Lithuanian politician calls for MP Gintautas Paluckas to resign amid legal scrutiny

Gintautas Paluckas, a member of the Lithuanian parliament currently under investigation by law enforcement, should step down from his seat, Aurelijus Veryga, leader of the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union, said in an interview with Dienos tema on Sunday, reports LRT.

Veryga argued that Paluckas’ resignation would be “the logical step” and would benefit his own Social Democratic Party, which has faced internal criticism over the case. “I don’t know their motives, but I’ve heard from multiple Social Democrats—both current and former MPs—that they see this as a move that would actually improve the party’s situation, which isn’t great as it is,” Veryga stated.

The politician cited long-standing concerns over Paluckas’ legal history, including unpaid fines and questions over the legitimacy of his election to parliament. “From the very beginning, we’ve been skeptical about him—whether it was his candidacy for prime minister or his past legal issues. Unfortunately, our doubts seem to be proving correct,” Veryga added.

He did not speculate on why Social Democratic Party leadership has not yet urged Paluckas to resign, but noted that Paluckas’ case is “not the only one” affecting the party’s reputation.

Paluckas, a former leader of the Social Democratic Party, has faced renewed scrutiny after prosecutors recently filed charges against his wife in a separate but related investigation.