Nemunas Dawn faction seeks probes into Visuotinė gynyba association

Lithuania’s opposition Nemunas Dawn faction plans to ask the General Prosecutor’s Office and the State Security Department to assess the activities of the Visuotinė gynyba association, LRT reported.

Faction leader Remigijus Žemaitaitis said the request followed a parliamentary news conference on who shapes Lithuania’s defence policy.

“It is shocking when the country’s largest businesspeople, having established a public institution, openly say they will pressure politicians and the military so that their recommendations or proposed decisions are adopted,” Žemaitaitis told BNS on Thursday.

He said some members of parliament had received an excerpt from an allegedly internal letter sent by the association. The excerpt said: “We will act, speak both nicely and harshly, apply pressure, pull, push and get it done. We will pressure politicians and society to do what they have to do.”

According to Žemaitaitis, the authorities should verify whether the correspondence is authentic. He said it mentioned broadcaster and producer Edmundas Jakilaitis, former defence minister and current association head Tomas Godliauskas, Lithuanian Confederation of Business president Andrius Romanovskis and others.

“People contacted members of parliament, apparently having obtained the letter from somewhere inside the association, indicating that pressure could potentially be exerted on politicians, political parties and political groups,” Žemaitaitis said.

Aidas Gedvilas, another Nemunas Dawn member, said the letter stated that the organisation aimed to raise 2.5 million euros for this year and 2027. It also allegedly listed initial contributions of 150,000 euros each from Arnas Stuopelis and Mantas Mikuckas, and 50,000 euros from Rytis Laurinavičius.

“We are talking about an organisation that itself declares specific political goals, mobilises significant private funding and involves business representatives, former senior state officials, lobbyists and foreign military experts,” Gedvilas said.

He said questions had been raised over whether anyone was seeking to influence Lithuanian politicians and the military, whether the activity constituted lobbying and whether it was being properly declared. He also questioned the private and business interests of those involved and whether they could conflict with the decisions they sought political support for.

“Finally, do the interests of these people and the structures they represent always coincide with Lithuania’s national defence and security interests?” Gedvilas said.

BNS reported that Godliauskas, who left his post as deputy defence minister in mid-June, had taken charge of the newly established Visuotinė gynyba association.

The association was established to strengthen Lithuania’s national security and society’s resilience by moving from a traditionally military understanding of defence towards a model based on the involvement of every citizen.

A study commissioned by the association found that Lithuania’s civic empowerment index stood at 41 out of 100, preparedness for emergencies at 52 percent, and that 70 percent of residents did not participate in civic activities.

A survey commissioned by the association also found that nearly 80 percent of Lithuania’s residents supported introducing universal conscription, with priority given to conscripting men.

Visuotinė gynyba was established by Unicorns Lithuania, Stiprūs kartu, led by Jakilaitis, as well as Mikuckas, Stuopelis, Laurinavičius and Jonas Tamulis.