Valentinas Mazuronis
Politics

Lithuania’s Labour Party threatens to leave coalition over deputy minister row

Following a conversation of Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius and Culture Minister Šarūnas Birutis, who was instructed to sack his deputy minister Vytautas Vigelis within a week, the Labour Party‘s leader Valentinas Mazuronis rushed off to the Government’s Office. The politician is convinced that the deputy minister was appointed lawfully, although the PM insists that Vigelis should be fired. […]

Dalia Grybauskaitė
Politics

Lithuanian president criticizes government for trying to rescue state-owned shipping company

President Dalia Grybauskaitė says that the government’s decision to rescue Lietuvos Jūrų Laivininkystė (Lithuanian Shipping Company, or LJL) from bankruptcy at the expense of dividends from Lietuvos Geležinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways) is a short-term solution, adding that the transport minister and the prime minister are responsible for the poor situation the state-controlled dry bulk operator is in. […]

Labour Party
Politics

Lithuania’s Labour Party says accepting refugees ‘a mistake’

The Labour Party, which is part of Lithuania’s ruling coalition, issued a statement on Wednesday, calling the country’s decision to accept refugees “a mistake”. […]

Agneta Lobačevskytė (left) in a meeting with Seimas ombudsmen Augustinas Normantas and Raimondas Šukys. Photo Vytautas Valentinavičius, Seimo kontrolierių įstaiga
Politics

Lithuania’s new equal opportunities ombudswoman walks fine line between human rights and religion

From advisor on legal issues to the speaker of the Lithuanian Parliament, to deputy culture minister and, finally, to ombudsperson in charge of equal opportunities (EO). This would seem like a surreal career journey to some, but Agneta Lobačevskytė, the new EO ombudswoman, sees what seems like a stroke of luck to many as a logical and deserved turn of events. […]

Telšiai
Politics

Elections of Telšiai district mayor to be held in November

Lithuania’s Central Electoral Commission has decided that elections of new mayor of Telšiai District in north-west Lithuania will take place on 8 November, 2015. […]

Drone
Politics

Lithuanian MP urges to establish no-flight zones for drones

Chair of the Seimas Committee on National Security and Defence, Artūras Paulauskas, has appealed to the Association of Local Authorities urging all municipalities of Lithuania to establish no-flight zones for drones. […]

Bankai
Politics

Lithuania’s Labour Party holds rally to protest ATM fees

On Friday, representatives of the Labour Party held a symbolic rally outside the Vilnius headquarters of the biggest commercial banks operating in Lithuania – SEB, Swedbank and DNB. […]