Lithuanian interior minister dismisses police chief’s public funding appeal as political maneuvering

The Lithuanian interior minister has accused the national police commissioner of engaging in political maneuvering after the latter publicly announced plans to request an additional €168 million in next year’s budget, LRT reports.

Police Commissioner General Arūnas Paulauskas stated in a Friday interview with LRT Radio that the Police Department would formally submit a request to the Interior Ministry for the supplementary funds. However, Interior Minister Vladislavas Kondratovičius criticized the public announcement, arguing that such discussions should remain internal.

“In my view, this is pure political maneuvering,” Kondratovičius told BNS. “It looks like an attempt to show that I’ve done everything and gotten nothing in return. Any institution can list its needs and even announce on the radio that it will ask the minister for another €100 million.”

The police budget for 2026 stands at €364 million, with similar allocations projected for 2027 and 2028. Kondratovičius noted that negotiations with the Finance Ministry have already secured an additional €50 million for the police in next year’s budget.

Paulauskas defended the funding request, citing severe financial constraints that force the police to “patch holes rather than develop.” He also emphasized the need to justify every additional euro for the service. The minister added that the commissioner must present a long-term strategy to support the request, stating, “These are very large sums, but if he comes with those figures, we will certainly evaluate them.”

In previous budget discussions, police unions had estimated a shortfall of at least €150 million.