Lithuanian MP captures ruling coalition members holding private gathering during demographic policy debate

A ruling coalition meeting held in a corner of Lithuania’s parliamentary chamber during a plenary session on demographic policy has drawn criticism after opposition MP Agnė Širinskienė publicly called out the absence of those lawmakers from the debate, LRT.lt reports.

During Tuesday’s session, Aušrinė Norkienė of the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union presented proposed amendments to the Seimas statute. Širinskienė, a member of the Democrats “For Lithuania” party, interrupted to question why some coalition partners were missing from the discussion.

“Colleague, don’t you feel lonely when your coalition partners leave you for a private gathering and refuse to join the debate on such a crucial issue for the regions?” Širinskienė asked Norkienė, later sharing a photo of the group on social media.

She added that while the chamber had “seen everything,” it was disappointing that lawmakers prioritised a “social democratic party” over participating in a declared policy priority. “When demography is supposed to be a top concern, I’d expect colleagues to engage in discussions rather than side gatherings,” Širinskienė stated.

Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas acknowledged the remark, noting that the group included members from other factions besides the Social Democrats. Liberal MP Vitalijus Gailius responded with irony, urging Širinskienė not to disrupt the government’s “well-established direction: parties, celebrations, aimless chatter, and maximum impact on demographic trends.”

The session coincided with the birthday of Social Democrat MP Ilona Gelažnikienė, whom Olekas publicly congratulated at the start of proceedings—a routine practice for all parliamentarians marking personal milestones.