Politics
PM to run for president
Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis announced on Thursday he is to run for president in the country’s presidential election in May. […]
Dalia Grybauskaitė EN
Politics
D. Grybauskaitė awarded for merits to prosecution system
In the commemoration of the Lithuanian prosecutors’ establishment centenary, President Dalia Grybauskaitė was awarded with honours “For Special Merits” at a jubilee conference, a press release states according to lrt.lt. […]
CORPORATE
These presidential elections will be different: intrigue awaits
The nearing presidential elections will be rather different to the past two. In 2009, there was a clear leader and a second round wasn’t even needed, while in 2014 a second round did happen, but there was very little intrigue, lrt.lt writes. This time, however, things will be interesting – it will definitely be a new politician, who will arrive in Daukantas Square. Will this bring about greater voter turnout? […]
Politics
PM dismisses criticism of gender inequality in his all-men cabinet
Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis on Friday dismissed criticism that Lithuania might become the only country in Europe where women are absent from the cabinet of ministers. […]
CORPORATE
Vytautas Landsbergis’ wish for the Lithuanian government – less blood, more wisdom
“I hope that things will not be all bad in Lithuania, that we will avoid various collapses, violent actions, against the opposition for example. We are constantly beset by various scandals involving the government, the cabinet. While performing investigations on prior cabinets, it is time to prepare for investigations on this cabinet’s work and mistakes, which may or may not be malicious. There are things to investigate,” professor Vytautas Landsbergis says. On the starting year and what to expect in both domestic and foreign policy, a discussion on Delfi’s Dėmesio Centre with politician Vytautas Landsbergis. […]
Politics
Grybauskaitė refuses to enter war of words with Pranckietis: everything is clear
President Dalia Grybauskaitė is refusing to enter a war of words with Seimas Speaker Viktoras Pranckietis, who responded to the president’s New Year’s address, which called to prevent illiteracy and populism to take hold, with criticism. […]
Politics
D. Grybauskaitė congratulates Lithuania with the New Year: many challenges await in 2019
President Dalia Grybauskaitė delivered her annual New Year’s Address. According to the head of state, an extraordinary, historic year has ended and challenges both within the country and on the international arena await in 2019, lrt.lt writes. […]
Global LT
Expat Lithuanians awarded in the annual Global Lithuania Awards
On December 27, the Global Lithuania Awards 2018 ceremony was held at the National Philharmonic. 400 guests from tens of countries gathered to honour international Lithuanians and foreign professionals related to Lithuania, who have contributed to the growth of our country through their knowledge, connections, investments and other initiatives. […]
Politics
President signs referendum law amendments
President Dalia Grybauskaitė signed amendments to the referendum law on Thursday, lrt.lt writes. […]
CORPORATE
If Skvernelis is seeking to rally his electorate, he chose the wrong opponents
The striking teachers are awaiting Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis’ apology, but he does not appear intent to do so. The team assembled by the PM, which is preparing a long-term public sector wage payment project features neither striking, nor non-striking teachers. The trade union confederation chairwoman stated that the goal is the lowest earning civil servants, but teachers were not mentioned among them, lrt.lt writes. […]
Politics
First new minister candidate surfaces
A candidate has appeared for one of the three vacant minister portfolios. Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis presented President Dalia Grybauskaitė with the candidacy of literary, poet Mindaugas Kvietkauskas for the office of minister of culture. […]
Politics
Paluckas: Grybauskaitė helped Skvernelis start his presidential campaign
The confrontation between the majority and the president is a public relations stunt intended for the nearing elections, Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) chairman Gintautas Paluckas told Žinių Radijas. He is convinced that there is no “war” between the Lithuanian political leaders, which is proven by their decisions in Seimas. […]
Politics
S. Skvernelis about phone call from the president: aid was not offered
In an interview to LRT Television’s Dienos Tema, President Dalia Grybauskaitė stated that out of concern over teacher wages payment reform, she offered her aid to both the now dismissed Minister of Education and Science Jurgita Petrauskienė and to Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis. That said, the latter apparently refused aid from the head of state. Meanwhile, S. Skvernelis stated in a cabinet hour held in Seimas that what was offered was not aid, lrt.lt writes. […]
Economy
D. Grybauskaitė: the EU will owe us
Lithuanian farmers will not receive the sort of direct grants from the EU as were promised already in 2013. “This means that the EU will owe us,” Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė told LRT Radio before departing to negotiations on the EU’s new budget. However, the situation could be even worse. According to the president, if the UK will not depart the EU as planned due to political chaos, the budget, which does not satisfy Lithuania already, will decline even further. […]
European Union
European Commission’s proposal on direct payments to Lithuanian farmers “unacceptable”: President Grybauskaitė
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė said on Monday the European Commission‘s proposals on direct payments to Lithuanian farmers are “unacceptable”. The country’s farmers are planning to hold a demonstration in Brussels on Thursday. […]
Foreign affairs
Ukrainian, Lithuanian presidents meet on cooperation
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and his Lithuanian counterpart Dalia Grybauskaitė met on Friday to discuss bilateral cooperation, Poroshenko’s press service said. […]
Politics
Questions for the president about commercial and central banks’ actions in crisis investigation
The Seimas Committee on Budget and Finance will request President Dalia Grybauskaitė to answer questions on the financial crisis. She will be sent questions about the actions of commercial banks and the Bank of Lithuania by committee chairman Stasys Jakeliūnas. Former Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius criticises such pursuits and similarly to the president, describes S. Jakeliūnas as inadequate, lrt.lt writes. […]
CORPORATE
R. Lopata: it could appear that we have become a presidential republic
Lithuanian foreign policy is weakened by the fact that all the powers of its formation and implementation are focused in one location – the institution of the president, while its other centres – the cabinet and Seimas are passive, political scientist Raimundas Lopata tells lrt.lt. “Lithuania is a unique country, whose prime ministers do not go to Brussels. It could appear to some that Lithuania has become a presidential republic,” the professor is quoted by lrt.lt. […]
Foreign affairs
Lithuanian, Ukrainian presidents to meet on security issues
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė is to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko on Friday to discuss the security situation in Eastern Ukraine and the Sea of Azov, said the President’s Office on Tuesday. […]
CORPORATE
S. Skvernelis: I planned to “reboot” the cabinet after the presidential elections
Probably no one expected Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis’ decision to replace three of his cabinet ministers – education and science, culture, as well as environment. Even President Dalia Grybauskaitė, to whom the PM intends to hand the dismissal documents, stated that she only has no doubt about the dismissal of Jurgita Petrauskienė, but regarding the other ministers’ unsuitability to hold office, she expects to hear arguments. S. Skvernelis spoke on this topic in LRT Television’s show Dienos Tema, lrt.lt writes. […]