The construction of the Vilnius national stadium first started in 1987 and suffered multiple cancellations and crises. Still, it remains more of a mirage than a reality. Although construction restarted with renewed ambition, the construction has once again stalled and now hinges on the European Commission’s decision whether to grant EU support to complete the project.
Amid ongoing geopolitical tensions, two parties in the ruling coalition – the Nemunas Dawn and Democrats “For Lithuania” questioned the financial risks and urged the government to withdraw its support from the project.
The total cost of the project to be covered by public funds is 155 million euros.
“Is it still worth the government taking on such risks and participating in this project? The government should reconsider its role. If the Vilnius municipality wishes to proceed, it should do so using its own funds,” said Saulius Skvernelis, head of the Democrats.
As prime minister in 2016–2020, Skvernelis held back the former Vilnius mayor, Remigius Šimašius, from moving the project forward with government support.
Current Vilnius mayor Valdas Benkunskas expressed regret that some MPs appear to believe Vilnius does not need sports or other public infrastructure.
“We are in the final phase. Once all necessary approvals are received, construction could be completed within a year,” said Mayor Benkunskas.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, head of the Social Democrats leading the government, said Brussels was likely to approve the funding.
He also noted that Vilnius lags behind other municipalities in terms of sports infrastructure, but pledged to take the coalition partners' concerns into account.
“We will assess our colleagues' proposal to terminate the project and consider its consequences. Some costs have already been incurred, agreements with potential investors are in place, and any shift in position could have financial repercussions. We will weigh all of this carefully,” said Paluckas.
The mayor stressed that neither the municipality nor the government has spent a single euro on the project so far. However, terminating the agreement could lead to legal action.
“We are talking about the potential cancellation of a contract and what that would cost,” said Benkunskas, the Vilnius mayor. “Everything done and invested so far has been covered by the investor.”.
Brussels is expected to deliver its verdict later this month.
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