Lithuania’s Regional Administrative Court has ruled that MEP Petras Gražulis breached the country’s Electoral Code after promising voters part of his future European Parliament salary during his election campaign.
The court upheld the core finding of the Central Electoral Commission’s decision of August 1, 2024, which concluded that the promise amounted to a violation of electoral rules.
Judges said the basis of democratic elections is the free and independent choice of voters, and that electoral law prohibits not only direct or indirect vote-buying but also promises of post-election rewards intended to influence voter behaviour.
However, the court partially upheld Gražulis’ appeal concerning the wording of the commission’s decision, which had implied he promised support exclusively to those who voted for him. The court said there was no evidence he had made such a specific claim, and ordered that this detail be removed from the ruling. It added, however, that this did not alter the substance of the violation.
The ruling can still be appealed.
According to case materials, Gražulis had pledged during his campaign to allocate 50% of his future European Parliament salary to voters. The promise was made during debates at Vilnius Town Hall, on Facebook, and in an edition of the Plungė newspaper.
In the 2024 European Parliament elections, Gražulis’ People and Justice Union secured 5.34% of the vote, winning one seat and sending him to the European Parliament.
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