Lithuanian parliament approves Kapčiamiestis military training ground despite opposition
The Lithuanian parliament on Thursday approved the establishment of a military training ground in Kapčiamiestis, with defence minister Robertas Kaunas accusing some opposing lawmakers of “politicising national security” ahead of the 2027 municipal elections.
Speaking to journalists in the Seimas, Kaunas said: “I believe this is all connected to the upcoming 2027 elections, and some politicians have decided to play politics at the expense of Lithuania’s security.” He questioned the consistency of critics who claimed to lack information yet later stated they had analysed documents, LRT reports.
The final vote saw 105 MPs support the project, 12 oppose it, and 4 abstain. Opposition came primarily from the “Nemuno aušra” (Dawn of Nemunas) faction, with eight of its members voting against—Remigijus Žemaitaitis, Tomas Domarkas, Petras Dargis, Aidas Gedvilas, Vytautas Jucius, Daiva Petkevičienė, Mantas Poškus, and Lina Šukytė-Korsakė—while four others abstained. Two members of the Farmers and Greens Union (LVŽKŠS) faction, Dainius Gaižauskas and Valius Ąžuolas, also voted against, alongside independents Rimas Jonas Jankūnas and Ignas Vėgėlė.
Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas downplayed the dissent, stating that opponents objected not to the training ground itself but to specific legal provisions regarding compensation for landowners. “There are always ways to improve, but this time the vote was sufficiently unified,” he said, adding that dialogue with coalition partners and opposition would continue.
Gaižauskas, one of the dissenting “valstiečiai” (Farmers), later claimed the coalition agreement had been violated, arguing the issue had not been adequately debated within ruling circles. Olekas rejected this, insisting all legal requirements had been met.
The parliament simultaneously approved an expansion of the existing Tauragė military training area. “Nemuno aušra” leader Remigijus Žemaitaitis supported the Tauragė proposal but opposed the new Kapčiamiestis site, stating: “Lithuania does not need a new training ground—we should expand existing ones instead.”