mayor more than two or three times in a row. […]
Politics
Interior minister to discuss his resignation with PM on Friday
Minister of the Interior of Lithuania Saulius Skvernelis is going to meet with Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius on Friday. The meeting will address the interior minister’s resignation letter. Skvernelis says the appeal of 75 MPs to the prime minister asking not to approve his resignation is meaningful; however, he has not revealed if he intends to stay in office. […]
Politics
Amendments to curb corruption submitted to Lithuanian parliament
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė submitted a bill aimed at curbing the shady donations from state and municipality controlled companies, preventing waste of money and ensuring more transparency. […]
Politics
Landsbergis should have been given first Freedom Prize, Seimas speaker says
Seimas Speaker Loreta Graužinienė believes that Vytautas Landsbergis – who was the first head of the restored and independent Republic of Lithuania, the chairman of the Supreme Council of Lithuania, and a signatory of the Independence Restoration Act – should have been awarded with the very first Freedom Prize. […]
Politics
75 MPs urge Lithuanian PM not to accept interior minister’s resignation
Seventy-five Lithuanian MPs representing various political groups have addressed Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius urging him not to accept the resignation of Interior Minister Saulius Skvernelis. […]
Politics
Lithuania’s Labour Party calls for refugee quota revision
Labour Party‘s Chairman Valentinas Mazuronis has asked the parties in Lithuania’s governing coalition to revise the country’s refugee quota. […]
Politics
Seimas refuses to award Vytautas Landsbergis with Freedom Prize
The Seimas of Lithuania has rejected the motion to award Conservative MEP Vytautas Landsbergis, a prominent leader of Lithuania’s independence movement, with a prestigious Freedom Prize. […]
Politics
Online petition calls for Lithuanian parliament speaker’s resignation
A feud between Parliament Speaker Loreta Graužinienė and Interior Minister Saulius Skvernelis that began last week have evoked reactions from online petitioners. One petition urges to keep Skvernelis in his post, while another calls for the parliament speaker’s resignation. […]
Politics
President Grybauskaitė expresses concern about domestic security
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė highlights that officers responsible for domestic security must be properly trained to respond to all internal threats. Their qualifications must meet the highest requirements, she says. […]
Politics
Prime minister wants interior minister to stay in post
Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius said on the LRT TV programme Savaitė that he would do everything to keep Interior Minister Saulius Skvernelis in his position. […]
Politics
Police officers express support for interior minister in his feud with parliament speaker
Lithuania‘s police officers have expressed their support for Interior Minister Saulius Skvernelis who handed his letter of resignation to the prime minister on Friday, following criticism by Parliament Speaker Loreta Graužinienė and President Dalia Grybauskaitė. The Lithuanian Department of the International Police Association and the National Association of Officers‘ Trade Unions of Lithuania have distributed statements declaring support for Mr. Skvernelis. […]
Politics
Lithuanian minister of interior resigns
Lithuanian Minister of the Interior Saulius Skvernelis handed his letter of resignation to the prime minister on Friday afternoon, the ministry has informed. […]
Politics
Lithuanian PM calls for better training of police officers
After a major search operation of a fugitive who on Thursday escaped from a police vehicle stealing officer’s assault rifle and his ultimate arrest on the same day, Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius has called on the police to improve police officers’ training. […]
Politics
Interior minister says no basis for resignations after armed fugitive incident
Minister of the Interior Saulius Skvernelis says that the police will launch an internal investigation into the actions of officers that led to the escape of a fugitive who also stole an automatic rifle. According to the minister, there is no reason for any resignations of high-ranking officers. […]
Politics
President Grybauskaitė resolute to fight corruption among politicians
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė has named ways to prevent corruption on the LRT radio show “60 minučių”. […]
Politics
Lithuania’s social democrats retain popularity despite corruption scandals
Recent scandals of alleged corruption surrounding the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP) should not damage the party’s popularity, says Romas Mačiūnas, a sociologist at public opinion and market research company Baltijos Tyrimai. In early October, before the party came into the media attention following corruption accusations, the social democrats were supported by a quarter of all voters, a similar number as in September. […]
Politics
Lithuanian MEPs will risk their seats when running for national parliament
The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has adopted amendments to election laws that will prevent members of the European Parliament, municipal councils and town mayors from running for parliament without risking their mandates. […]
Politics
Lithuanian president appoints new judges
President Dalia Grybauskaitė has signed a decree on the appointment of nine judges of district courts and administered their oaths. […]
Politics
Lithuanian institutions demand extra funding to address terrorism threats
Reacting to the terrorist attacks in France, Lithuania’s Parliamentary National Security and Defence Committee has requested additional funding for the State Security Department, the Lithuanian Police Anti-Terrorist Operations Unit, Aras, and the State Border Guard Service. The committee requests to designate 14.4 million euro to these institutions in next year’s budget. […]