Radvilavičius denies allegations of ties to timber industry
Lithuanian MP Audrius Radvilavičius, a potential candidate for environment minister, has dismissed allegations of possible ties to the timber industry as “accusations of non-existent matters,” LRT reports.
Radvilavičius, a member of the Environmental Protection Committee and a Social Democrat, acknowledged that the criticism could influence President Gitanas Nausėda’s decision on his candidacy if the context is not examined. “It’s hard to say whether my name is being considered or not. As soon as names were mentioned, a great uproar began in the public space, where I was accused of all sorts of completely non-existent things,” he told ELTA.
“Without delving into the context, just an expressed opinion, I think it can have an impact. We thought, we considered maybe issuing a press release, but you know, it could be when you are already the real, the only candidate moving forward,” he added when asked if the criticism could serve as a red flag for the presidency.
On Thursday, the coalition “Forest Guardians” publicly addressed the president, prime minister candidate Mindaugas Sinkevičius, and leaders of the ruling coalition parties regarding the environment minister candidacy and the government’s goals in forest policy. According to the coalition, as the ruling coalition changes and decisions are made about who will lead the Environment Ministry, more concerning signals are emerging in the public space, and candidacies directly related to intensive forest use and timber industry interests are being considered.
The Environmental Coalition, part of the “Forest Guardians” group, stated on Facebook that considering Radvilavičius’ candidacy is unacceptable. The organization claims the MP has been a member of the governing bodies of the Forest Works Contractors Association, a lobbying group, and was its head until November 11, 2024.
“During the National Forest Agreement, he was one of the most active representatives of the timber industry interests, speaking against greater forest protection,” the Environmental Coalition wrote.
Radvilavičius emphasized that he has always sought to ensure a balance of ecological, environmental, social, and economic components in forest policy. “Regarding the forest issue, I have said that the forest must accommodate everyone. I called this the four components: ecological, environmental, social, and economic,” the Social Democrat said.
“It is very unfortunate that colleagues from non-governmental organizations only hear their own truths. I have always stated that there should and must be a balance of all these four components. Unfortunately, I may not see the balance at the moment—I have said this boldly, and now I am under a lot of pressure in the public space,” he added.