Reports
Lithuania Monthly: Suspected embezzlement of millions
During this reporting period, a significant financial scandal dominated the Lithuanian media space. On 2nd February 2024, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office requested the arrest of a former partner of the BaltCap Infrastructure Fund in Vilnius. Šarūnas Stepukonis was suspected of having misappropriated €27 million from the fund. This revelation has triggered a complicated blame game and raised questions about oversight and potential connections between this case and the gambling industry.
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Lithuania Weekly: heating atmosphere regarding Presidential elections
During this reporting week, the focus was on the upcoming Presidential elections and other domestic issues. Kremlin-aligned actors emphasised the recent findings that there were some cyber security violations while collecting signatures to ensure presidential candidacies online. The main target immediately became Ingrida Šimonytė, the current Prime Minister, who collected the necessary number of signatures at record speed. As she represents the ruling government, these cyber security issues overlapped with general anti-government sentiments. Moreover, recent massive financial scandals still often appears as an argument against the government. Some maligned actors didn’t hesitate to picture local LGBT movements vastly negatively, using a harsh lexicon.
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Lithuania Weekly: financial scandals threatening the government
During this reporting week, Kremlin-aligned media mainly held on the BaltCap's case, as the recent internal investigation found Šarūnas Stepukonis may have embezzled even €40.4 million, and the fact that MP Justas Džiugelis has suspended his membership at the ruling Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democratic (TS-LKD) party and left the party’s group at the Seimas amid reports of his ties to a gambling lobbyist.
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Lithuania Weekly: Two years on since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine
During this reporting week, Kremlin-aligned media were mainly concentrated on the upcoming Presidential elections and continued to spread anti-government sentiments. Even though this narrative is well-established, the current intensity of this narrative is remarkable: this may be directly associated with the Lithuanian elections due to take place later this year. Because of bypassing the years mark of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine during this reporting period, Kremlin-aligned outlets also discussed Russia’s war in Ukraine, claiming that “Lithuania will enter the war in Ukraine together with the Poles by sending their troops”. Articles criticised the government, stating that “Lithuania does not need the war with the Russians that this traitorous government is preparing “ and broadly portraying Ukraine’s victory as elusive and its government as “untrustworthy”.
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