The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, must impeach MP Remigijus Zemaitaitis, leader of the far-right Dawn of Nemunas (PPNA) party, if an appeals court upholds a lower court ruling finding him guilty of antisemitic hate speech, opposition leaders stated, Lietuvos Rytas reports. Saulius Skvernelis, chairman of the Union of Democrats for Lithuania (DSVL), and Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen,…
Lithuania’s Vilnius Regional Court has found MP Remigijus Zemaitaitis, leader of the far-right Dawn of Nemunas (PPNA) party, guilty of antisemitic hate speech, BNS reports. The court stated that Zemaitaitis had “publicly mocked, demeaned, and encouraged hatred” towards a group of people because of their Jewish ethnicity and “grossly minimised” the Holocaust in an “offensive…
The leader of Lithuania’s far-right populist Dawn of Nemunas party, MP Remigijus Zemaitaitis, has called for abolishing the country’s Constitutional Court, ELTA reports. He insisted that the court had become a “politicised institution” and suggested that its functions be taken over by the Supreme Court instead. In 2024, the Constitutional Court ruled that Zemaitaitis had violated…
The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has voted to strip MP Remigijus Zemaitaitis, leader of the far-right Dawn of Nemunas party, of his parliamentary immunity, BNS reports. The motion passed with 101 votes in favour and none against or abstaining. Dawn of Nemunas MPs boycotted the vote. The move allows the court to continue hearing a…
Two of the biggest groups in the European Parliament, the European People’s Party (EPP) and Renew Europe, have urged the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) and the Union of Democrats for Lithuania (DSVL) to exclude the far-right Dawn of Nemunas party from their incoming coalition government, LRT reports. EPP and Renew Europe warned that granting…
Lithuania’s main opposition party, the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP), scored a big victory after the second round of parliamentary elections on 27 October 2024, LRT reports. Altogether eight parties and two independent candidates won seats in the 141-member parliament, the Seimas. LSDP managed to win as many as 52 seats, which is up…
Over 150 public figures in Lithuania have signed an appeal to President Gitanas Nauseda and political parties, urging them to reject antisemitic politicians, LRT reports. Earlier, top politicians and Jewish community leaders warned of continuing antisemitism in Lithuania, BNS reported. Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte pointed to antisemitic statements by former MP Remigijus Zemaitaitis, leader of…
The chairman of Lithuania’s ruling Homeland Union (TS-LKD), Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, has called for talks with the opposition Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP) over fears about the surge in support for the new far-right party, Dawn of Nemunas, ELTA reports. Speaking in an interview with Ziniu Radijas, Landsbergis warned that the Dawn of…
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, chairman of the ruling Homeland Union (TS-LKD), called on President Gitanas Nauseda to set up a “cordon sanitaire” to prevent radical political forces from coming to power after the parliamentary elections in October 2024, BNS reports. Speaking in an interview with Ziniu Radijas, Landsbergis warned that pandering to radical political…