Last week, in Lithuania, the key news stories were Seimas lowering Lithuanian general election threshold, youngsters vandalising a mosque and online second-hand clothing marketplace Vinted claiming a «Unicorn» status for start-up value.

Prosecutor seeks suspended jail sentences for Paksas, Vainauskas

The public prosecutor is seeking suspended prison sentences for Lithuania’s impeached former president Rolandas Paksas and Gedvydas Vainauskas, the CEO of the media group Lietuvos Rytas, who are standing trial on influence peddling charges. Gedgaudas Norkūnas, the prosecutor, asked the court on Friday, November 29, to sentence Paksas to three years and two months’ imprisonment, to be suspended for two years and two months. The public prosecutor is seeking a three-year prison sentence, to be suspended for two years, and a fine of over 26,000 euros for Vainauskas.

Lithuania elected to chemical weapons prohibition body’s council

Lithuania has been for the first time elected to the executive council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the Foreign Ministry said on Friday, November 29. Lithuania’s candidacy for the OPCW executive council for the 2020-2022 period was unanimously approved in The Hague earlier this week, the ministry said in a press release.

Lithuanian opera sees huge success at Venice Biennale

Some 87,000 people have visited Lithuania’s pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale and seen the Sun & Sea (Marina) opera performance performed on an artificial beach, its creators said this week. All in all, 159 people have worked on the project over the six months the Lithuanian pavilion was opened. And 51 performers from Lithuania, Italy, Brazil, the US, the UK, Spain, Germany, Greece and other countries impersonated the 13 opera characters.  Over the next couple of years, the Lithuanian artists plans to perform the opera in 2020 in Norway, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland, Iceland, the UK, the US, Russia, Australia and other countries.

Seimas backs proposal to reduce election threshold

The Seimas on Thursday, November 28, gave its initial backing to a proposal by the ruling parties to reduce the existing election thresholds to 3 per cent for political parties and to 5 percent for party coalitions after 62 MPs voted in favour, 44 were against and five abstained. The proposal was put forward by Ramūnas Karbauskis, leader of the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union, and Naglis Puteikis, leader of the Centre Party.

 CEC lifts Sinkevičius’ parlt mandate after EC confirmation

Lithuania’s Central Electoral Commission on Thursday, November 28, lifted the parliamentary mandate of Virginijus Sinkevičius, representing the ruling Lithuanian Farmers and Greens in the Lithuanian parliament after he was confirmed as a European commissioner. Sinkevičius was elected to the parliament in the Šeskinė single-member constituency in Vilnius but a new election will not be held there.

Youngsters suspected of vandalising mosque, synagogue

The same youngsters are suspected of having vandalized a mosque and synagogue in Lithuania’s second-largest city of Kaunas, Kaunas County Police said on Thursday, November 28. Windows of the mosque in the city centre were smashed on November 17, and a Heil Hitler inscription was discovered on the synagogue’s information board on November 13. Police officers believe the two offences were committed by the same youngsters. Three persons, including males aged 17 and 18 and a female aged 15, were identified. They are now being questioned and officers are taking other actions as part of the ongoing pre-trial investigation.

Transport minister in hot water

Lithuanian Transport and Communications Minister Jaroslav Narkevic said on Thursday, November 28, that he will decide on whether to remain in his post following consultations with his party and Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis. Narkevič has faced a barrage of criticism from the opposition lately for his decision to fire the management board of Lietuvos Paštas (Lithuanian Post), for his recent visit to the United Arab Emirates, for approving funding for certain road upgrades, and other issues.  President Gitanas Nausėda has called this week Narkevič to resign.

Lithuania disappointed with Apple

Lithuania is disappointed with Apple’s decision to show the annexed Crimean peninsula as part of Russian territory on its apps when viewed from Russia, Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius said on Thursday, November 28. Ukraine on Wednesday condemned the US technology giant for agreeing to show Crimea as Russian territory on its products.

Teachers stage warning strike

Teachers in several hundred schools across Lithuania staged a two-hour warning strike on Thursday, November 28, to press their demand for more funding next year. The strike action was backed by all trade unions that signed in 2017 a collective agreement that provided for allocating 117 million euros in additional funding for education in the 2020 budget. The government’s 2020 budget bill currently earmarks just over 55 million euros in extra funding for that purpose.

Startup Vinted becomes Lithuania’s 1st «unicorn»

Online second-hand clothing marketplace Vinted has raised 128 million euros in a funding round, making it Lithuania’s first «unicorn», a start-up company valued at over 1 billion euros. The new round was led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, a new investor in Vinted, the company said on Thursday, November 28. Vinted will use the money to develop its technological platform and to accelerate its expansion and growth in Europe.

Nausėda gets Zelensky’s assurances over fertiliser exports

President Gitanas Nausėda says he has received assurances from his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, that Ukraine will next spring complete its fertilizer market studies that are worrying Lithuanian fertilizer manufacturers. Speaking in a joint news conference after the two presidents’ meeting in Vilnius, Nausėda said he believed that Lithuanian companies would have free access to the Ukrainian fertilizer market. Lithuanian producers and government officials are concerned that Ukraine’s trade protection studies regarding ammonium nitrate and compound fertilizers may lead to the country imposing import duties or quotas.