Acting leader of For the Sake of Lithuania party calls on Skvernelis to leave parliamentary group

The acting chairman of the Democratic Union “For the Sake of Lithuania,” Virginijus Sinkevičius, has stated that former Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis should temporarily withdraw from the party’s parliamentary group while prosecutors investigate bribery allegations against him, LRT reports.

“I believe that, at this moment, it would be best for Saulius Skvernelis to step down from the group—at least while the investigation is ongoing,” Sinkevičius told Lietuvos rytas TV on Monday. “No matter how painful it may be, this is the right decision right now.”

Sinkevičius noted that the group will discuss the matter further but stressed that the final decision rests with Skvernelis himself. His remarks follow last week’s announcement by Prosecutor General Nida Grunskienė that she will request the Seimas (Lithuanian parliament) to lift Skvernelis’s legal immunity, allowing prosecutors to formally charge him with accepting bribes.

According to Grunskienė’s letter to parliament, Skvernelis allegedly received at least €51,000 in cash on multiple occasions in exchange for political favours related to the State Plant Service’s operations. Skvernelis suspended his party membership last week.

The Seimas must approve the prosecutor’s request to strip a lawmaker’s immunity, requiring at least 71 votes. Sinkevičius indicated that Skvernelis would likely waive his immunity through a simplified procedure, bypassing the need for a temporary investigative commission.

“As far as I know, he will request that no commission be formed. Yes, he will choose the option to waive immunity in a simplified manner,” Sinkevičius said. Under Seimas rules, if a lawmaker consents to this process, the Speaker submits a resolution for a vote, requiring a simple majority for approval.