Lithuania’s agriculture minister proposes penalty for food and veterinary service head over unlawful dismissal

The head of Lithuania’s State Food and Veterinary Service (VMVT) could face disciplinary action and be ordered to compensate the state for damages after unlawfully dismissing an employee two years ago, according to a proposal by Agriculture Minister Andrius Palionis.

The government will decide on the measure, which follows an internal ministry investigation into VMVT Director Audronė Mikalauskienė’s 2024 decision to terminate employee Gintarė Muzikevičienė. A ministry commission found the dismissal unjustified and later overturned by courts, costing the state between €9,000 and €12,000 in back pay and legal fees.

The commission identified four potential violations by Mikalauskienė: the unlawful dismissal itself, failure to enforce a court ruling on unpaid wages, neglecting to reinstate the employee, and unnecessarily hiring external lawyers despite in-house legal staff. Investigators concluded she acted “carelessly and negligently” by not verifying sufficient grounds for the decision.

Mikalauskienė previously claimed the dismissal was part of a service reform and that Muzikevičienė had twice declined equivalent positions. Courts later found procedural violations, reinstated the employee, and awarded compensation. Muzikevičienė left the agency voluntarily in February 2026.

In 2024, then-Government Chancellor Laimonas Rudys reportedly urged Mikalauskienė to resign amid staff and client complaints, including allegations of psychological pressure, mobbing, and mismanaged reforms.