Latest news with #Nausėda
Fox News
31-07-2025
- Business
- Fox News
European prime minister resigns after protests over past financial dealings
Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas resigned on Thursday following protests in the country's capital over investigations into his alleged business dealings. "Gintautas Paluckas called me this morning and informed me of his resignation," Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda told reporters, according to Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT). Nausėda also said Paluckas made the right choice and welcomed the decision. Nausėda recently gave Paluckas two weeks to decide whether or not to stay in his position. "The president has asked the prime minister to either give a reasoned answer to the questions raised by the public in the next two weeks, or to consider seriously his further options as prime minister," presidential adviser Frederikas Jansonas told reporters on July 24, according to LRT. The prime minister's resignation also comes after a smaller party threatened to exit the country's ruling coalition unless Paluckas stepped down from his position. After media outlets began publishing investigations into Paluckas' business and financial dealings, Lithuania's anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies launched probes of their own, according to the Associated Press. One of the cases against him is more than a decade old. In 2012, Paluckas was convicted of mishandling the bidding process for rat extermination in Vilnius, where he was serving as the director of the city's municipality administration, the Associated Press reported. However, it has been revealed that he did not pay a chunk of the nearly $20,000 fine. A more recent scandal involved a €200,000 ($228,777) subsidized loan that Garnis, a company Paluckas co-founded, received after Paluckas was already serving as prime minister, according to LRT. The outlet added that Lithuania's Chief Official Ethics Commission is investigating the loan. Garnis was also linked to a more recent scandal involving the prime minister in which Dankora — Paluckas' sister-in-law's company — received EU funding and used it to purchase goods from Garnis. However, according to LRT, public outcry pushed Dankora to return the funds. Paluckas denies any wrongdoing and claims the criticism is part of a "coordinated attack" by his political opponents, according to the Associated Press. The prime minister's resignation puts Lithuania in a precarious position, as it comes just before Russia and Belarus hold joint military exercises. Paluckas' whole cabinet is expected to resign as well, possibly leaving the Baltic country without a functioning government just weeks ahead of the Russian-Belarusian exercises, according to the Associated Press. However, this may not impact Lithuania's foreign policy, as Nausėda, who represents the country on a global scale, has been an ardent supporter of Ukraine during its years-long war with Russia.
Boston Globe
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Lithuania Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas steps down after investigations and protests
Lithuanian foreign policy is unlikely to change as a result of the government shakeup. Nausėda, who was elected separately, is the country's face on the world stage and has been one of the most stalwart supporters of Ukraine in its fight against invading Russian forces. Paluckas has recently been dogged by media investigations into his business and financial dealings. Several media outlets published investigations in July regarding Paluckas' past and present ventures and alleged mishandlings, including ones more than a decade ago. The Baltic country 's anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies subsequently launched their own probes. Advertisement In a devastating blow to his reputation, the media also revealed that Paluckas never paid a significant part of a 16,500 euro fine ($19,039) in connection with a 2012 criminal case dubbed the 'rat poison scandal.' Paluckas was convicted of mishandling the bidding process for Vilnius' rat extermination services while serving as the capital city's municipality administration director. Judges for the country's top court in 2012 ruled that he abused his official position by illegally granting privileges to the company that offered the highest price in the bid. Advertisement He was also sentenced to two years behind bars, but the sentence was suspended for one year and he ultimately was never imprisoned. The Social Democratic party leader denied any wrongdoing regarding his business affairs, labeling the criticism as part of a 'coordinated attack' by political opponents. He resigned before the opposition could formally launch impeachment proceedings. New coalition talks are expected to start shortly to form a new cabinet.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
German president pledges support for Lithuania during Vilnius visit
During a visit to Vilnius on Sunday, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier pledged his country's support in maintaining Lithuania's freedom, stating that "your security is our security". "Lithuania and Germany stand together for the freedom of Ukraine, for the principle of self-determination, for European unity, as partners in the EU and NATO," said Steinmeier. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda welcomed his German counterpart on Sunday and took to social media platform X to express his gratitude for the visit. "The president's visit is a strong sign of the enduring friendship between Lithuania and Germany, based on shared values and strategic partnership," said Nausėda. The two countries have recently strengthened their military ties as Germany's new Chancellor Friedrich Merz looks to deliver on his campaign promises of bolstering continental security in the wake of Russian threats stemming from its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. From 2027, approximately 5,000 German soldiers from an armoured brigade will be permanently stationed in Lithuania to protect NATO's eastern flank and the Baltic country from Russia, with which it shares an almost 300-kilometre border. With Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, many in Lithuania, which was once a Soviet republic together with the rest of the Baltic states, believe they could become the next target of Russian President Vladimir Putin's expansionist mission. Steinmeier acknowledged Lithuania's concerns, noting that "here in Lithuania you know that neither freedom nor peace is guaranteed." "Freedom is not a condition. Freedom is a task," he concluded.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NATO chief calls for boost in military budgets
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is calling for significantly higher defence spending in view of the geopolitical confrontation with Russia. "We have to stand ready so it will be considerably more than the 2% we were used to," Rutte said during a visit to Lithuania. He said that the alliance's current annual defence-related spending target of 2% of economic output is no longer adequate to address today's security challenges. The host, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, also called on the allies to invest significantly more money in the military. "Russia will not wait," Nausėda said. Rutte took part in a one-day meeting of the so-called Bucharest Nine Group (B9) and the Nordic countries in Vilnius. The summit, which was also attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, served to prepare for the NATO summit in around three weeks' time in The Hague. The B9 includes Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The Nordic states are Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. Nausėda warned that Russia is trying to consolidate and rebuild its armed forces as quickly as possible. "We have very limited time to do the same," he said. "I hope we will be able to reach the agreement regarding the 5% of GDP target." There is no need to talk about very long timetables or additional deadlines of 2035 or 2040, he added. US President Donald Trump is demanding that the alliance partners spend 5% of their economic output on defence. Rutte recently proposed a compromise formula of increasing defence-related spending to 3.5% and spending an additional 1.5% on infrastructure. He assumes that the NATO states would agree to this.
Euronews
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Rutte dismisses concerns over US troop withdrawal from Europe
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday denied any indication that the United States was reviewing its military presence on the continent, saying instead Washington would maintain "a very strong conventional" deployment in Europe. "What we know is that the US, next to Europe, of course also has to take care of the Middle East, has to take care of the Indo-pacific and it is only logical that over time as we are building up that the US will pivot so much more towards Asia," Rutte told journalists at a press conference in Vilnius on Monday. "But I am convinced there will be a very strong conventional US presence in Europe, next to the nuclear presence," the NATO chief added, speaking on the margins of a summit in Vilnius with the Bucharest Nine (B9) format and Nordic countries. Rutte's comments come amid long-standing allegations – spurred by US-Russia talks to end Moscow's war in Ukraine – that Washington would reduce or withdraw its troops in Europe. Last February, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Europeans during a visit to Poland that US troops on the continent were "important," and that "you can't make an assumption that America's presence will last forever." The US had nearly 84,000 service members in Europe in early 2025, according to a report from the Council on Foreign Relations, which also specifies that over the course of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, now in its fourth year, the total number of troops has ranged between approximately 75,000 and 105,000 military personnel. In Vilnius, Lithuania's President Gitanas Nausėda echoed Rutte's remarks, saying he had not received any indication of a US troop withdrawal or reduction in Europe. Nausėda said there were so far 1,000 US soldiers "standing shoulder to should with the soldiers of Germany, Norway, and NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence," which includes battlegroups in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. "We are ready to increase this number if there is political will from the US administration," Nausėda added. Candy manufacturer Haribo has recalled its 1-kilogram bags of Happy Cola Fizz in Belgium after traces of cannabis were found in some bags in the Netherlands, the Belgian food agency FAVV-AFSCA confirmed on Monday. In a joint press release with the agency, Haribo noted that consumption of these sweets can lead to health complaints such as dizziness. The withdrawal concerns large bags of fizzy colas with production code L341-4002307906 — the same batch that was recalled earlier in the Netherlands. "Haribo has carried out this recall in Belgium as a precautionary measure," Belgian food agency spokesperson Liesbeth Van de Voorde told Euronews. She noted that, so far, no reports have been received in Belgium of people becoming unwell after eating the sweets. "We have set up a consumer hotline for this purpose, and we have not received any news of issues in Belgium." People are strongly advised not to eat the recalled sweets. In case of consumption, it is recommended to contact a GP immediately. The one-kilogram bags of sour candies were already withdrawn from sale in the Netherlands following reports that several people in the country, including adults and children, reported feeling unwell after eating these sweets. A sample testing revealed that the product was laced with cannabis after police were notified of the issue. Dutch authorities are now investigating how the candy became contaminated with these drugs. In the Netherlands, only three bags are involved so far. Still, Haribo is recalling the entire stock in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. "The authorities' investigation concerns a limited number of reports and one specific product in the east of the Netherlands," Patrick Tax, marketing head for Haribo Netherlands and Belgium, told domestic media in Belgium. The withdrawal only concerns Haribo's 1-kilogram bags of Happy Cola Fizz with an expiry date until January 2026 and production code L341-4002307906. It is not clear which Belgian shops were selling these large packs. Van de Voorde added that this is the only product for which the agency has received information, meaning no other products are currently deemed a risk. Instead of returning it to the store where they purchased it, consumers are asked to send the product to the Belgian head office. Affected consumers should provide their details and bank account number to receive a refund.
