Lithuania’s interior minister seeks higher wages for civil servants in 2027 budget

Lithuania’s Interior Minister Vladislavas Kondratovičius has expressed hope that next year’s state budget will allocate more funding to increase wages for civil servants, state broadcaster LRT reports.

Speaking at a meeting of the Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS–LKD) parliamentary group, Kondratovičius said priority would be given to younger officials, while long-term incentives—including potential pension reforms—would also be considered to retain experienced staff.

“We have plans and we are not abandoning them,” the minister said. “Last year, we simply lacked time to finalise the budget after the new government took office. This year, we are actively negotiating and submitting our proposals to the finance minister and the cabinet.”

He added that the goal was to secure funds “to focus on the youngest [employees]” and explore ways to encourage long-term service, such as allowing officials to accumulate savings for the future.

The Seimas previously approved a 1–2% wage increase this year for the lowest-paid statutory officials, along with a 10% rise in minimum wage coefficients for state employees. A monthly €300 supplement is also paid to those with 25 years of service. The 2026 state budget allocates €1.07 billion to the entire internal affairs system.

Kondratovičius had earlier criticised last year’s budget process, noting that planned wage hikes for officials were scaled back due to competing priorities.