Lithuania’s crisis management advisor warns against state use of derogatory labels like ‘vatnik’

Lithuania’s government should avoid using politically charged slurs such as vatnik—a pejorative term for pro-Russian individuals—even in times of crisis, the country’s top crisis management advisor has warned in an interview with public broadcaster LRT.

Darius Buta, chief advisor at the National Crisis Management Centre (NKVC), stressed that institutions must focus on providing clear, actionable information rather than attempting to control public sentiment. “The most important thing is that people stay alive and property is protected,” he said, adding that coordination—not ideological messaging—should drive state communication during emergencies.

Buta’s remarks come as Lithuania’s Red Cross and LRT launch Esminis testas (“The Essential Test”), a long-term national campaign testing public preparedness for extreme scenarios. Research suggests people often act more rationally in crises than assumed, he noted, though misinformation—such as false claims about Russian information attacks during the Kapčiamestis polygon incident—remains a persistent challenge.

“In critical situations, someone might panic and not know how to act,” Buta said. “What matters is that lives, property, and instructions are preserved.” He warned against bureaucratic inertia, urging officials to “do more than just their basic functions” when crises strike, while ensuring legal authority to enforce directives.

The NKVC, established in 2023 under the Government Chancellery, models its structure on crisis agencies in Finland, the UK, and Israel. Buta dismissed concerns about over-reliance on state-aligned media for alerts, arguing that unified messaging—such as consistent evacuation guidelines across municipalities—prevents confusion. “Our task is to act as a single state in crises,” he said, “to save lives and protect assets.”

On defining crises, Buta acknowledged Lithuania’s relative stability: “You might be surprised, but Lithuania has almost no crises.” Yet the centre monitors threats ranging from floods to stranded citizens abroad, emphasizing that even routine emergencies demand coordinated response.