Lithuanian politician calls discussions on PM’s dissertation political mudslinging

Discussions surrounding Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius’s 2015 doctoral dissertation resemble political mudslinging, according to Aurelijus Veryga, leader of the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LVŽS).

“I’m starting to see a certain tendency: when this side of the political parties comes to power, they suddenly take a great interest in dissertations,” Veryga told Žinių Radijas on Tuesday. “There are many interesting dissertations in Lithuania. I suggest reading those by politicians whose every move sends shivers down the public’s spine, or by some former Constitutional Court judges who lecture on how to handle the Constitution. There are good dissertations on the militia and other topics. If we’re reading them, let’s read them all.”

Veryga argued that if the debate is genuinely about the quality of academic work, it should take place in academic settings, not in media studios. “If we’re raising questions about the quality of research, if this is a serious discussion and not political mudslinging, let’s not have it in radio or TV studios. Let’s sit down with rectors and scientists, discuss whether quality is really lacking, and what to do to improve it. Maybe additional funding is needed so doctoral students can conduct higher-quality research. Right now, this looks like political mudslinging, and I see a trend emerging.”

He stressed that the evaluation of whether a dissertation is of high quality and honest is the responsibility of designated university bodies, not the public. “This isn’t done by people from the street. There’s a whole structure for this: defence councils, opponents. All of this exists to prevent plagiarism or poor-quality work. The university where the dissertation is defended bears responsibility for it,” he said.

Recent public discussions have focused on Sinkevičius’s 2015 dissertation at ISM University of Management and Economics, particularly its absence from Lithuania’s electronic theses and dissertations system (eLABa) and potential academic ethics violations.

In response to questions about why his dissertation was not accessible in the eLABa system, Sinkevičius signed a consent form for its public release. ISM University confirmed the dissertation was uploaded to the system on July 16. Concerns about possible plagiarism have also surfaced.

ISM University reported receiving an official inquiry from the Academic Ethics and Procedures Controller’s Office regarding a potential academic ethics violation related to the prime minister’s dissertation. The university stated the inquiry would be assessed according to its established procedures.

Sinkevičius has expressed confidence that any investigation into his dissertation would conclude in his favour, insisting he wrote the work himself and that the discussion should end. President Gitanas Nausėda has urged allowing the prime minister to continue his work, while ISM Rector Dalius Misiūnas claimed the discussions aim to damage Sinkevičius’s reputation.