Lithuanian parliament delays vote on LRT governance reforms

A parliamentary committee has postponed further debate on proposed amendments to Lithuania’s public broadcaster law, delaying a planned vote in the full chamber this week, BNS reports.

The Seimas Culture Committee failed on Monday to review all 48 legal objections and lawmaker proposals for the draft law, which would overhaul governance at LRT. Despite a full day of discussions, the committee only addressed initial remarks from the Seimas Legal Department before adjourning.

Committee chairman Kęstutis Vilkauskas (Social Democrats) had sought to extend the session past 5 p.m., but opposition members—citing labor laws—blocked the move. Conservatives Dalia Asanavičiūtė-Gružauskienė and Giedrė Balčytytė insisted written consent from committee staff would be required for overtime work under the Labor Code.

Former Constitutional Court president Dainius Žalimas criticized the delay, comparing the treatment of staff to “Soviet-era collective farm workers.” After a 10-minute recess, Vilkauskas announced the session would resume the following day, stating the need for “constructive” further debate.

The draft law includes a provision to remove “violation of public interest” as grounds for dismissing LRT’s director-general mid-term, following legal concerns over its vague definition. Under the committee’s proposed text, dismissal would require proof of a “gross breach of duty” or failure to meet reputation standards. The two-thirds vote threshold for removal remains unchanged.

LRT deputy director Gytis Oganauskas had proposed making the hiring and dismissal process fully public, with changes taking effect only in 2029. However, the current draft retains a clause allowing the LRT council to decide whether such votes are open or secret.

Žalimas also noted a pending opinion from the Venice Commission warning against abrupt changes to dismissal procedures.

The full Seimas had been scheduled to debate the bill on Thursday.