Reports
Lithuania Weekly: Lithuanian Banks in the Target
Antanas Kandrotas, better known for his nickname Celofanas (Cellophane), convicted of scams and fraud, earlier this year announced his willingness to participate in the presidential elections. However, his decision came across many challenges, and it was not state institutions that decided to block his way to the elections, but private banks: they refused to open an election account for Cellophane, and without it no one can participate in the elections. During the reporting week, Celofanas alone posted 13 posts on his Facebook page, 10 of them were harshly criticizing the banks and actively broadcasting anti-government sentiments for his followers.
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Lithuania Weekly: Ukraine’s Prioritisation over Lithuania
Scrutinised pieces during this reporting week were mainly criticising the prioritisation of Ukraine over Lithuanian issues. Hostile outlets also further undermined Lithuania’s ongoing support for Ukraine, claiming that it “leads nowhere” and accused the government of Lithuania for putting the war in Ukraine first and domestic issues second. Also, Kremlin-aligned media harshly criticised local politicians, questioning their competencies and financial transparency (referring to previously analysed MG Baltic case).
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Lithuania Monthly: Another Citizenship Removal and MG Baltic Case
Specifically Kremlin-aligned media channels in Lithuania continued to actively broadcast anti-government sentiments to their audiences. Absolute majority of the most engaged stories from this type of media covered domestic issues and widely commented on the work of the government or specific politicians, carrying a negative anti-government narrative. During this reporting fortnight, Kremlin-aligned actors emphasised citizens’ growing dissatisfaction with the current government, referring to the protest, that was initially organised to oppose the proposed property tax, held outside the Seimas. Also, outlets emphasised rising prices, and increasing crime rates in the country, arguing that it is becoming “dangerous to live” in Lithuania.
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Lithuania Weekly: Finalised MG Baltic Case
During this reporting period, the Lithuanian Court of Appeal issued a ruling in one of the most resonant political corruption cases in Lithuanian history. Eligijus Masiulis, Raimondas Kurlianskis and Vytautas Gapšys were convicted of bribery and influence peddling in the scandalous MG Baltic political corruption case. Even though this case started back in 2016, being the largest one in Lithuanian history, it has still attracted mass attention. Besides intriguing citizens, the MG Baltic case also strongly affects the public’s opinions on the courts and the judicial system in general.
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