Following a social media incident in which a Belarusian trolleybus driver refused to speak Lithuanian with a Vilnius public transport (VVT) dispatcher, the city’s mayor, Valdas Benkunskas, has announced plans to propose a language training programme for employees of municipal companies.
The mayor said the initiative would support third-country nationals who have come to work in Vilnius and currently lack motivation to learn Lithuanian.
“At the next city council meeting, I will propose a language training system for employees of municipal companies, with appropriate funding. The city administration could cover the costs for these companies to ensure staff learn Lithuanian to at least a basic level,” V. Benkunskas said in a statement to the media on Tuesday.
The incident, reported by LRT RADIO on Sunday, involved Belarusian activist Andrejus Paukas, who has lived in Lithuania for five years and works as a trolleybus driver in Vilnius. He reportedly refused to speak Lithuanian with a dispatcher at the trolleybus park, and a video of the exchange was posted online.
Mayor Benkunskas described the driver’s actions as “absolutely intolerable” and said it demonstrated a lack of respect for both the Lithuanian language and VVT employees.
He added that the episode highlights broader integration challenges:
“The state tends to turn a blind eye to problems surrounding the integration of foreigners in Lithuania. There is still no clear model for how newcomers should be taught Lithuanian and tested, even though from the New Year all employees in the service sector will be required to speak the national language.”
The mayor stressed that while Lithuania’s policy allows for the employment of foreign workers, many have little incentive to learn Lithuanian if they do not intend to settle permanently.
Benkunskas urged the government to collaborate with local authorities and businesses to develop “an effective integration system for foreign nationals.”
Last October, the Seimas passed amendments to the State Language Law, which from 2026 will require producers, retailers, and service providers to offer essential information about goods and services in Lithuanian and to label products in the state language
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