Lithuania: Parliament strips ex-PM of immunity

The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has stripped former prime minister Gintautas Paluckas of his parliamentary immunity, BNS reports. The decision allows prosecutors to investigate Paluckas for alleged illicit enrichment and abuse of office. Paluckas and his wife, Ilma Palucke, are suspected of having acquired cars, real estate, and securities worth nearly EUR 344,600 with income…

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Lithuania: MPs call for referendum on concept of family

Around 50 members of the Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, have proposed holding a popular referendum on redefining the concept of family in the country’s constitution, LRT reports. The MPs argue that the Constitutional Court exceeded its authority when ruling that the concept of family was gender-neutral and not exclusive to married couples, and that limiting…

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Lithuania: Venice Commission warns against ad personam law

The Council of Europe’s advisory body on constitutional law, the Venice Commission, is warning Lithuania against legislation that could appear to target the current top management of the country’s public broadcaster, Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), BNS reports. The commission recommended that planned new rules on dismissing LRT’s director general only apply to office…

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Lithuania: New protest against public broadcaster law

Over 10,000 people in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, protested outside the parliament, the Seimas, on 8 April 2026 against proposed changes to legislation governing the country’s public broadcaster, Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), BNS reported. The demonstration was organised by the Association of Professional Journalists (ZPA). Nevertheless, Seimas speaker Juozas Olekas insisted that the…

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Lithuania: Government pursues control over public broadcaster

The Lithuanian government is pressing ahead with legislative proposals that would impose political control over the country’s public broadcaster, Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), LRT reports. Earlier, opposition MPs as well as representatives of the Lithuanian Association of Professional Journalists (ZPA) and LRT staff withdrew in protest from a parliamentary working group set up…

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Lithuania: Opposition party backs chair amid corruption probe

Lithuania’s opposition Union of Democrats for Lithuania (DSVL) retains its trust in the party chairman, Saulius Skvernelis, DSVL’s deputy chairman, MEP Virginijus Sinkevicius, stated, ELTA reports. Earlier, Lithuania’s Special Investigation Service (STT) searched the homes and offices of Skvernelis and another opposition MP, Kazys Starkevicius, as part of an investigation into large-scale corruption at the…

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Lithuania: President pushes EU to extend sanctions on Belarus

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda pledged to push for the EU to extend sanctions imposed against Belarus, BNS reports. He pointed to the Belarusian regime’s continued alignment with Russia, repression of political opponents, and repeated hybrid attacks against Lithuania. EU defence commissioner Andrius Kubilius agreed that there was no reason for the EU to remove the…

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Lithuania: Coalition to push forward disputed public broadcaster law

Lithuania’s ruling coalition plans to go ahead with legislation that would make it easier to dismiss the director general of the country’s public broadcaster, Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), BNS reports. Juozas Olekas, speaker of the Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, said that the coalition intended to submit a new version of draft amendments after…

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