The Lithuanian parliament, Seimas, held a closed session on Tuesday, for the first time since 1991. Lawmakers were briefed on the security situation as the government seeks substantial increases in military spending.
One of the presenters at the session, Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė, says the closed discussion – from which participants are not allowed to disclose any details – was necessary, although it failed to convince some politicians.
“People have very different opinions, but judging from the questions asked by a number of colleagues and from the reactions, for a significant number of MPs the meeting was relevant,” Šakalienė told reporters at the Seimas.
“Such a sitting is really meaningful,” she added.
Šakalienė said some of the questions from MPs showed who was “serious” about strengthening Lithuania’s defence and working together despite political differences.
“Defence issues do not allow us to play political games,” she said, adding that there were sceptics as well.
“We also see some colleagues who will apparently say, even standing in front of a Russian tank, that it is a toy,” the politician said.
Ignas Vėgėlė, a member of the Lithuanian Farmers, Greens and Christian Families Union group, commented after the sitting that there was no need for it to be closed and that no new facts were presented: “Some additional figures have been provided – that’s all.”
According to Vėgėlė, the session could have been public so that both the media and the public would be aware of the current situation and security threats.
“As far as defence funding is concerned, I did not hear any absolutely new data or figures. [...] Most of the information that was presented is, in my understanding, public and could be presented in a public session of the Seimas,” Vėgėlė said.
Other speakers during the closed parliament session included the military intelligence chief, the chief of Defence Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys.
Meanwhile, Auditor General Mindaugas Macijauskas presented an analysis of the management of defence budget.
The Seimas held a close session for the first time after almost 34 years as the country plans to significantly increase funding for defence.
According to parliamentary records, the Seimas has held 13 closed sittings in total, all of them immediately in 1990–1991, with the last one taking place in December 1991. Some of the materials from the sittings have since been declassified.
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