LRT English Newsletter – May 3, 2024.
With Ukraine facing personnel shortages at the front, Kyiv’s attention is turning to the thousands of draft-age men who are currently living in the EU. Warsaw previously said it could help Ukraine call back its men, but the Polish foreign minister later cautioned that the move would be “ethically ambiguous”. While Lithuania’s leader said they could send draftees back – or coerce them to go back – the country’s Migration Department said this was purely “a political issue” with no legal basis. The topic will likely turn into a political and moral minefield, but no decisions have yet been made. Meanwhile, some Ukrainian refugees are starting to leave themselves, saying there are few opportunities for them here in Lithuania. Ukrainian nationals still make up the largest share of foreigners with residence permits in Lithuania, followed by Belarusians.
EUNIVERSARY
On May 1, Lithuania marked the 20th anniversary of joining the European Union. It’s been quite a trip. Most of us remember the journey to Brussels starting during the referendum vote when, fearing a low turn-out, a supermarket chain started offering 1-cent deals on beer, chocolate and washing powder if you show proof that you have voted. The turnout quickly rose and the country voted overwhelmingly in favour of joining the bloc. However, the EU’s lurch east brought economic, as well as cultural, fears to “Old Europe”. Read the full story here, as well as an interview with one of the key figures in Lithuania’s EU accession process. But fast forward two decades and Lithuanians – like most Europeans – seem to ignore elections to the European Parliament. Why?
MAY DAY
Around a thousand people rallied in central Vilnius on May 1, calling for workers’ rights to be respected with trade union reps also saying it’s practically impossible to stage a strike. Lithuania’s political scene also saw a newcomer emerge on May 1 after a left-wing party, KArtu, held its founding meeting in Vilnius.
‘AVIATION DISASTER’
Passenger planes flying over the Baltic states have been affected by what experts and officials say is Russia scrambling the GPS signal. The foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have now warned that it could lead to an “aviation disaster”. Most airports have technology to allow landing without a GPS signal. However, Estonia’s Tartu airport is particularly at risk as it still requires the global navigation system for the safe operation of flights. The interference has affected thousands of flights since 2022, experts say.
EDITOR’S PICKS:
– A teacher from Turkey has helped relieve staff shortages in a rural Lithuanian school.
– Some still mourn the loss of Lithuania’s only nuclear power plant. Why did the Chernobyl copy have to shut in the first place?
– Vilnius plans to renovate the Soviet high-rise apartment block surrounded by glass boxes on Konstitucijos Avenue.
– Here’s a fascinating story about a Lithuanian scholar who helped inspire American feminists.
– A US battalion is in Lithuania for good, the defence minister said. Just don’t call it a permanent presence.
– An MP steps down over after an anti-semitic episode.
– Only 12 percent of Lithuanian expats have registered to vote in the election, which will also set the stage for another referendum aiming to legalise holding multiple nationalities.
– Lithuania’s GDP is up.
– And a Kyrgyz man has fallen in love with Lithuania.
Written by Benas Gerdžiūnas
Edited by Justinas Šuliokas
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