The Speaker of the Lithuanian parliament, Juozas Olekas, has said on Thursday that he sees no grounds for a no-confidence motion brought against him by the opposition.
The motion has been put forward by conservatives, liberals and democrats "For Lithuania", who accuse Olekas of repeatedly placing party interests above the rule of law during his six months in office.
Presenting the motion on Thursday, conservative MP Mindaugas Lingė told parliament: "I am at this tribune not because of quarrels, but because of the desire to emphasize values important to the foundations of democracy – respect for the Constitution, responsibility, and diligence."
Olekas, on the other hand, described the motion as an attempt to draw attention rather than a serious challenge to his conduct.
"I feel good. I think there is no [ground for no-confidence]. This is more an attempt by the opposition to show its activism and draw attention," he told reporters at the Seimas (Lithuanian Parliament) on Thursday.
The Sabatauskas affair
The most serious charge against Olekas concerns his nomination of Social Democrat colleague Julius Sabatauskas to the Constitutional Court, despite warnings from legal scholars, constitutional experts and the opposition that Sabatauskas did not meet the constitutional requirement of ten years' legal experience.
The court ruled in mid-January that the appointment was unconstitutional, finding that time served as an MP does not qualify as legal work.
Olekas defended the nomination, saying he stood by the decision given the information available to him at the time.
"Of course, now knowing that there is such a decision by the Constitutional Court, I would not have made such a proposal. But at that time, with the information I had, what the practice was, it seems to me that it was actually a good choice," he said.
Lingė was unimpressed. "We did not hear from the Speaker that he made a mistake, that he regrets it, what conclusions he drew to prevent such a situation from recurring," he said. "True, we heard regret – but not for selecting a candidate who did not meet the requirements, but for such a decision by the Constitutional Court."
Further accusations
The opposition also criticised Olekas over two failed nominations for parliamentary ombudsman positions, one of whom had studied law at Moscow International University, and accused him of allowing an MP without the required security clearance to participate in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly for more than six months.
Lingė further accused Olekas of mishandling a working group reviewing legislation governing the public broadcaster LRT, saying it had been conducted in a one-sided manner without consulting all relevant journalists' organisations, despite tens of thousands protesting against the proposed changes.
Several organisations and most opposition representatives walked out of the group.
"The entire situation with LRT is a moral test of democracy – and the Speaker of the Seimas's actions failed it," Lingė said.
Olekas rejected the charge of avoiding dialogue, and suggested the motion reflected the opposition's unease at the ruling party's legislative achievements.
"What has been done during this six-month period, what decisions have been made regarding the budget, the second pension pillar, family support, social affairs – they may cause some concern for the opposition that the ruling party is succeeding in fulfilling its obligations," he said.
Motion likely to fail
34 opposition members backed the no-confidence motion. However, Lingė acknowledged that Olekas was unlikely to be removed, as the ruling coalition holds 81 of the 141 seats in the Seimas – well above the 71 required to dismiss him.
Three ruling coalition factions also plan to boycott Thursday’s secret ballot on the no-confidence motion against Olekas. The decision was confirmed by the elders of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, Nemunas Dawn, and the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens and Christian Families Union factions.
"We understand the political arithmetic," Lingė said, expressing hope that the process would nonetheless prompt reflection within the coalition.
Under the Seimas Statute, dismissal requires a secret ballot in which more than half of all members – at least 71 – vote in favour.
Olekas has served as Seimas speaker since September 10, 2025.
Updated: added quotes from Lingė, details about the no-confidence vote, including ruling party plans to boycott.
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