Lithuanian culture minister criticises Bishops’ Conference for not disclosing LRT council candidates

The Lithuanian Bishops’ Conference has drawn criticism from Culture Minister Vaida Aleknavičienė for failing to publicly disclose its candidates for the country’s national broadcaster LRT’s governing council, as required by law, LRT.lt reports.

In a statement issued by the Culture Ministry and carried by the BNS news agency, Aleknavičienė emphasised that all institutions appointing members to the LRT council must comply with legal requirements for transparency in the selection process.

Under amendments to the LRT Law adopted in June 2024, institutions nominating candidates must publish lists of eligible applicants on their websites before making a final selection. The rules took effect in September 2024.

Last month, the Bishops’ Conference selected constitutional law expert and former Constitutional Court judge Ramutė Ruškytė as its representative to the 12-member LRT council. However, the two other candidates considered were not made public in advance.

The Conference defended its decision, arguing that while the law mandates advance disclosure, it also allows institutions to establish their own selection procedures. Citing canon law, the organisation stated that “unselected candidates are not announced publicly.”

The move was also criticised by Kęstutis Vilkauskas, chair of the Seimas Culture Committee, and vice-chair Vytautas Juozapaitis, who stressed that statutory requirements apply to all institutions equally and that religious norms do not override national law.

The LRT council comprises 12 members, with four each appointed by the president, the Seimas (two from the ruling majority and two from the opposition), and four by public organisations: the Lithuanian Council of Science, the Lithuanian Association of Art Creators, the Bishops’ Conference, and the Lithuanian Education Council. The latter four bodies are expected to name their new representatives later this month for a six-year term.