Vilnius district council member refers State Language Inspectorate head to ethics commission over controversial remarks

A member of the Vilnius District Municipal Council has formally requested that Lithuania’s Chief Official Ethics Commission (VTEK) review recent statements by Audrius Valotka, head of the State Language Inspectorate (VKI), in which he described the words “negras” (a derogatory term for a Black person) and “čigonas” (a slur against Roma people) as acceptable, LRT reports.

Council member Danielius Ilkevičius has asked VTEK to assess whether Valotka’s public comments comply with the ethical standards expected of a civil servant. The request also calls for a determination of whether the inspectorate chief violated the Code of Ethics for the Civil Service and, if grounds are found, to apply appropriate disciplinary measures.

“Vilnius District is home to a diverse population, including a large Roma community. These are not just words—they directly affect people’s dignity and can deepen social divisions while undermining trust in public institutions,” Ilkevičius wrote in his appeal to VTEK.

He noted that Valotka had publicly stated the terms were “good” and “normal” and had claimed that Roma people should not “regulate the Lithuanian language.” Such remarks, Ilkevičius argued, have provoked justified concern, particularly among national minority communities.

A civil servant’s duty, he added, extends beyond legal compliance to ensuring respectful communication with the public. The terms in question are widely recognised in modern contexts as derogatory and stigmatising.

“As head of the State Language Inspectorate, Valotka’s statements shape not only his personal reputation but also that of the institution—and, by extension, the broader system of state bodies responsible for upholding human rights and social cohesion,” Ilkevičius wrote.

The Ministry of Culture has already distanced itself from Valotka’s position, stating its categorical disagreement and calling on the inspectorate chief to provide explanations. Valotka is scheduled to meet with Culture Minister Vaida Aleknavičienė on Monday.

This is not the first time Valotka’s public remarks have drawn criticism. In May last year, 16 human rights organisations urged the then-culture minister, Šarūnas Birutis, not to appoint Valotka as VKI head, citing his history of “xenophobic attitudes” toward national minorities and migrants and his promotion of “stigmatising narratives.”

In August, Birutis issued a formal reprimand to Valotka for comments made during a broadcast on the Alfa TV YouTube channel, where he had called for the abolition of Polish-language schools in Lithuania. In October 2023, Valotka received an official warning for referring to cancer patients as speakers of “čiurkų” (a pejorative term) languages, though he later claimed to have said “tiurkų” (Turkic) instead. Earlier, he faced backlash for equating Polish village name signs in Vilnius District to markers in Russia-occupied Donbas and for stating they violated Lithuanian law.