Lithuanian MP Skvernelis faces bribery allegations as party leader steps down

Lithuanian prosecutors are preparing to charge former prime minister and current MP Saulius Skvernelis with accepting bribes totalling €51,000, while his former party, Democrats “For Lithuania,” scrambles to replace him as leader, LRT reports.

General Prosecutor Nida Grunskienė has requested that the Seimas (Lithuanian parliament) lift Skvernelis’ legal immunity after evidence emerged linking him to a corruption probe at the State Plant Service. Skvernelis, who led the centre-left party since its founding, suspended his membership and resigned as chairman on Friday.

The allegations centre on monthly cash payments of €5,000–10,000, allegedly delivered to Skvernelis by his then-adviser Agnė Silickienė between 2018 and 2020. Prosecutors claim the money came from Jurijus Kornijenko, the now-dismissed director of the Plant Service, in exchange for favourable decisions. According to political commentator Skirmantas Malinauskas, Kornijenko has provided testimony implicating both Skvernelis and Kazys Starkevičius, the former agriculture minister.

The scandal has plunged the party into its deepest crisis yet, analysts say. “The party won’t disappear overnight, but its members will have to fight just to stay afloat—buying ads won’t be enough,” said Rima Urbonaitė, a political scientist at Mykolas Romeris University. Fellow analyst Mato Baltrukevičius agreed, noting that even a future acquittal for Skvernelis—should it come before the 2028 elections—would fail to reverse the reputational damage.

Skvernelis’ home and office were raided by anti-corruption officers in February, further eroding public trust. While party officials insist the organisation itself is not under investigation, political observers argue its identity remains tied to Skvernelis, who founded it after splitting from the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union in 2022. “This isn’t a party of one man, but let’s be honest—it was built around Skvernelis,” Urbonaitė said. “Finding a replacement with his charisma and name recognition won’t be easy.”

Europarliamentarian Virginijus Sinkevičius, the party’s first vice-chairman, is seen as the most likely interim leader. The Democrats “For Lithuania” currently hold 10 seats in the 141-member Seimas.