On Thursday, the Lithuanian parliament approved a new centre-left government led by Gintautas Palukas, which aims to support social policy, help Ukraine and strengthen defence in the face of the Russian threat. This was reported by the AFP news agency.
The new coalition consists of three parties, including the Dawns on the Neman party, whose leader is currently being sued for allegedly making anti-Semitic statements. The government has already been sworn in and presented its programme.
In its programme, the government promises to support Ukraine “before and after its victory” and to help Kyiv “accelerate the process of joining the EU and NATO”. Lithuania also plans to allocate 0.25% of GDP annually for military assistance to Ukraine. According to estimates, Lithuania is one of the largest donors to Ukraine among countries that take into account the size of their economies.
Social Democrat Prime Minister Gintautas Palukakas said on Thursday that members of the government plan to visit Ukraine in the near future. “We have to show unity, solidarity and friendship,” he said in a speech to MPs.
In response to the Russian threat, the government of Lithuania, a former Soviet republic, intends to increase the national defence budget to a minimum of 3.5% of GDP.
The leader of the Social Democratic faction in parliament, Remigijus Motuzas, said that the government’s programme was aimed at “responding to the basic needs of citizens”.
Opponents of the government opposed the programme, considering it too generous for the state budget.
Following the October elections, President Gitanas Nausėda promised to carefully vet the candidates of the Zori na Niemen party for government and to prevent members of the party from gaining ministerial positions.
As part of the coalition agreement, Zori na Niemen will control the ministries of agriculture, environment and justice. Kestutis Budrys, President Nausėda’s chief national security adviser, will become foreign minister, while Social Democrat Dovilė Sakalene will take over as defence minister.
Remigijus Zemaitaitaitis, the leader of the Dawns on the Neman party, is under judicial investigation on charges of inciting hatred for quoting an anti-Semitic verse referring to the murder of Jews and criticising Israel’s actions in the occupied West Bank. Zemaitaitaitis has also come under criticism for statements that many believe downplay the Holocaust, a tragedy that led to the near-complete destruction of Lithuania’s Jewish community during the Nazi occupation.
Zemaitaitaitis denies all charges, and the court’s decision has not yet been made.
