Deputy Culture Minister Aleksandras Brokas announced Friday that he is stepping down following days of public criticism and controversy over his appointment.
“Today I made the decision to resign from the position of deputy culture minister,” Brokas wrote on Facebook.
He said the decision stemmed from a “sense of responsibility”.
“In recent days, there has been a great deal of discussion, interpretation, and speculation about me in the public sphere. Some of it was not aimed at truth but at reputational attacks directed not only against me but also against the very idea of culture – free, open, and creative,” Brokas wrote.
He added that he has always believed “culture begins with dignity”.
“Therefore, today I am resigning to preserve that principle, so that the ministry can work without the shadow of destruction, and society can live without doubts about its transparency,” he said.
Brokas said he intends to continue working in the cultural field, focusing on “art, education, and public discourse”.
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Brokas was appointed deputy minister on Tuesday along with Anna Kuznecovienė and Renata Kurmin.
His appointment immediately drew scrutiny over his past ties to Remigijus Žemaitaitis, head of the Nemunas Dawn party, and his previous role at the European Institute of the Harmonious Human, where he was described as a “rhythmologist”.
Rhythmology, the self-described study of rhythmic processes and their effects on living organisms, is widely considered pseudoscience. It was started by Evdokia Luchezarnova-Marchenko, an author from Russia, another point of controversy.
Education Minister Raminta Popovienė is currently serving as acting culture minister. The Culture Ministry has lacked a permanent head since October 3, when Ignotas Adomavičius, nominated by Nemunas Dawn, resigned after just one week in office.
The ruling coalition’s decision to hand control of the Culture Ministry to the Nemunas Dawn party sparked protests from Lithuania’s cultural community.
Although the Social Democratic Party later decided to take the ministry back from Nemunas Dawn and began searching for a new candidate, protests have continued. Cultural figures remain opposed to the appointment of any Nemunas Dawn representatives to the ministry.
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