The Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) signed the coalition agreement to form the ruling majority with two other parties, the Democratic Union “For Lithuania” and the Dawn of the Nemunas party. The latter’s participation has sparked international controversy over the party leader’s past anti-Semitic statements.
Under the coalition agreement, the new government will be led by Social Democrat Gintautas Paluckas, and Saulius Skvernelis, the leader of the Democrats will become speaker of the Seimas.
The LSDP council backed the decision to form the coalition with the two parties on Saturday by 105 council members, while seven Social Democrats, including honorary chairman Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis, voted against, and 17 abstained.
Earlier on Saturday, the agreement was also approved by the smaller partners in the would-be coalition.
The LSDP had also held consultations with the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LVŽS), but both Democratic leader Saulius Skvernelis and Dawn of the Nemunas chairman Remigijus Žemaitaitis insisted they would not work in a coalition with the party led by Ramūnas Karbauskis.
The LSDP would have nine ministerial portfolios – finance, defence, culture, social security and labour, transport, healthcare, education, foreign affairs, and the interior – in the new government.
The Dawn of the Nemunas would delegate ministers in charge of agriculture, environment, and justice. Two portfolios – economy and energy – would go to the Democrats.
The LSDP would also secure the position of first deputy speaker of the Seimas and two more deputy speaker roles, while two more would go to the Dawn of the Nemunas.
The coalition deal also includes commitments to establish a Road Fund, introduce a reduced VAT rate for fruit and vegetables, reform the private pension funds system, step up efforts to combat xenophobia, allow consumers to return to public electricity providers, and halt certain education reforms.
“I’m satisfied with the coalition agreement format, although there was a lot of controversy. Thanks to our chairwoman’s titanic efforts, various emotions and reactions were contained,” Paluckas said during the LSDP council meeting.
The three-party coalition would hold at least 86 seats out of 141 in the new parliament, which will be sworn in on Thursday.
The Social Democrats’ decision to invite the Dawn of the Nemunas into the coalition has drawn international criticism because of its leader’s past statements about Israel and Jews. In April, the Constitutional Court ruled that they constituted hate speech and were a breach of Žemaitaitis oath of office.
Further reading
Over the weekend, representatives of the United States, Germany, and Israel have issued statements criticising Lithuania’s would-be coalition for including the Dawn of the Nemunas.
Ben Cardin, chairman of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, said that including the party, whose leader has been indicted for inciting violence and hatred against Jews, “undermines the core values that unite our nations”.
“At a time when antisemitism is on the rise around the world, giving a platform to anti-Semitic rhetoric and acts of hate is not just a betrayal of shared democratic ideals, but a physical threat to the safety of Jewish and minority communities,” he said in a statement.
Further reading
Michael Roth, the Social Democratic (SPD) chairman of the German Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee, said that the LSDP’s coalition with the Dawn of the Nemunas is incompatible with leftist values.
Yuli Edelstein, chairman of the Israeli parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, also issued a statement on the Dawn of the Nemunas party on Sunday.
“Lithuania is a close ally of Israel and a champion of democratic and humanitarian values. In a time when antisemitism and anti-Israeli sentiments raise their ugly head across Europe, I view with great concern the rise and influence of a party with anti-Semitic links in Lithuania,” he posted on X.
Paluckas, the social democratic ministerial candidate, said on Saturday that Žemaitaitis himself would not be a minister.
“Žemaitaitis will not be in the cabinet of ministers,” Paluckas told reporters in Vilnius. “Žemaitaitis is dealing with his case in court right now.”
The court is currently hearing a criminal case in which Žemaitaitis is accused of publicly ridiculing, expressing contempt for and inciting hatred against Jews as a nation.
The politician has denied any anti-Semitic intent, claiming that his social media posts only criticised Israel.
In May 2023, Žemaitaitis posted a news story about a Palestinian school demolished by Israel in the West Bank. He added that Israel’s actions “increase the anger and, at the same time, the hatred towards Jews and their nation” and quoted an anti-Semitic rhyme.
In his Facebook posts last year, Žemaitaitis suggested that “the Jews and Russians” oppressed ethnic Lithuanians during World War Two and were responsible for the 1944 massacre of the village of Pirčiupiai. In fact, the atrocity was committed by German SS troops.
Clause on fighting anti-Semitism
The coalition agreement signed by the LSDP, the Democratic Union “For Lithuania” and the Dawn of the Nemunas party includes a clause on combating anti-Semitism.
There was no such clause when the parties’ governing bodies approved the draft agreement at the end of last week.
“We respect all people of different nationalities who for centuries have contributed and are contributing to the preservation of Lithuania’s independence and the creation of its prosperity,” the document published on Monday reads. “We will fight anti-Semitism, xenophobia and incitement to hatred in any form.”
The draft coalition agreement, seen by BNS on Saturday morning, included only a commitment to adopt an action plan to combat xenophobia.
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