Lithuanian Democrats to decide on interim leader after Skvernelis loses immunity

The Democratic Union “For Lithuania” plans to hold a board meeting on Friday to appoint an interim leader after the party’s chairman, Saulius Skvernelis, faced a request from prosecutors to lift his legal immunity, vice-chairman Lukas Savickas told reporters on Wednesday.

Speaking to journalists in the Seimas, Savickas called the situation “difficult for the entire Democratic community” but stressed the need for swift action. “We, as a political community, must take further steps quickly,” he said. “I hope we can organise our board meeting in the very near future—if possible, as early as tomorrow. We see no reason to delay this process.”

According to the party’s statutes, the board is responsible for selecting an interim chairman from among its members, Savickas confirmed.

Another vice-chairman, Virginijus Sinkevičius, stated that Skvernelis would be required to suspend his party membership under internal rules. “Our statutes are very clear on this issue,” he said. “He will have to suspend his membership.” Sinkevičius added that the party would revisit the matter if necessary, emphasising that Skvernelis retains the presumption of innocence and the right to defend his name.

The move follows a formal request by Prosecutor General Nida Grunskienė to the Seimas on Tuesday to strip Skvernelis of his parliamentary immunity. The request, based on an ongoing pre-trial investigation launched in 2025, concerns alleged corrupt activities involving senior officials at the State Plant Service under the Ministry of Agriculture, including potential bribes for issuing phytosanitary certificates.

Skvernelis, a Seimas member since November 2024, enjoys constitutional immunity, which prevents further investigation without parliamentary approval. Earlier searches were conducted in his Seimas office and home as part of the probe, which has already led to 14 detentions. Skvernelis has previously denied wrongdoing.