Lithuanian social democrats to review coalition partners’ vote on military training ground

The leader of Lithuania’s Social Democratic Party (LSDP), Mindaugas Sinkevičius, has condemned coalition partners’ voting behaviour on the Kapčiamiestis military training ground as “unacceptable” and will ask the party to assess the situation, LRT reports.

Speaking on Žinių Radijas on Tuesday, Sinkevičius criticised both the liberal “Nemuno Aušra” faction and the agrarian “Homeland Union of Lithuanian Farmers, Greens, and Christian Families” for failing to support the bill in parliament.

“The situation is, unfortunately, not encouraging. Here, of course, we all focus on ‘Nemuno Aušra’, but the ‘farmers’ faction also did not show a consolidated will to adopt this important law in the Seimas,” he said.

Sinkevičius confirmed he had already informed Prime Minister Ingrida Ruginienė that the party would evaluate the coalition partners’ actions in its governing bodies, including the party council, to decide whether such behaviour remains tolerable.

Despite the lack of support from some coalition members, he expressed confidence that a decision on establishing the new training ground would still be adopted. The bill passed its first reading with 102 votes in favour, 10 against, and 5 abstentions. All opposing votes came from the ruling majority: seven from “Nemuno Aušra” (including party leader Remigijus Žemaitaitis) and three from the agrarian faction, while four more “Nemuno Aušra” members and one from the “For Lithuania” Democrats abstained.

Earlier on Tuesday, Sinkevičius had warned partners of potential “political consequences” if they failed to back the training ground. The prime minister stated she would assess the situation after the vote. Several party members have pledged to raise the issue at Wednesday’s social democrat presidium meeting.

The presidential office has separately stated that the coalition should be capable of resolving key issues without relying on opposition votes.