Lithuanian MP faces ethics probe over use of offensive term during committee meeting

The Lithuanian parliament’s Ethics and Procedures Commission has launched an investigation into conservative lawmaker Vytautas Juozapaitis after he used the offensive term “debilas” (idiot) during a remote meeting of the Culture Committee, LRT reports.

During the late April session, which discussed amendments to the governance of Lithuania’s public broadcaster LRT, Juozapaitis—frustrated by repeated microphone muting in the Teams platform—blurted out: “Šakės. Aš noriu kalbėti, žodžiu reikia pasakyti, žodžiu. Žodžiu, debile…” (“Damn it. I want to speak, a word needs to be said, a word. A word, you idiot…”).

The lawmaker later apologised publicly, stating he had lost his temper and that the remark was not directed at committee chair Kęstutis Vilkauskas, a Social Democrat. Despite the apology, Vilkauskas and Remigijus Žemaitaitis, leader of the far-right “Nemuno aušra” faction, filed formal complaints with the ethics watchdog.

The commission’s decision to open the probe was unanimous. No timeline for its conclusion was provided.