Lithuanian PM given two weeks to respond to allegations amid calls for resignation

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has given Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas two weeks to explain his business dealings or consider stepping down, amid mounting political pressure and ongoing investigations into his financial and corporate past.

“The president has asked the prime minister to either give a reasoned answer to the questions raised by the public in the next two weeks, or to consider seriously his further options as prime minister,” presidential adviser Frederikas Jansonas told reporters following a meeting between the two leaders on July 24, Caliber.Az reports per LRT.

The move comes as opposition parties prepare to convene an extraordinary session of the parliament, the Seimas, where they are expected to consider launching impeachment proceedings against Paluckas.

On July 23, Paluckas announced he would seek a vote of confidence from lawmakers and reiterated his stance a day later, saying the vote should be held openly through a parliamentary resolution, rather than via the interpellation process.

A series of investigative reports published in recent weeks have raised questions about the prime minister’s past and present business activities. Some of the cases are currently under investigation by Lithuania’s anti-corruption agency and law enforcement bodies. Paluckas maintains he has not violated any laws.

Earlier this month, local investigative outlets Laisvės TV and Siena revealed that Paluckas only completed repayment of €16,500 in damages to the Vilnius municipality this July—almost ten years after the agreed deadline. Paluckas apologized for the delay, calling it “an honest mistake.”

In a separate case, the outlet Redakcija reported that Paluckas and a business associate purchased land in a state forest under questionable circumstances between 2009 and 2014. The land has since been returned to the state by prosecutors.

Further scrutiny surrounds a €200,000 loan issued earlier this year to a company partially owned by Paluckas, which is now under investigation by the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FNTT). Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Service (STT) is examining his past real estate transactions and corporate ties from more than a decade ago.

On July 23, yet another report surfaced alleging that a company owned by Paluckas’ sister-in-law had purchased equipment from a firm in which the prime minister holds a 49% stake, as part of an EU-funded project.

“In the president’s view, yesterday’s story is the first one that refers to events that took place while Mr Gintautas Paluckas was already prime minister,” Jansonas said. “This, in fact, influences the president’s position and attitude.”

Paluckas responded to the latest revelations by stating he was unaware of the transaction involving his sister-in-law.

“I am not involved in running the companies, so this information was also quite a surprise for me, but I know that my brother was certainly aware of the products developed by Garnis, because I had informed him about it,” he told reporters after his meeting with Nausėda.

He pledged to clarify the matter publicly.

“This happened while I was already prime minister, so it is necessary to provide information to the public about all the circumstances,” Paluckas said, adding that, to his knowledge, “everything was done properly and transparently.”

By Sabina Mammadli