Nemuno Aušra leader to challenge election commission’s refusal of €240,000 subsidy

The leader of Lithuania’s Nemuno Aušra party, Remigijus Žemaitaitis, will legally challenge the Central Electoral Commission’s (VRK) decision to deny his party a six-month state subsidy of over €240,000 after it was found to have committed a “serious violation” of financial regulations, LRT reports.

“We will appeal because we see the VRK’s ruling on the serious violation as unfounded and unlawful. I finished drafting the complaint yesterday, and we will submit it tomorrow,” Žemaitaitis told journalists at the Seimas on Tuesday.

Last week, the VRK ruled that Nemuno Aušra would not receive the subsidy after determining the party had breached the Law on Financial Accounting. The commission found that nearly €50,000 was improperly transferred to Žemaitaitis and another party member, Danguolė Petkevičienė, for car rental—misusing state budget funds and submitting false financial reports.

The issue first surfaced in February when the civic initiative Viešpirkiai revealed a €31,500 car rental contract between Nemuno Aušra and Žemaitaitis, signed in January but published only later that month. The agreement covered vehicle use until November 13 of this year.

Žemaitaitis denied allegations that his party was pressuring coalition partners, the Social Democrats, to advance favorable legislation in exchange for support on the Kapčiamiesčio military training ground project. “No negotiations are taking place—I’ve said this before,” he stated, dismissing claims of vote-trading as speculative.

On March 24, the Seimas approved the establishment of the Kapčiamiesčio poligon in Lazdijai district, with 102 votes in favor. Seven Nemuno Aušra MPs, including Žemaitaitis, opposed the measure, alongside three from the Farmers and Greens Union.

Žemaitaitis also criticized the European Council for failing to address rising fuel prices amid the conflict in the Middle East, calling its inaction “a tragedy” during a separate comment to reporters.