Gentvilas appointed as caretaker head of Liberal Movement

Up until now, Gentvilas was the deputy chairman of the opposition political force.

In his resignation message, Šimašius suggested appointing MEP Petras Auštrevičius as his replacement. Auštrevičius along with MP Vitalijus Gailius and Marcijonas Urmonas last Thursday stepped down from deputy leaders of the party in an effort to speed up changes in the Liberal Movement. Šimašius said the move encouraged his decision to leave the post of the party’s leader.

Auštrevičius dismissed the proposal for him to take helm of the party as a “comedy,” emphasizing it was against the party’s bylaws.

The opposition party has 14 mandates in Lithuania’s 141-member parliament.