Main narratives:
- general anti-government sentiments;
- the incompetence of the current government.
Overview:
This week, specific Lithuanian media sources with pro-Kremlin leanings have prioritised coverage of domestic affairs. Among the most quoted news was Social Security and Labour Minister Monika Navickienė, who announced that she was resigning after the media published details about her ties with a fintech company under investigation. Navickienė resigned amid media reports about her spouse’s activities, Mindaugas Navickas, at Foxpay. This fintech company provides online payment services to numerous government institutions and the minister’s links with the owner of Foxpay, Ieva Trinkūnaitė, and her partner Vilhelmas Germanas, who has been convicted for financial crimes. It gave yet another argument for Kremlin-aligned outlets and social media pages to criticise and undermine the whole government, calling it “the downfall of the government”. As Navickienė is a member of the Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats (the Conservatives), most of the criticism focused on this party.
