Last week, Freedom leader proposed amending Electoral Code, Ukrainian company revealed plans to build explosives plant in Lithuania
Candidates proposed for Lithuania’s judges at EU General Court
Three candidates have been proposed for the positions of Lithuania’s judges at the EU General Court following a selection process carried out by a working group appointed by Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė the Justice Minister said on Friday, the 18th of October. The candidates are Danute Jocienė, Saulius Lukas Kaleda, and Mantas Stanevičius, it said. The lists will be submitted to the prime minister, who will then present a reasoned proposal to the government regarding the candidates. The government, with the president’s approval, consults with the parliament when nominating the candidates. The selection process is being conducted as the terms of office will expire next year.
Ignalina N-plant allowed to dismantle reactor storage facilities
Lithuania’s State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate has given the go-ahead for the shutdown Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) to start dismantling its reactor storage facilities, the INPP said on Thursday, the 17th of October, adding that it had received a decommissioning license authorizing it to carry out demolition work. According to the INPP, the license could not be issued until all nuclear materials had been fully removed from its reactor units and the spent fuel had been safely transported. The company completed these tasks in early 2023. Spent nuclear fuel and other long-lived radioactive materials were produced between 1983 and 2009, with more to be generated as the decommissioning continues until 2040. Long-lived radioactive waste is now stored in temporary facilities and will eventually be moved to a deep geological repository, which is expected to be built and operational by 2080.
Parliament starts discussing 2025 budget bill
The Lithuanian parliament Seimas began on Thursday, the 17th of October, discussing next year’s draft central government budget, the last one prepared by Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė’s Cabinet. While presenting the bill to the parliament, Finance Minister Gintarė Skaistė described it as “a budget of promises fulfilled and kept,” with priorities centered on increasing people’s incomes, strengthening defence and security, and driving investments. The central government’s budget revenue is expected to grow by 5.9% to 17.98 billion euros and expenditure is projected to increase by 11.7% to 23.02 billion euros next year, compared to this year’s targets. The budget deficit is projected at 3% of GDP, unchanged from this year, with government debt at 43.2% of GDP.
Freedom leader proposes amending Electoral Code
Aušrinė Armonaitė, chairwoman of the Freedom Party, proposed on Wednesday, the 16th of October, amendments to the Electoral Code that would allow to preserve the single-member constituency of the Lithuanians of the world for the next Seimas election. Citing the initial results of this year’s parliamentary elections, she said that the single-member constituency of the Lithuanians of the world, which has been set up for voting by Lithuanian citizens living abroad, could be abolished in the next elections due to the insufficient number of voters. Armonaitė has made it to the second round of the election in the constituency of the Lithuanians of the world where she will face a runoff against Conservative Dalia Asanavičiūtė.
Ukrainian company to build explosives plant in Lithuania
A Ukrainian company will build a factory for RDX explosives in Lithuania, the Ministry of the Economy and Innovation announced on Wednesday, the 16th of October, the ministry has signed a letter of intent on cooperation with the Ukrainian company. Construction is expected to start next year. The specific company and the location of the future plant have not been revealed, but the government last week reserved three state-owned land plots for defence industry needs in Upytė Eldership in the northern district of Panevėžys. The explosives plant is one of several joint defence projects planned between Lithuania and Ukraine.
Lithuanian, French presidents discuss security situation
President Gitanas Nausėda on Tuesday, the 15th of October, met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris to discuss the security situation in Europe, efforts to strengthen the European Union’s security and defence, support for Ukraine, and bilateral relations. The Lithuanian leader also stressed the need to accelerate increasing of defence spending in European countries, setting a more ambitious target of 3% of gross domestic product (GDP). The two also discussed the ongoing progress of Russia’s war in Ukraine and the need to support Ukraine.
Delta Biosciences selected for NASA’s space health program
Delta Biosciences, a Lithuanian life sciences startup, has been selected for NASA’s Space-H Space Health Accelerator, Innovation Agency Lithuania said on Tuesday, the 15th of October. Delta Biosciences is the first European company to be invited to the program, which promotes cutting-edge space health technologies, the agency said in a press release. According to Dominykas Milašius, the founder of Delta Biosciences, the project marks the company’s entry into a new industry, astrochemistry, where biochemical research is applied to the space sector. Established in 2012, NASA’s Space-H program focuses on new autonomous health and medical systems needed for missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as for commercial space travellers spending extended periods in low Earth orbit.
Ignitis Group to participate in 2nd Baltic Sea offshore wind farm auction
Ignitis Group, Lithuania’s state-owned energy group, announced on Monday, the 14th of October, its decision to participate in the second offshore wind tender for the rights to develop around 700 MW of offshore wind capacity in the Baltic Sea. The group would look for partners to own up to 49% of the project company. The objective of the group is to increase its green capacities four times from 1.3GW in 2023 to 4–5GW by 2030. The tender is currently announced to start on the 18th of November. The winner is expected to be announced by the National Energy Regulatory Council, which is overseeing the process, by the end of April 2025.
LSDP leader set to leave EP, two other Lithuanian MEPs want high posts in exchange
Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, leader of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP), will leave her job in Brussels after the party’s victory in the first round of the Seimas election on the 13th of October. Meanwhile, two more MEPs elected to the Lithuanian parliament – Democrat Virginijus Sinkevičius and Aurelijus Veryga of the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LFGU) – would only return to Lithuania in exchange for high-ranking posts. Sinkevičius would opt for such changes if he were offered a job as a minister, while Veryga would do that if offered a job as prime minister.
LSDP wins first round of Lithuanian general election
The opposition Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) narrowly won the first round of the parliamentary election last Sunday, the 13th of October, with the ruling conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats (HU-LCD) being second. With votes from all 1 947 polling districts counted, the LSDP won 19.36% of the vote and 18 out of 70 seats available in the multi-member constituency, according to preliminary data from the Central Electoral Commission (CEC). The HU-LCD took 17.96% of the vote, giving them 17 seats in the parliament. The Dawn of the Nemunas (Nemuno Aušra), a newly registered party of Remigijus Žemaitaitis, came in third with almost 15% of the vote, securing 14 seats. The Democratic Union “For Lithuania”, also a first-time participant in parliamentary elections, received 9.24% of the vote, guaranteeing them eight seats. The Liberal Movement picked up seven seats with 7.70% of the vote, and the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LFGU) took six with 7.02%. The final seat distribution will be determined in two weeks’ time after most of the single-member constituencies will hold runoffs between two leading candidates on the 27th of October.