Lithuania’s Central Electoral Commission proposes suspending state funding for Nemuno Aušra party

The Central Electoral Commission of Lithuania (VRK) has proposed suspending state funding for the political party Nemuno Aušra for six months after ruling it had committed a “serious violation” of political financing laws, LRT reports.

The proposed sanction would block the party, led by MP Remigijus Žemaitaitis, from receiving a state subsidy exceeding €240,000 for half a year. The VRK draft decision, set for discussion on Thursday, states the party should be denied budget allocations “due to a serious violation of the Law on Political Organisations.”

Last week, the commission determined that Nemuno Aušra had breached financial accounting regulations by transferring nearly €50,000 in state funds to Žemaitaitis and another party member, Danguolė Petkevičienė, under a car rental agreement. Investigators found the payments misused public funds and that the party had submitted false data in its financial reports.

The controversy stems from a January 2024 car rental contract, worth €31,500, signed between the party and Žemaitaitis. Though effective until November 2024, the agreement was only disclosed publicly in late January 2026 following scrutiny by the civic initiative Viešpirkiai.

The VRK will vote on the funding suspension during its Thursday session.