Ruling coalition partner accuses social democrats of harming their party

The leader of Lithuania’s ruling Nemuno aušra party, Remigijus Žemaitaitis, has accused coalition partners the Social Democrats of damaging his party, responding to claims by LSDP leader Mindaugas Sinkevičius that alliance with aušriečiai harms social democrats and potentially the state, LRT reports.

Žemaitaitis countered that social democrats have repeatedly undermined his party, citing corruption cases among their ranks. “Are social democrats harming us? Yes, they are,” he told BNS. “Most of the convicted and prosecuted mayors, council members, and ‘checkbook’ fraudsters come from their party. They even hold the record for document forgery.”

He also criticised former health minister Vytenis Andriukaitis, a Social Democrat, for what he described as pro-Kremlin rhetoric. “His statements often seem to echo the Kremlin’s narrative, but we understand every political force has its own agenda,” Žemaitaitis added.

The dispute follows the Social Democrats’ decision last week to defer any coalition decisions to their new leadership, to be elected on May 1. Sinkevičius had earlier stated that remaining in government with Nemuno aušra was damaging his party’s interests.