Lithuanian parliament speaker denies negotiations with “Nemuno Aušra” over military range vote

The speaker of Lithuania’s parliament, Juozas Olekas, has denied reports that the ruling “Nemuno Aušra” political group demanded support for its legislative priorities in exchange for votes on a bill establishing a military training range in Kapčiamestis, lrt.lt reports.

Speaking to journalists on Monday, Olekas dismissed claims of a quid pro quo arrangement, stating he had not heard of any such demand. “I have not heard such a request for an exchange, but of course, both coalition partners and social democrats have their priorities and ask for certain laws to be passed as quickly as possible,” he said.

When pressed on whether “Nemuno Aušra” had sought backing for its proposal to increase cash payment limits in return for support on the training range bill, Olekas reiterated: “I have not heard of such a demand for an exchange. I have heard requests to include the issues you mentioned, but there is no ‘tooth for a tooth’ here—such things do not exist.”

The bill to establish the Kapčiamestis training range passed its first parliamentary reading last week with 102 votes in favor, 10 against, and 5 abstentions. Seven members of the “Nemuno Aušra” faction—including Aidas Gedvilas, Daiva Petkevičienė, and Remigijus Žemaitaitis—voted against the measure, along with three representatives from the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union. One “Nemuno Aušra” lawmaker, Lina Šukytė-Korsakė, abstained.

Olekas confirmed that further discussions on the bill would take place within the coalition council, though no date has yet been set. He expressed hope for broader support in future votes, aiming for 110 votes to demonstrate unity. “I think the Kapčiamestis range will receive votes from both the ruling parties and the opposition—and there will be many,” he added.

Social Democratic Party leader Vilija Sinkevičienė previously announced plans to convene a coalition council meeting to address the issue.

On relations with Belarus, Olekas stated that political dialogue with Alexander Lukashenko’s regime is currently unnecessary, though he did not rule out future engagement. “Right now, there is definitely no need for that, but in the future, anything is possible,” he said. Emphasizing Lithuania’s long-term goal of good relations with all neighbors, he noted that current technical-level talks with Minsk have yielded results, including the release of nearly 300 political prisoners and the return of seized Lithuanian transport vehicles.