Lithuanian government dismisses far-right leader’s coup claims as political theatre

The Lithuanian government has no information to support claims by Remigijus Žemaitaitis, leader of the far-right *Nemuno aušra* (“Dawn of Nemunas”) party, that a violent state coup is planned for this autumn, dismissing the statements as a “political spectacle,” **LRT** reports.

Žemaitaitis alleged in a May 22 broadcast on *OpTV* that Lithuania would witness an “internal coup” in September or October, describing it as “brutal” and involving “physical confrontations.” However, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė stated that authorities possess “no information about the alleged internal coup” and that such claims “resemble a political spectacle rather than fact-based statements.”

The Prosecutor General’s Office has already instructed police to assess Žemaitaitis’s remarks for potential legal violations. This follows an ongoing pre-trial investigation into his earlier statements, including his March 10 characterisation of Lithuania’s 1990 Independence Act signatories as “rebels” and the restoration of independence as a “coup.” That probe, launched under laws prohibiting the glorification of Nazi or Soviet crimes, also examines whether Žemaitaitis and another party member improperly leased vehicles to *Nemuno aušra* while using them personally.

Žemaitaitis was convicted in December 2023 by a first-instance court for inciting hatred and Holocaust denial over anti-Semitic social media posts, including claims that Jews “contributed to the annihilation of the Lithuanian nation.” The case is currently under appeal.

Opposition figures have condemned the rhetoric. Social Democrat leader Mindaugas Sinkevičius called the coup claims “nonsense with little connection to sanity,” while Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas urged politicians to “temper their language” and avoid hyperbolic characterisations of Lithuania’s political reality.